Getting More Antioxidants
Antioxidants are powerful vitamins and minerals found in certain foods and in red wine that help combat free radicals. Free radicals are groups of atoms that have an unpaired number of electrons. This makes them very reactive towards other molecules and can start off chain reactions that damage cells. These reactions can even destroy or damage DNA and make cells malfunction or die completely. Want to get more antioxidants in your diet? There are a few different foods you can eat.
Berries
Fresh berries are a great place to get more antioxidants. Whether you choose to consume blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, or goji berries, these fruits will be very rich in antioxidants along with a number of other vitamins and minerals that help to enhance your health state. The berry with the most antioxidants is the acai berry. Unfortunately, you won’t find it in the fruit aisle of your local grocery store because it’s impossible to get outside of the Amazon.
You don’t need to eat a lot of fruit, either. With blueberries, for example, just add a half cup to a meal to get a very good amount of antioxidants. You don’t have to eat them raw, either—put them in muffins, pancakes, or add them to your cereal.
Vegetables
The next place to get your antioxidants is leafy green vegetables. Any vegetable will fit the bill here as well, but the leafy green varieties such as spinach and kale provide an extreme dose of good nutrition and will really help your body out. Kale is rated as one of the most nutrient dense foods out there, so it is one that you will want to make sure that you are taking in regularly.
Next, a healthy fat source in your diet that’s also rich in antioxidants is nuts. Walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts will all provide great nutrition and help to fend off free radical damage. Walnuts are especially great as they contain omega fats, which provide a seemingly endless number of health benefits. However, remember that nuts are higher in calories, and you could end up gaining weight because of them. Eat them in moderation.
Some Other Foods
Red Kidney Beans – eat a half cup of these beans dried for a boost of antioxidants every day.
Cooked artichokes – one cup of cooked artichoke hearts may not be as effective as either blueberries or red kidney beans, but it’s still one of the vegetables that’s highest in antioxidants.
Russet potato – some people may caution you to avoid carbs at all costs, but one whole cooked russet potato is a decent source of antioxidants.
What Do They Do?
Free radicals are damaging our cells every day. These molecules include an unpaired valence electron in them, which makes the free radical chemically reactive when it comes into contact with other substances. This includes cells in the human body. When a free radical hits one of these cells, it can damage it, even to the point that it damages the DNA carried within the cell. Some studies have drawn lines between free radical damage and diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and arthritis.
Where do free radicals come from? A wide variety of places. Smoking or inhaling cigarette smoke can introduce free radicals to the body in addition to the many other harmful things smoking causes. Inhaling pesticides or even eating foods that have been covered in pesticides and not properly cleaned can lead to free radical formation. Even exercising can cause free radicals to form!
You may also want to start taking a supplement that contains graviola. Research has shown that a graviola supplement may be able to provide you with a number of benefits.
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These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to treat, diagnose, or cure any diseases.