To understand the value and importance of antioxidants, you must first understand the destructive results of free radicals.

Free radicals occur naturally as a result of normal, daily reactions within your body. Essentially, when a molecule is a free radical, it is an unstable molecule which contains a free electron which is seeking a connection. These molecules seek to complete this unstable existence by latching on to tissues such as blood vessel linings or cell membranes, creating a chronic state of inflammation within the body. This on-going inflammation eventually results in damage to various tissues of the body. Antioxidants bind to the free radicals, thus preventing the damage they would normally cause.

The damage caused by free radicals has been linked to heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and many other conditions and illnesses. Free radical damage is also believed to contribute to many other degenerative aspects of aging, such as wrinkles, hardening of arteries, and some of the loss of mental acuity that sometimes occurs with age.

Antioxidants are available in many different forms and substances. Vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene (a form of vitamin A) are antioxidants in addition to their other benefits to your health and well-being. Selenium and zinc are two minerals which are also antioxidants.

Other compounds; cysteine, glutamic acid, and glutathione, for example, are also antioxidants, as are natural and herbal products such as ginkgo, hawthorn, rosemary, green tea extract, and grape seed extract.

Vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene, is water soluble and can be found in vegetables such as spinach. Vitamin A is important for skin health, helps growth in children and protects against night blindness in addition to other benefits.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) is crucial to the body’s ability to produce collagen, an important protein that keeps skin damage minimal. Collagen can delay the development of wrinkles and saggy skin by helping skin hold onto its elasticity. Vitamin C also expedites the body’s ability to repair tissues so wounds heal more quickly. It is also important in the body’s ability to absorb and use several other nutrients.

Vitamin E (Alpha-Tocopherol), like vitamin C, is not produced or stored in the body, so it must be constantly replenished through diet or supplementation. It encourages the proper development of muscles. It can help boost the effectiveness of the immune system, primarily by making it more resistant to bacterial and viral infections. Working with other nutrients, vitamin E can help prevent development of cataracts.

Selenium is a trace mineral, that is, the body does not need a large quantity for health. However, even in small quantities, in addition to its role as an antioxidant, selenium helps keep cell membranes healthy, helps the thyroid gland and pancreas function properly, and can help prevent dandruff in some people. A link between low selenium levels and HIV/AIDs victims is being explored.

Zinc is also a trace mineral. Zinc helps in the healing of wounds, helps maintain the senses of taste and smell, aids in normal growth, helps the reproductive system develop properly, and helps in the transport of Vitamin A from the liver.

Cysteine is found in poultry, oats, wheat germ, egg yolks, garlic and onions, and broccoli. It can protect against toxicity from smoking or pollution.

Glutamic Acid may reduce cravings for sugar and alcohol. It aids gastrointestinal healing and helps neurological and mental disorders. It is found in animal and vegetable proteins. Pregnant women and children should probably not take supplements of glutamic acid.

Glutathione protects against damage from chemicals, smoke and other toxins. It is valuable against cancer, skin problems, and cataracts.

Grape Seed Extract is often sold as a supplement for its antioxidant qualities. While the extract is often made from seeds taken from grapes made into juice, for example, you can actually get the same benefits by enduring the taste and crunching the seeds in grapes you can buy in the produce department of your local grocery.

Green Tea and Green Tea Extract can both provide antioxidant benefits, but green tea extract may be easier to deal with, say, when traveling or on a visit, than trying to brew a cup or pot of green tea. Green tea extract may also provide a more standard and dependable dose than the cup of tea you just brewed.

Have you heard the news? Coffee has antioxidants! Antioxidants have been studied to a great extent. The evidence that is becoming available today shows that antioxidants can potentially delay the aging process as well as protect the body against the development of age-related diseases.

If you read any medical articles that relate to these studies and you are not in the field of medicine, most likely you will get lost inside the information. This is where a problem in believing that certain foods containing antioxidants are good for you begins.

A very interesting study was conducted regarding coffee beans and the antioxidant benefits that could be obtained when consumed.

