Your Nutritional and Vitamin Supplement Information Resource

posted by Ronald on Apr 25

One of the main topics of discussion these days are about which foods contain the largest amount of antioxidants. Antioxidants are disease fighting compounds that help repair and/or prevent the stress of oxidation (caused by something called a free-radical), a process that occurs naturally during normal cell functions in our body. In a major study about the amount of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables, it was found that fruit berries contain the highest amount of antioxidants. Among those that ranked high are blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries. Among the vegetable rankings, artichokes and beans ranked the highest. Peaches, mangoes, and melons, scored lower than berries but still contain plenty of antioxidants as well as other nutrients. Cinnamon, russet potatoes, and pecans are all excellent, although lesser-known sources of antioxidants. . All of these are among a growing variety of foods found to contain surprisingly high levels of the disease-fighting compounds called antioxidants. A growing number of medical professionals believe antioxidants are key to preventing cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

Antioxidants have been shown to reduce the effects of aging by sweeping up free radicals before they can cause damage. A percentage of cells that become damaged during oxidation turn into free radicals, which can start a chain reaction harming more cells and possibly creating diseased cells. Therefore, to prevent disease, you need to eat foods with high levels of antioxidants. Even though some fruits and vegetables have a high antioxidant content, the body may not be able to absorb all of it. This is because of the bioavailability (how much is available for your body to absorb) among foods and is linked to the mechanical structure of antioxidants. Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries are readily processed by your body (bio-available) because they are a whole food. In addition, these berries are plentiful and are available almost year-round. Remember, a healthy diet needs a variety of nutrients that are obtained from many food sources.

Other benefits of antioxidants include possible prevention of heart disease and cancer, and the reduction of blood pressure. Currently, there are no government guidelines for you on how many antioxidants to consume or what kind of antioxidants to consume in your daily diet. One barrier to creating the guidelines is a lack of consensus among nutrition researchers on uniform and accurate antioxidant measurements.

If you are looking for a good source of antioxidants, I recommend you take a look at

a rich source of antioxidants that comes in a bio-available liquid form