Free radicals attack tissue cells which create undesirable chemical chain reactions and could affect the immune system. Antioxidants could shield the cells from the domino effect caused by free radicals and may aid in maintaining health. ^[26]

In 2004, a study carried out on a sample of elderly men and women aged 65 or older suggests that daily Vitamin E supplementation could have a protective effect against respiratory tract infections, in particular the common cold. ^[27]