The article was very lengthy and had a great deal of medical terms and references in it. What the results proved was that although antioxidants did exist in coffee, when the beans were heated and processed, the benefits that can be obtained when drinking it, are diminished.

This is easier to understand when you can consider how the testing was done.

Using lab rats to test the effects of the antioxidants in coffee is misleading. Especially when the coffee was not simply ground up and processed in the normal human fashion where we place the grounds into a coffee pot and run hot water over it resulting in a pot of hot liquid which is of course coffee.

The testing in the labs involved breaking down the coffee bean into different parts. For instance, the skin was removed from the coffee bean and tested as to the amount of antioxidants it contained.

Why would they do this you might ask?

Well, the skin is where the highest amount of antioxidants can be found. Yet, we have to ask the question, “Who drinks just the skin of the coffee bean?”

Another problem with thinking any positive results meant that coffee is good for us is the fact that after coffee is brewed, it looses a great deal of the antioxidants through the heating process.

After testing coffee in various forms and breaking it up into several different components, at the very end of an extremely long description of medically challenging terms and data, it became clear that the lab test did not in fact prove coffee to have any antioxidant benefits when consumed as a hot stimulating drink.

In fact at the end of this article the bottom line was that there was no proof at all that coffee was good for us due to any substantial amount of antioxidants after the brewing process.

So, the bottom line here is…

Rumors can start very fast and become thought of as fact if we do not do our own research.

Seems these day you can’t turn on the TV or open up a magazine without seeing an ad touting the latest health product that is “rich in antioxidants.” It is a long word, sometimes difficult to comprehend, but it certainly reads as though it can be beneficial to the body, correct? Indeed, antioxidants are found in a number of dietary supplements designed not necessarily for weight loss, but for overall good health. Yet, before you decide to go head first into a daily antioxidant regimen, it is suggested to know exactly what antioxidants do, where they are found, and whether they truly are helpful to the body.
Antioxidants are generally defined as those products which, naturally, prevent or lessen the body’s oxidation. Oxidation refers to the addition of oxygen, and consequent lessening of hydrogen, from an element – be it the body or something else. Consider silver, for example. When silver or other precious metals are exposed to too much oxygen, they can tarnish and lose their original beauty. Now imagine something similar happening to your body. We need oxygen to survive, yes, but the air we breathe is not one hundred percent pure. An intake of too much pure oxygen can actually cause toxicity.
Antioxidants, therefore, apply a balance by guarding the body from damaging elements. With regards to alternative health, antioxidants are believed to purify the blood. Human blood contains a certain amount of iron, which is broken down by oxygen. Getting back to our metals analogy, metal exposed to too much oxygen can rust. If you can imagine this rust in your bloodstream as the iron is broken down, you will better understand the presence of free radicals in your body that can cause damage. Antioxidants work to get rid of these free radicals and keep you healthy and active.
Where to find antioxidants
Unfortunately, it is believed that antioxidants do not occur enough naturally in our bodies, hence the recent explosion of supplements and products claiming to be high in antioxidants. Many foods, however, are naturally rich in antioxidants and make good additions to a healthful diet. Just a few foods include:
Acai – This exotic purple berry is indigenous to the Amazon rainforest, and used in drinks, energy bars, powders and shakes. Brazilians have used acai for years as a healthful supplement for foods.
Blueberries – These tart little berries are good for more than garnishing cereals and filling pies. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants and provide a good source of vitamins.
Dark Cocoa – The darker the chocolate, the higher the health properties. While it isn’t recommended to eat too much of it, an occasional bite can boost your antioxidant level.
For a balanced diet with antioxidants to assist well-being, consult a physician or diet professional to see what you need to eat, and how much you need daily. By knowing what is good for your body can you improve your overall well-being.

