Add antioxidants to your diet

Antioxidants are certain nutrients, such as vitamins C or E, or carotenoids, which can help protect cells against daily damage. As the cells do their work, the way they process oxygen results in a free radical molecule. These molecules are unstable. As they recover stability, free radicals damage cells and DNA.

Disease and free radical damage

Over time, free radical damage can cause problems for tissues and organs in the body, which can lead to the disease. Research suggests that free radical molecules can increase the risk of health problems linked to aging. Some examples are heart disease, age -related macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.

Body cells can fix or prevent free radical damage, for example, making antioxidant enzymes. And some antioxidants, such as vitamin C, come from food and drinks.

Eating antioxidants

Plant -based foods are the best source of antioxidants. These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices, and even cocoa. Plants have natural antioxidants, such as carotenoids, flavonoids, isotiocyanates and phenolic acids.

As additional benefit, many foods that have antioxidants also have other benefits. They are often rich in fiber, low in saturated fats and cholesterol, and good sources of vitamins and minerals.

The artichokes are a good example.

Naturally they have fiber inulin. But artichokes also have plant chemicals called flavonoids and phenolic acids. These phytonutrients have the potential to help administer free radicals.

Does cooking affect antioxidants?

Drying, cooking or freezing of food can affect its level of antioxidants. Sometimes, cooking allows an antioxidant to absorb better. Lycopene in tomatoes is an example.

More lycopene is available in cooked tomatoes than raw. And for some foods, such as sweet potatoes, cooked is the only way we could eat them at all.

Raw sweet potato

In addition to cooking, some antioxidants are more available when combined with another nutrient. An example is orange and yellow vegetables with beta -carotene and vitamin E. cooked with a little fat, those antioxidants are more available for the body.

Other foods with carotenes can also offer more cooked nutrients. Examples are carrots, red and green peppers, collized, spinach and broccoli. Some of its phytochemicals may be better absorbed by the body after being cooked.

Other foods have more antioxidants when they are raw. In Atasco made of berries, for example, antioxidant levels were lower than in the berries unproken in gross.

Fresco or frozen, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are among the best sources of fruit antioxidants.

Burned bowl

Nuts, seeds and grains

Along with fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains add antioxidants to the diet. Integral grains, nuts and seeds are a source of selenium, vitamin E and antioxidant phytochemicals.

Nuts and seeds without salt have proteins and fats in addition to other phytochemicals. They are a dense food in nutrients.

Nut and seed oils can also help people balance their healthy fat intake. Nuts and nuts are some of the upper nuts for antioxidant content. Are you not crazy about nuts? Try sunflower seeds.

And don’t forget those grains. When they become flour, Sarracene wheat, millet and barley seem to hold on to their best phytochemicals.

Cracked and whole nuts

Antioxidants join

In general, antioxidants of food taken for a long period of time seem to support health. Individual antioxidants taken as supplements have less scientific support.

When it comes to adding antioxidants to the diet, no food or food group can do everything. The best bet is to obtain a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains in the diet.

Adding foods with different colors can help achieve that goal. The color of a meal hints its antioxidants. Red, orange, yellow, green and even blue or black fruits and vegetables provide different antioxidants.

Other things in the diet, such as tea, coffee and some fruit juices, also have antioxidants. Some black chocolate may also have antioxidants, but depends on cocoa content.

And it can be useful to make some antioxidants every day. For example, vitamin C is not stored in the body. Therefore, eating food with that vitamin every day can help make sure the body has enough.