The following two reports appeared on the same day, and when you read a great deal of the evidence, as I do, you come to realize that these kinds of reports always depend on the context.  That is, to say something like, "antioxidants are very important and everyone should take them" is dangerous, due to its lack of specificity.  Without specificity, one can simply point to a "study" and claim that he or she is "right."  What is necessary is an understanding of the underlying mechanisms, and that seems to be something few people possess in the diet and health arena:

 

 

QUOTE:  Those phytochemicals -- natural plant-based compounds that give fruits and vegetables a reputation as healthy food -- could be unhealthy if consumed in high doses in dietary supplements, teas or other preparations, scientists in New Jersey have concluded after a review of studies on the topic.

In their article, scheduled for the current issue of ACS's Chemical Research in Toxicology, a monthly journal, Chung S. Yang and colleagues analyze available data on the toxic potential of polyphenols. That group of dietary phytochemicals includes flavonoids, whose suggested beneficial effects in fruits and vegetables include prevention of heart disease and cancer. The data was from studies done in humans and laboratory animals.

The report cites specific examples of toxic effects, including reports of liver, kidney, and intestinal toxicity related to consumption of high doses of green tea-based dietary supplements...  UNQUOTE.

SOURCE:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070430224756.htm

QUOTE:  According to a study in the May/June 2007 issue of the journal Ground Water, pharmaceuticals are being found in septic tanks and, consequentially, ground water due to incomplete human metabolism and excretion into the waste stream or by disposal of unused medications in the toilet or down the sink...  UNQUOTE.

SOURCE:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070430181148.htm