Fruit and Veg
The top 5 best antioxidant foods
Why are antioxidants important and who knew that something, you can’t see, touch, taste, or hear could do so much for your body? Antioxidants are little miracle workers, they do an incredible job in the fight against diseases like cancer, diabetes, and diseases of the heart. Antioxidants are like little soldiers, they fight the little nasty free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals damage our cells. Some of their performances can be beneficial as killing bacteria, for example. But in addition to this, they also mess about with other cells or DNA, causing cell damages or even kill good cells.
– Free radicals cause cell damage
Free radicals are thought to contribute to cancer, diabetes, stroke and heart attack, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s.
– Antioxidants are essential for life
It’s not always easy as … the more, the better. Actually, various studies have shown that high doses of antioxidants increase the risk of death! Therefore, you should avoid high-dose antioxidant supplementation. Studies show that foods reduce oxidative damage much better than supplements.
The Top 5 Best Antioxidant Foods
– 1. Berries
Berries aren’t just sweet and juicy, they are a great way to add antioxidants to your diet. Blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries … are all excellent sources and can be added to any meal of the day. Berries make great smoothies, desserts, even in salads you can use berries. The colour is the indicator of antioxidant content. The darker the berry, the higher it’s antioxidant content. Buy fresh berries! Berries supply the strongest antioxidant punch when they’re fresh. Whenever possible, buy fresh and organic.
– 2. Fruits
Don’t forget that there are more antioxidant-rich fruits, not everybody likes berries. There is a wide range to choose from including apples, plums, pomegranates, citrus fruits, pineapple, kiwi and much more.
– 3. Vegetables
Not as potent in the antioxidant department as fruits but vegetables are still a good contributor, as for example beets, Brussels sprouts, red bell pepper, broccoli, and eggplants, just to name a few. Broccoli is full of cancer-fighting antioxidants. One study found men who ate 5 servings or more per week of broccoli were half as likely to develop bladder cancers over a 10-year period as men who rarely ate them. Onions – you’ll get the most out of this veggie’s natural antioxidant by eating it raw. Cooking onions at a high heat significantly reduces the benefits of its antioxidants that protect against lung and prostate cancer.
– 4. Meat
Even meat is an excellent source of antioxidants, chicken and lean red meats have substantial amounts of selenium and zinc – two very good sources of antioxidants. We all heard that red meat is considered less healthy than white meat. It is true that a chicken liver contains more antioxidants than one from a cow.
– 5. Green tea
And last but not least, a powerful natural antioxidant supplement from an even healthier source: Green tea. Absolutely packed with flavonoids, green tea is an excellent morning drink to get your day started.
The best way to ensure that your body gets the right amount of antioxidants is to eat a real food based diet that includes plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables. Eating healthy can also mean eating yummy, you know?
Thank you,
Klaudia
[…] Eat more vegetables and fruits. […]
i tried the fruit and veggie diet for i think 2 days and it’s hard because Im craving, always, for some meat and junk foods and sweets. but I was able to remove it from my system for a long while. but now im eating unhealthy again. food is the biggest temptation of them all haha
Blueberries are my favourite type of fruit. Totally love them. So glad they’re healthy!
This is just the list I needed. I really want to reduce my weight and I can serm to push it because I have a very slow metabolism rate. Anyway, I heard eating antioxidants will be good for digestion. I’m definitely using your post as reference. Thank you!
Nice to know that you we shouldn’t rely more on supplements with antioxidants. Personally, I prefer eating vegetables and fruits than taking capsules. An informative post.
I absolutely agree with you that we really need antioxidants in our body. Anyway, I didn’t know that lean meat has antioxidants too. Among those you’ve stated, I like berries the most. I also drink green tea from time to time 🙂
I was surprised to see meat in the list. The others are sort of a given already so the meat was the surprise. It’s good to know though. I hope I can add more of these antioxidants into my meal everyday.
I agree. And though green tea doesn’t taste really good, I make sure I drink of at least a cup per day. It’s my way of trying to be healthy in this world full of fats and wrong food choices. haha. i also tend to eat more veggies and fruits as part of my diet plan. 🙂
Berries aren’t that common here in the Philippines, except for strawberries and as far as I know these are seasonal. Oh but at least we’re abundant with fruits and vegetables. 🙂 Regarding antioxidant supplements, I guess that depends on how a supplement was created. I like supplements because we’re not always sure we’re eating proper food all the time.
Antioxidants are very useful to stay fit and healthy. I don’t drink tea, I really should start liking it. But I do eat fruits, veggies and meat, so I’m happy to see them on the list. Lol. Health is wealth so, I’m also taking vitamins for my body’s immunity.
Vitamins are mostly antioxidants (with others being the flavonoids). Having said that, all vitamins and minerals have what is called the UPPER LIMIT (UL). Exceed the UL, toxicity becomes a concern. When it comes to supplementation, it is best to talk to someone who is familiar with the industry first. (Me). LOL.
Now when it comes to food, the danger of toxicity is nearly impossible. For instance, to get the vitamin C you need for one day eating oranges, you would have to consume some 18-19 pieces of medium sized oranges. No one does that. That is not practical.
Once again, great post, Klaudia. The fruits and vegetables you recommended are all good.
I am still learning to take green tea. My coffee intake is still very high. I like these lists of foods as you include that we can actually consume in a tasty/tastier way so we are more enourage to do so. Cheers to yummier antioxidant foods! 🙂
The important need of our body. I had started researching about natural anti-oxidant ingredients since Jan this year. It’s curious how much these items can solve most of the problems in our body. I wasn’t aware about berries though.. Thank You 🙂
I love everything on this list! Yay. Lucky me. Berries maybe the leat. I drink green tea every day. And I always eat vegetables & fruit. I’m now eating salads for lunch and I love it. Thanks for this list!
Hi , very good Post , this foods are very important for a healthy life.
Thank you 🙂
Your images are drool-worthy today! i’m sitting here with my delivery box of organic produce full of these great fruits and vegetables, so yeah!
LOL , Carol . I’ve got a bowl of cherries on my lap 😉 Thanks a lot for coming over !
I’ve been following the Weight Watchers diet since November of 2012, and fruits and veggies are an important component of the diet. Some fruits no longer agree with my digestion but there are so many healthy foods to choose from. And, they are so beautiful.
Wow Alana , that is a long time weight watching , but I know , once you’re used to the diet , it is quite easy to follow. I always find summers so much easier for that , as there is much more fruit available. Thank you very much for reading and leaving that nice comment .