WHAT ARE ANTIOXIDANTS?
I remember living in Los Angeles and falling in love with Acai bowls (shout out, earthbar!). They were (still are?) all the rage and I would only slightly hesitate throwing down $15 for a bowl of blended fruit. I was first in line to defend the mixed bowl of perfection: “it’s delicious, pretty, AND high in antioxidants”.....
Until a few years ago, I couldn’t tell you what I was even defending. By definition, antioxidants are “compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals and chain reactions that may damage the cells of organisms”. Cool……….is that good?
In (more) layman’s terms, antioxidants help or stop damage caused by free radicals (molecules often linked to heart disease, cancer, and other diseases) that the body produces when breaking down food or after exposure to tobacco or radiation.
So, I was right in defending Acai….and now I know why! But are there other foods that can add as much - or even more - value?? Absolutely. To start, foods that are dark and rich in the colors orange, blue, yellow, and red tend to be higher in antioxidants. This isn’t to say a dark green variety isn’t good as well, but oftentimes their nutritional benefit is stronger elsewhere. With this, dried fruits such as Gogi berries, dates, raisins, plums actually have a higher antioxidant ratio than fresh fruit so adding those into your diet would be a great place to start. According to a study on antioxidants conducted by the USDA, the foods with the strongest antioxidant properties are as follows:
1. small red beans
2. wild blueberries
3. red kidney beans
4. pinto beans
5. cultivated blueberries (blueberries grown on a bush, usually more plump than wild)
6. cranberries
7. artichokes
8. blackberries
9. prunes
10.raspberries
There are so many more foods that are rich in antioxidants, but focusing on dark, plant sources is a sure fire way to get a strong daily dose and ensure the body is well armored to protect against life’s toxins!
SOURCES:
https://www.stjohns.health/documents/content/top-20-foods-high-in-antioxidants.pdf