I have received several e-mails from people requesting that I stop yammering and post the "list" of antioxidant foods on my Blog already! The problem is that there really isn't a "one-size-fits-all" list. All fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants - and I mean all! But corn, for example, contains very little and only Vitamin A Beta-Carotene. Virtually every other fruit and vegetable contains a mixture of Vitamins, the main ones being Vitamins A and C. 
If you have been reading my last 2 Blog posts, you will remember that antioxidants all work in one way or another to squelch free-radicals before they can injure our body. Vitamin C, for example, works with Vitamin E to stop free-radicals in their tracks, actually blocking the damaging chain reaction that can ultimately promote cancer (and even heart disease). As promised, here's the list of the most common antioxidant foods, listed under the vitamin which they are highest in:
If you have been reading my last 2 Blog posts, you will remember that antioxidants all work in one way or another to squelch free-radicals before they can injure our body. Vitamin C, for example, works with Vitamin E to stop free-radicals in their tracks, actually blocking the damaging chain reaction that can ultimately promote cancer (and even heart disease). As promised, here's the list of the most common antioxidant foods, listed under the vitamin which they are highest in:A (Beta-Carotene) Vitamin C Vitamin E
Carrots Citrus Fruits Green Leafy Vegetables
Sweet Potatoes Cabbage-type Vegetables Wheat Germ
Pumpkin Tomatoes Whole Grain Products
Squash Potatoes Egg Yolks
Apricots Peppers Nuts
Peaches Dark Green Vegetables
Broccoli Cantaloupes Seeds
Dark, leafy greens Berries Vegetable Oils
Melons Mangoes
Corn Kiwi
Plums Papayas
Apples
Cherries
Grapes, and raisins
Bananas
Pears
Asparagus
Avocado
You should normally strive for between 7 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. But remember that not all fruits and vegetables are created equal Some contain mega-amounts of antioxidants and others about a tenth (or less) of the amount that the "big guys" have. There is something called Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (or ORAC), which measures the level of antioxidants each food contains, with the highest levels found in Acai, Pomegranates, and Blueberries. Ever wonder why there is so much hype about these 3 foods these days? After that, you find a good amount in most other Berries, dark Grapes and Raisins, Prunes, Kale, Spinach, Citrus Fruits, and Peppers. Bananas and Apples, probably the two most popular fruits in this country, contain a disappointingly low amount of antioxidants - so low that, in my Nutrition textbook, both of them didn't even make "the list". Don't despair if they are your personal favorites - they are still very good for you, with bananas being one of the best sources of Potassium in your diet.
If you've been reading my Blog posts, you know that fruits and vegetables are not the only sources of antioxidants out there. Other sources include red wine, and tea (especially green tea), and dark chocolate. There are also antioxidants in several spices, including turmeric (an especially powerful source that I have covered in at least 2 other posts), oregano, cinnamon (another very good source), ginger, cayenne (or red) pepper, thyme, rosemary, and curry.
So that's it - antioxidants in a nutshell (or 2 or 3....). Remember to load up on them! By doing so, you will be engaging in happy and, especially healthy, eating!!
Why can't I just take a multi-vitamin with my bag of pork rinds? Won't that give me the vitamin A and C, etc.?
ReplyDeleteGood question actually. I even considered addressing it in my Blog post. A lot of it has to do with absorbancy - eating vitmain-rich food is the best way to make sure it is properly absorbed in your system. Also, it isn't just he vitamins in the foods that give them their free-radical squelching abilities. It's the lycopene in the tomatoes and the indoles in your cabbage-type veggies. Turmeric, cinnamon, wine, green tea - and many of the other "non-vegetable" antioxidants in the group aren't even on the lise because they fall into a specific "vitamin" category. I listed them by category, though, so that you can make sure to vary your vegetables, by color, and by vitamin content. Good question, Pugger! Thanks!
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