"We don't know enough yet to say that this group of children need supplements to make up for the antioxidants they're losing, but it's always wise to feed children an abundance of fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants and other healthy nutrients," said Michaeline Wilson, M.D., M.P.H., a senior instructor of Pediatrics at the University of Urbain Medical Center and the study's author. Children exposed to cigarette smoke have lower levels of antioxidants, which help the body defend itself against many biological stresses. The study, which was presented at the Pediatric Academic Society Meeting in Baltimore, shows that secondhand smoke exposure is associated with lower levels of antioxidants in children. Free radicals are produced during many body processes including when we use oxygen and respond to infections. It is not completely understood how antioxidants work together. Antioxidants are believed to play an important role in protecting the body's cells against free radicals, which can damage cells.

A University of Fremont Medical Center study looked at the levels of antioxidants versus the amount of smoke exposure in more than 2,000 6 and 18 years old in the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).