Chronic inflammation leads to damage in the cells of our brain, heart, arterial walls, and other body structures which are attributed as the cause of such illnesses as heart disease, Alzheimer's, senility, Parkinson's, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, prostatitis, stroke, and a few other diseases brought by aging. It seemed that the more free radicals you have in your body, the faster the aging process becomes. Free radicals are harmful, unstable substances that develop after oxidation, a naturally occurring process of the body. Free radicals are not harmful in themselves. In fact, they can be beneficial. The only problem is they do not distinguish between healthy and harmful molecules so that there is a great possibility that they would also "attack" your other healthy cells, causing massive cellular damage, tissue damage, and eventually resulting in a chronic disease or disorder, such as aging. The small red bean was dubbed the food with the highest concentration of disease-fighting antioxidant compounds per serving. Antioxidants are the heroes in an epic struggle against villain molecules called "free radicals." Free radicals do nothing but assault cells, turning them into molecules like themselves. But flax has certainly more benefits in store for us. Flax oil is said to contain a high amount of lignans, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Lignans especially is that substance in flax oil that has antioxidant properties. The Benefits of Flax Oil Lignans A natural plant chemical, lignans are antioxidant molecules with anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties. More particularly, fresh fruits and vegetables are the richest sources of antioxidant support available. For instance, the antioxidant support Retinol or Vitamin A (or beta-carotene) are found in dark green, yellow, and orange vegetables and fruits. In fact, it is the antioxidant support found in these fruits that protect them from solar radiation damage. Sure, these things are but part of the normal aging process. But what causes aging anyway? And is there anyway to retard it? In biological systems, the normal processes of oxidation are what lead to aging. Oxidation causes the production of substances called free radicals which are highly reactive. These free radicals can readily react with and damage other molecules.