Knowing what antioxidants are and why they are important in the diet with regards to overall health and wellness, plus also knowing what foods are high in antioxidants can help everyone eat better and smarter. There are actually a wide range of different types of foods, many which are common items in the daily diet, that are high in antioxidants and provide a great number of health benefits for your body.
There is a misconception that the very highest amount of antioxidants is found in tea and, in particular, in green tea. While green tea is very high in antioxidants, there is one food item that actually has a higher content. Believe it or not, dark chocolate is the winner of the high antioxidant food category. It important to understand that this refers only to dark chocolate, and does not include milk chocolates or white chocolates. Dark chocolate is produced from the cocoa bean and is in the purest and least diluted form, which is why dark chocolate is so rich and distinct in flavor. Although high in antioxidants, eating large quantities of dark chocolate isn’t healthy either – just a small amount in the diet is beneficial. Dark chocolate contains flavonols, which are a type of flavinoid. Further breaking down the types of antioxidants in dark chocolate you will find procyanidins, epicatechins and catechins, this last one being the same antioxidant found in green tea.
Berries have long been recognized as a healthy addition to the diet, but now researchers and nutritionists know why. Berries, particularly strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and kiwi fruit, provide a large amount of antioxidants to the diet, plus they also add fiber, vitamins and great taste. Consider eating berries on your cereal or as a dessert rather than cake or pie. Berries also make an easy to carry snack for kids and are simple to have at your desk for between meal cravings.
Many vegetables are also high antioxidant food types and generally they include the green leafy vegetables. Some good examples of high antioxidant content vegetables include green and red cabbage, kale, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower. All of these vegetables are in the cruciferous group of vegetables along with bok choy, and Brussels sprouts. Eating these vegetables on a daily basis, or even adding one or two servings per week in addition to your regular diet, will help increase the amount of antioxidants available for your body to use.
Whenever planning to add more high antioxidant foods to your diet, be sure to do so reasonably and slowly, not all at once. In addition don’t only eat foods that are high antioxidant foods, you also need to consume complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, brown rice and cereals; proteins such as lean meats and fish, as well as other vegetables and fruits. Keep in mind that eating in balance helps your body with vitamins and minerals that are also necessary in the production of antioxidants as well as in overall health.

The emerging market for products claiming to slow aging is undeniably astounding. Among these, supplements containing antioxidants perhaps give the best promises to the consumers. Aside from the fact that these are a wound to the pocket, antioxidant products offer a delight to those who would like to look young in a flash. But how does this free-radical sponge really work?
Free Radicals Defined
First identified by Moses Gomberg in 1900, free radicals are molecular species that are highly reactive. These tiny things play a role in chemical reactions including that of the human. As the cells produce energy (for function and survival), the also create oxygen molecules that are unstable because its electrons are unpaired. These unpaired electrons make this thing to be highly labile.
In the human body, if these unstable molecules go together with other molecules, they would kill their newly acquainted fellows, thereby speeding up the aging process. Drinking, the radiation coming from TVs and computers, drugs, and cigarette smoking spawn free radicals. If we persistently have stress and do not take them away by way of exercise, we give way to the formation of free radicals. If we don’t have a good sleep at least seven hours, we are actually exciting production of more fee radicals.
A lot of changes in our body are as a result of the activities of the free radicals. They damage the DNA and impair other vital functions of cells, causing premature death to these cells. Over time, all these damages would mount up and cause our body to accelerate aging.
Upon breathing, oxygen induces a process called oxidation. And it is in here where free radicals form. This process is likened to the oxidation of metals. Once oxidized, aluminum turns to be white, iron becomes rusty, and copper transforms into green. In the same logic that oxidation damages metals; free radicals are also detrimental to our body.
How Antioxidants Work
Antioxidants are molecules that have the capability of preventing oxidation of other molecules (by the name itself: antioxidant). In the light of anti-aging, antioxidants prevent the formation of free radicals. Antioxidants are naturally occurring substances found in plants. If our body has an abundance of antioxidants, we will be able to prevent the harm brought about by free radicals.
Benefits of Antioxidants
Antioxidants can help you look younger, live longer, and be at your optimum health. Foods rich in antioxidants like fruits and vegetables can give you great protection from coronary heart diseases, and age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.Antioxidants can also strengthen our immune resistance to diseases such as influenza and other bacterial and viral infections.
These substances also reduce a person’s risk of acquiring cancer, an incurable disease. Antioxidants also prevent glaucoma and the age-related degeneration of our macula, the part of the eye that is dedicated for superior acuity vision. Antioxidants also beat down the passing of the aging clock making your skin and other organs rejoice.
Carotenoids, zinc, selenium, and the Vitamins A, C, and E are some of the main antioxidants. Glutathione is said to be the most powerful among all forms of antioxidants. They are naturally present in our body since we were young but depletes as we get older.
If antioxidant supplements are not your type, you may take some delectable bite of the super fruits such as blueberry and raspberry which are said to contain the most number of antioxidants.
So now that you have understood well how these miracle supplements work, you would realize why these wonder tablets cost a lot. May you have a healthily long and young life!

