Antioxidant Foods: Where Are They And What Are The Advantages of Eating Them?

So, what are some great antioxidant foods and what are the benefits and advantages of eating antioxidant foods?

The kinds of foods that are loaded with natural antioxidants help shield our body’s cells from the destructive “free radicals” that work to cause aging and disease in human beings. In addition, they help the body fight against cancer. You can find a tremendous amount of new studies that link antioxidant rich diets, such as various fruits and vegetables, to lower cancer levels.  Another great advantage for antioxidants is that they tend to lend the body cardiac protection.  When cholesterol is floating about in the blood stream, it oxidizes and builds up in the arteries.  Blood cells then snag on this cholesterol and cause a plaque buildup on the arterial walls, often occluding the flow of blood through the arteries.   Antioxidants help to prevent this type of oxidation.  The ones that are potent for this type of cardiogenic protection are the Carotenoids such as lutein and beta carotene. These heart saving antioxidants are often located in foods such as spinach, apricots, carrots, tomatoes, squash, papaya, pumpkin, melons and broccoli.

Here is a quick list of some powerful antioxidants and where they can be found, naturally:

·    Another great cardio antioxidant is Coenzyme Q 10 that is often found in soy oil or soy products. Don’t forget selenium when you’re looking at cardio antioxidants.  Selenium is located in garlic, nuts and sunflower seeds.

·    Vitamin C antioxidants are to be found in many various fruits and vegetables. Some of the more well-known foods that contain vitamin C are cucumbers, papaya, canteloupe, pepper, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, kiwis, tomatoes, oranges and lemons.

·    Vitamin E-rich super foods are such things as vegetable oils (corn, sunflower, soybean), seeds, nuts and whole grains.

·    Vegetables like pumpkin seeds, nuts and cereals contain Zinc, another prominent metal-antioxidant.

·    Ellagic Acid, a very powerful antioxidant is found in acai, kiwi, pomegranate, blueberries and raspberries.   Capsaicin, another powerful antioxidant is a part of cayenne pepper, chile peppers and regular chilies.

·    Where do you think you can find catechins antioxidants?  How about green tea and cocoa?

·    Sulfur compounds are also very strong in the antioxidant department and this variety is easily found in leeks, garlic and onions.

·    Citrus fruits are the home of Hesperidin.

·    Tomatoes have a high concentration of Lycopene.

·    Quercetin, green tea, broccoli, onions, grapes, red wine and cherries are home to Lutein.

·    The big contributor to Tannins is red wine.

·    Look for Zeaxathing in pumpkins, Goji berries, squash, maize and spinach.

The biggest question we get is this: of all the foods, which are the most potent antioxidant foods?

Many of the above indicated foods are rich in antioxidant nutrients, however, it must be stated that green tea, red and white wine, Pomegranate, Noni, Acai, grapes (with skin and seed), Goji berries, red and blue huckleberry and Mangoseens are some of the richest natural antioxidant foods.

Here is some basic advice about antioxidant foods in your daily diets:

Once a day, take a cup of green tea, eithe the red variety, white or natural brown, in the morning. Each day, you should eat a minimum of two to three pieces of fresh fruit. Make sure the fruit is not too green or too ripe and try to make it a proper fruit for the season.

Never forget a good mixed salad with plenty of sprouts for both lunch and dinner.  Season your foods with spices such as parsley, turmeric, dill, ginger, coriander and curry because each is a very effective antioxidant and quite rich in flavor.

And for something sweet to end your meal, keep in mind that, in addition to fruits, a nice piece of dark chocolate, with no milk, can give you a rich boost of natural antioxidants.