Book excerpt: Nutrients are gaining recognition for their role in protecting against the toxic effects of free radicals, alcohol and other substances. At the same time, advances in food technology, the appearance of novel foods and new ingredients have generated new toxicological issues and forced health and safety professionals to develop new and more reliable methods to assess their impact on our health. These issues are at the heart of the second edition of Nutritional Toxicology. The book discusses the role of nutrients in protecting the body against toxicants. It explores the overall importance of the metabolism of xenobiotics and antioxidant nutrients in their increasingly important role in protecting against oxidative damage generated by free radicals. The book also discusses components of the diet that can influence metabolism of drugs, how alcohol consumption affects nutritional status, and conversely, how nutritional status affects alcohol metabolism. The effect of age on the body's ability to metabolize drugs and toxicants is discussed in detail.