When our bodies use oxygen, the cells produce free radicals that cause damage to the body’s cellular make-up. Antioxidants are attracted to free radicals and basically will neutralize them.

Many of today’s health problems such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, macular degeneration and others, can be directly attributed to oxidative damage caused by free radicals ravaging the body. This is not only a theory, the role the antioxidants plays in neutralizing free radicals is well documented in medical journals as far back as the 1950s.

When we are young, the body seems to be blessed and can generally maintain at peek efficiency. By the time we reach the age of twenty five, the disease of aging begins. As the aging process slowly progresses, our bodies begin to need more assistance to stay in shape. We don’t feel this aging process actually happening because this actually begins happening at the cellular level of our bodies. In time, the muscle tissue gets less substantial, the bones start becoming more brittle and our immune system is compromised.

When our immune system becomes compromised, we are more prone to infection and disease. Why do our bodies begin breaking down at the cellular level? The main culprit is free radicals. Without enough antioxidants in our bodies to counter the free radicals, they slowly create the oxidative damage that leaves us open to the opportunistic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and many others.

A little more than fifty years ago, scientists found that heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes, cataracts, arthritis and many neuro-degenerative diseases were linked to the destruction caused by free radicals.

Free radicals are formed when weak bonds within a molecule split. These free radicals are highly unstable that attack and capture the closest molecule electron. After this happens, that molecule having lost it’s electron, turns into a free radical and the whole process keeps recycling as a chain reaction. Left unchecked, free radicals create molecular chains that breakdown the bodies ability to regenerate properly. Because antioxidants neutralize the free radicals, keeping enough antioxidants active within the body is paramount.

Antioxidants can naturally be found in many varieties of food sources. There are over 4,000 compounds in foods that have antioxidants. Some of the food rich sources are kidney and pinto beans, blueberries, cranberries, artichoke, blackberries, raspberries, prunes, strawberries, apples, pecans, sweet cherries, plums, russet potatoes and many more.

Also, vitamin A, C and E, the mineral selenium and betacarotene are rich in antioxidants. The non-nutrient antioxidants that come from pytochemicals, lycopenes in tomatoes, athocyanins in cranberries that are believed to have greater effects at fighting free radicals than either vitamins or minerals. Many supplemental vitamins can be purchased through the health and wellness industry.

Many of the experts in health and nutrition all agree that as we get older, we need more antioxidant rich foods in our daily diets to fight off the free radicals from compromising our body and immune system. It is also widely believed that certain antioxidants also aid in slowly down the aging process. Could it be that free radicals play an important role in the aging process itself?

Although nutritionists in the health field have been acknowledging the benefits of antioxidants for several decades, it has only been recently that the medical field has discovered scientific evidence that backs up the role that antioxidants do play in our health.

Today, many medical scientists worldwide are finding strong evidence that antioxidants to play a very large role in the anti-aging process. Many of the degenerative effects of aging can be countered by a combination of nutrients. One of those key nutrients found to be most effective in combating the disease of aging itself is antioxidants.

How much antioxidants do we need in our diet? How much is a recommended daily allowance? To date there is no medical agency within the U.S. that has a set guideline concerning antioxidants in our diet. A few agencies generically recommend 5 servings a day of fruit and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants.

