What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants occur naturally in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, coffee, tea, wine, and chocolate. While there are thousands of antioxidant compounds out there, you’ve probably heard of flavonols (found in chocolate), resveratrol (found in wine), and lycopene (found in tomatoes). Other popular antioxidants include vitamins A (beta-carotene), C, E, and catechins.

Antioxidants help prevent or stop cell damage caused by oxidants. (Get it? Antioxidants.) “Oxidants are free radicals that you find in the environment, but they’re also produced naturally in your body,” says Diane McKay, Ph.D., an assistant professor, and researcher at Tufts University’s Antioxidants Research Laboratory.

You are exposed to free radicals:

With over 1100 different families of  Free Radicals known to exist today, these do come from many different sources such as…

• Airbourne emissions
• Sunlight
• Chlorination
• Chemical sources
• Pollution

Sadly, we are exposed to free radicals on a day-to-day basis.

And when we are exposed to these free radicals, they start to damage our body’s cells by causing oxidation and cell deterioration.

Antioxidants include some vitamins (such as vitamins C and E), some minerals (such as selenium), and flavonoids, which are found in plants. The best sources of antioxidants are fruits and vegetables. You can find flavonoids in fruits, red wine, and teas. You can also buy antioxidant supplements. It is best to obtain antioxidants from a healthy diet.

Some of the benefits of consuming antioxidant-rich foods include:

• Slower aging
• Healthy glowing skin
• Reduced cancer risk
• Detoxification support
• Longer life span

Most high-rich antioxidant fruits, vegetables, and herbs contain:

• Vitamin C
• Beta-carotene
• Flavonoids
• Llycopene

There is no RDA or Daily Value set for antioxidants.

The levels of antioxidants are evaluated by ORAC Score (oxygen radical absorption capacity) and test the power of a plant to absorb and eliminate free radicals.

These measurements were developed by the National Institute of Aging and are based on 100 grams of each food or herb.

10 Antioxidant Rich Foods

1. Goji berries
2. Wild blueberries
3. Dark Chocolate
4. Pecans
5. Artichoke
6. Elderberries
7. Kidney Beans
8.  Cranberries
9. Blackberries
10. Cilantro