CAN TOO MANY ANTIOXIDANTS CAUSE DAMAGE? Just like everything else in life, balance is important. This is not the first time that we have seen damage from higher levels of antioxidants. In this particular study (done in a petri dish), addition of high dose antioxidants actually caused damage to the stem cells. Keep in mind that some level of oxidative stress can be a good thing, causing cells to go into protective mode and upregulate enzymes that produce our own antioxidants. The bottom line is that a broad base of plant based antioxidants will give our cells the balance they need to protect us. High levels of only one type of antioxidant may actually be harmful.