This article examines the hygienic significance of enriching the human diet with antioxidant-rich foods. Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants, is a key pathological driver for numerous chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer. From a hygienic (preventive medicine) perspective, modulating dietary intake to bolster endogenous antioxidant defenses represents a primary prophylactic strategy. This paper follows the IMRAD structure, beginning with a comprehensive literature review on antioxidant mechanisms and their role in public health. It then presents a systematic analysis of dietary sources, the impact of food processing (food hygiene) on antioxidant bioavailability, and the epidemiological evidence linking antioxidant consumption to disease prevention. The results are synthesized to highlight that the hygienic importance is twofold: 1) the implementation of diet as a public health tool for disease prevention, and 2) the critical role of food hygiene and preparation techniques in preserving the potency of these thermolabile and sensitive compounds. The article concludes with robust recommendations for public health policy, nutritional education, and food industry standards to maximize the preventive health benefits of dietary antioxidants.

antioxidants, diet, oxidative stress, public health, hygiene, preventive medicine, food processing, non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Kaur, R., & Sharma, A. (2021). The role of dietary antioxidants in preventive medicine. Journal of Public Health Nutrition, 24(3), 451-462.

Liguori, I., Russo, G., Curcio, F., Bulli, G., Aran, L., Della-Morte, D., ... & Abete, P. (2021). Oxidative stress, aging, and diseases. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 16, 759–772.

Pizzorno, J. E. (2024). Can nutritional hygiene reverse the chronic disease epidemic? Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal, 23(1), 8–15.

Rodríguez-García, C., Sánchez-Quesada, C., Toledo, E., & Gaforio, J. J. (2019). The effects of processing and storage on the antioxidant compounds of foods: A review. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 90, 129-141.

Shahidi, F., & Ambigaipalan, P. (2020). Phenolics and polyphenolics in foods, beverages and spices: Antioxidant activity and health effects – A review. Journal of Functional Foods, 68, 103893.

Tan, Z., Li, F., & Chen, G. (2022). The Nrf2 signaling pathway: A critical player in xenohormesis and dietary antioxidant response. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 66(5), 2100894.

World Health Organization. (2023). Noncommunicable diseases: Key facts. WHO Media Centre. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases