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FRIDAY, July 25 (HealthDayNews) -- Popping a pill to increase antioxidants in your body apparently doesn't work as well as eating the fruits and vegetables that contain them naturally.

And what works even better, researchers claim, is mixing the natural foods together.

Dietary antioxidants are considered beneficial because they slow the chemical process of oxidation, which causes cholesterol deposits and narrowing of the arteries and can lead to various heart-related problems. A variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs contain antioxidants -- including onions, tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, grapes and pomegranates -- but antioxidant supplements also have been developed.

However, supplements don't work as well, according to laboratory tests at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, because they generally contain only one specific antioxidant. Fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, contain a range of antioxidants that work together synergistically, the researchers say.

And, they add, combinations of certain antioxidants produce better results than when those same antioxidants are ingested separately.

Vitamin E, for instance, has a stronger effect when it's obtained in a tomato rather than alone because, the researchers say, tomatoes also contain beta carotene, lycopene and some flavonoids, which interact with the vitamin E for increased benefit.

More information

Here's where you can learn more about antioxidant supplements.