ANTIOXIDANTS: Eat All Your Colors!
Antioxidants are all the rage today. And, justifiably so. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals which cause cell damage, which ultimately can lead to diseases of the heart and cancer. It seems everywhere you go it’s blueberry this and blueberry that. You have your choice of wild blueberry juice, blueberry-pomegranate juice, blueberry-cranberry juice and so on and so on.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I love blueberries. But, in our rush to embrace the latest antioxidant food craze (blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates) we’re ignoring some very high-antioxidant foods that are probably sitting ignored in our cupboards or refrigerator.
“What?” You ask, “What could possibly be higher in antioxidants than my beloved wild blueberry?” Well, how about the small red bean? That’s right, I said “bean.” The small red bean actually has more antioxidants per serving size than the wild blueberry. And the red kidney bean and pinto bean have more antioxidants per serving size than a serving of cultivated blueberries.
Benefits
The truth is, there are many common foods high in antioxidants and you should not just restrict yourself to one particular food source. Why? Well, have you ever heard the expression, “eat your colors?” That refers to the fact that foods are in different color “families” containing different types of antioxidants which have different benefits. For example, the yellow-orange color family of peaches and nectarines help our immune systems. The purple-red color family of foods (pomegranates, plums, berries) helps reduce inflammation. It’s important to eat foods from all color groups to reap the full benefits of antioxidants.
Eating foods that are high in antioxidants may be good for your heart and may decrease your risk in developing some forms of cancer and infections.
Antioxidant’s Role in Fighting Disease
Antioxidants are compounds that your body makes naturally. You can also get them from foods. How do antioxidants work? They fight free radicals to help reduce your chance of experiencing disease. It provides us more importantly with protective effects. For example, research has shown that men who eat plenty of lycopene, found in tomatoes, may be less prone to developing prostate cancer. Lutein, an antioxidant, has also been associated with the reduction of risk in eye lens degeneration or vision loss. You can find flavonoids in green tea, which is said to contribute to low incidences of heart-related illnesses.
What about free radicals and how does this affect you? Free radicals are chemical substances that degenerate our cells or simply put stresses our body at the cellular level. With degeneration of our cells our body will tend to experience more illnesses and disease. Some of these illnesses include joint inflammation, damage to nerve cells, increase our risk of heart disease and in some cases can trigger certain types of cancers by damaging the cell DNA.
Different types of antioxidants serve as a strong foundation for your body to keep it strong, healthy and free of potential illnesses. You can eat healthy foods high in antioxidants (by eating them raw, cooking them, or juicing them yourself) without having to pay a high price for the “flavor of the month” antioxidant juices being peddled in the supermarkets. You will find that you encounter antioxidants quite frequently, usually from the veggies and fruits you buy in your local market. It’s more common than you think.
Powerful Antioxidants
Common and popular vitamins such as vitamins C and E are known as potent antioxidants substances. Beta-carotene is also know to be a very effective antioxidant. You don’t need to take a supplement to get these types of antioxidants. You can find antioxidants in common fruits such as bananas, grapes, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, and pomegranates.
Other healthy foods that contain antioxidants include pecans, artichokes, goji berries, kale, red cabbage, beets, spinach, dark chocolate, and beans.
By eating a wide variety of the foods, “eat all your colors”, you can boost your blood levels of antioxidants and reap the many health benefits provided by these healthy compounds! So, give your blueberries some company at the dinner table. Invite some beans, spinach, potatoes and artichoke hearts and enjoy your antioxidants!