Antioxidants in food and supplements prevent cell damage, StrictionD Review but they may also increase the risk of getting diabetes. A study was done in mice and now testing will have to be done in people.
Too much of a good thing may be the problem. Oxidative stress could be working not to hurting the body, but to stop enzymes that inhibit the body's ability to use insulin early in the starting of diabetes, and it may be that antioxidants stop this protective mechanism.
This may lead to the early start of insulin resistance which is a cause of type 2 diabetes. Other studies have shown that antioxidants can shorten lifespans and they do not protect healthy people from getting diabetes.
So, what should we do with this information? It may be wise to just eat a healthy diet, exercise, and calm your stress. Skip the high dose antioxidant supplements until more studies are done on this matter.