Free radicals are constantly being formed in your body.
Without antioxidants, free radicals would cause serious harm very quickly, eventually resulting in death.
However, free radicals also serve important functions that are essential for health
For example, your immune cells use free radicals to fight infections Trusted Source.
As a result, your body needs to maintain a certain balance of free radicals and antioxidants.
When free radicals outnumber antioxidants, it can lead to a state called oxidative stress.
Prolonged oxidative stress can damage your DNA and other important molecules in your body. Sometimes it even leads to cell death.
Damage to your DNA increases your risk of cancer, and some scientists have theorized that it plays a pivotal role in the aging process Trusted Source.
Several lifestyle, stress, and environmental factors are known to promote excessive free radical formation and oxidative stress, including:
Antioxidants and Free Radicals
Many of the phytochemicals (plant chemicals) in the foods we eat function as antioxidants. These nutrients function by inhibiting the formation of free radicals and may reduce the damage they would cause in the body. This is thought to be at least part of the reason why a diet rich in vegetables and fruits has been linked with a lower risk of many diseases.
Examples of antioxidants include vitamin E, vitamin A, beta-carotene, anthocyanidins (in berries), epigallacatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in green tea, and many more.
Antioxidants are essential for the survival of all living things.
Your body generates its own antioxidants, such as the cellular antioxidant glutathione.
Plants and animals, as well as all other forms of life, have their own defenses against free radicals and oxidative damage.
Therefore, antioxidants are found in all whole foods of plant and animal origin.
Adequate antioxidant intake is important. In fact, your life depends on the intake of certain antioxidants — namely, vitamins C and E.
However, many other non-essential antioxidants occur in food. While they’re unnecessary for your body, they play an important role in general health.
The health benefits associated with a diet rich in plants is at least partially due to the variety of antioxidants they provide .
Berries, green tea, coffee, and dark chocolate are renowned for being good sources of antioxidants .
According to some studies, coffee is the single biggest source of antioxidants in the Western diet, but this is partly because the average individual doesn’t eat that many antioxidant-rich foods .
Meat products and fish also contain antioxidants, but to a lesser extent than fruits and vegetables .
Antioxidants can increase the shelf life of both natural and processed foods. Therefore, they’re frequently used as food additives. For instance, vitamin C is often added to processed foods to act as a preservative .
Food sources of Antioxidants
The best sources of antioxidants are plant-based foods, especially fruits and vegetables.
Foods that are particularly high in antioxidants are often referred to as a “superfood” or “functional food.”
To obtain some specific antioxidants, try to include the following in your diet:
Vitamin A: Dairy produce, eggs, and liver
Vitamin C: Most fruits and vegetables, especially berries, oranges, and bell peppers
Vitamin E: Nuts and seeds, sunflower and other vegetable oils, and green, leafy vegetables
Beta-carotene: Brightly colored fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, peas, spinach, and mangoes
Lycopene: Pink and red fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes and watermelon
Lutein: Green, leafy vegetables, corn, papaya, and oranges
Selenium: Rice, corn, wheat, and other whole grains, as well as nuts, eggs, cheese, and legumes
Other foods that are believed to be good sources of antioxidants include:
- eggplants
- legumes such as black beans or kidney beans
- green and black teas
- red grapes
- dark chocolate
- pomegranates
- goji berries
Goji berries and many other food products that contain antioxidants are available to purchase online.
Foods with rich, vibrant colors often contain the most antioxidants.
The following foods are good sources of antioxidants. Click on each one to find out more about their health benefits and nutritional information:
- blueberries
- apples
- broccoli
- spinach
- lentils
- Pomegranates
Effect of cooking
Cooking particular foods can either increase or decrease antioxidant levels.
Lycopene is the antioxidant that gives tomatoes their rich red color. When tomatoes are heat-treated, the lycopene becomes more bio-available (easier for our bodies to process and use).
However, studies have shown that cauliflower, peas, and zucchini lose much of their antioxidant activity in the cooking process. Keep in mind that the important thing is eating a variety of antioxidant-rich foods, cooked and raw.
Dietary tips
The following tips could help increase your antioxidant intake:
- Include a fruit or a vegetable every time you eat, meals and snacks included.
- Have a cup of green or matcha tea every day.
- Look at the colors on your plate. If your food is mostly brown or beige, the antioxidant levels are likely to be low. Add in foods with rich colors, such as kale, beets, and berries.
- Use turmeric, cumin, oregano, ginger, clove, and cinnamon to spice up the flavor and antioxidant content of your meals.
- Snack on nuts, seeds, especially Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, and dried fruit, but choose those with no added sugar or salt.
Or, try these healthy and delicious recipes developed by registered dietitians:
- Cherry-almond smoothie
- Spicy cinnamon-ginger roasted carrots
- Roast beet and red quinoa salad with orange-beet balsamic vinaigrette
- Carrot cake power smoothie
- Chickpea, kale and cashew superfood soup
- Spicy Thai lettuce wraps
- Cure-all juice.
There is no set recommended daily allowance (RDA) for antioxidants, but a high intake of fresh plant-based produce is considered healthful.
T
