Nature has created each organism with mechanisms to deal with free radical damage.
These biochemical reactions that absorb free radicals can be classified in a variety of ways.
Intrinsic antioxidants include superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione, catalase and peroxidase.
These are manufactured within the cells of the organism itself for the purposes of cellular protection.
A condition of "oxidative stress" exists when more free radicals exist than can be neutralized by the various types of antioxidants.
Actually, we are always in a state of "oxidative stress" since the number of free radicals is never exactly matched by the number of antioxidants.
There are always excess free radicals causing damage and the slow decline of the organism, also known as aging.