How much is too much? Again, no one medical agency seems to have a figure on this. You could say the jury is still out. Although the medical field agrees on the role that antioxidants play in maintaining our healthy bodies, they do not necessarily agree on how much we should need.

There are some within the health and wellness field that believe we need a lot more antioxidants in our bodies than just consuming from natural sources. There are many nutritional, supplemental vitamins on the market today that provide the healthy antioxidants our body needs to effectively fight off free radicals.

Wouldn’t we all like to age gracefully (if at all for that matter!) and ward off the wrinkly signs and ill symptoms for as long as possible. Keys to longevity may be more accessible than we think, and it appears our diets play a critical role. Antioxidants are the knights in shining armor that subjugate the attack of free radicals in the body, the hazardous molecules that damage cells and procure aging and disease. Though antioxidants are produced naturally in the body, these decline with age, hence an increasing need to acquire them from the foods in our diet.

Before examining antioxidants more closely, it is important to take a look at the free radicals they serve to neutralize.

Free Radicals

Free radicals are created as by-products in our use of oxygen during metabolism such as the burning of food for energy. They are essentially oxidant molecules that are missing an electron and seek to restore themselves by targeting nearby cells in an attempt to recover this electron, potentially harming enzymes, DNA, proteins and cell membranes in the process. This damage can mutate cells and alter cell function, increasing the risk of numerous diseases and chronic conditions including arthritis, diabetes, cataracts, cancer, heart disease and stroke. Free radical damage is implicated in the onset of aging and its degenerative symptoms and diseases.

As well as generated within the body, free radicals come from environmental sources such as pollution, radiation, unhealthy foods, bacteria, viruses, cigarette smoke and UV light.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants serve to mitigate the harmful effect of free radicals by giving up an electron and stabilizing them in the process. Although we produce many of our own antioxidants within the body, food provides an essential source for these key players of our defense system. Vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients all have antioxidant properties. The most common examples include vitamins A, C and E, selenium and zinc, carotenoids, flavonoids, co-enzyme Q10, alpha-lipoic acid and glutathione.

As there are many different types of free radicals in the body a variety of antioxidants are required to protect against them. Antioxidants function best as a team, with each other and other nutrients and phytochemicals, which is why incorporating a wide range of plant foods into your diet is recommended. Phytochemical groups such as flavonoids and carotenoids correspond to the colour, taste and smell attributes of plants, hence eating a rainbow array of vegetables and fruits can offer a diverse selection of these potent antioxidants.

Antioxidant Rich Foods

Foods especially high in antioxidants include berries, plums, pomegranates, oranges, spinach, green tea, avocado, kale, broccoli, peas, onions, grapes and pure chocolate.

Scientists at the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) have developed a rating scale that measures the total antioxidant capacity of a given food. This is known as the ORAC score (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity).

Of 40 common fruits and vegetables measured by the USDA, top ranking scores were those of prunes(5770), raisins (2830), blueberries (2400 – highest of all fresh foods with other berries close behind), kale (1770), spinach (1260), Brussels sprouts (980), plums (949), alfalfa sprouts (930), broccoli florets (890), beetroots (840), oranges (750 ), red peppers (710 ) and red grapes (739).

Pure cocoa surpasses all these foods with a whopping score of 26,00 units, more than 10 times the prestigious blueberry (though one is likely to eat far less in quantity). The extraordinary goji berry from Tibet also has outstanding antioxidant capacity with a score of 18,500 units; hardly surprising as they contain 500 times more vitamin C than oranges and even more beta-carotene than carrots!

According to studies on animals and human blood at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts in Boston, high-ORAC foods may slow aging processes in the body and brain. Results found that high ORAC foods such as blueberries and spinach could increase the antioxidant power of human blood by 10-25%, prevent loss of long-term memory and learning ability in middle-aged rats, and protect rat blood vessels against oxygen damage.

Antioxidants and Aging

As we age, free radical levels rise and yet the body falls short in producing necessary amounts of antioxidants to meet this challenge. For example, cells generate more of the oxidants hydrogen peroxide and superoxide, yet levels of the necessary antioxidant glutathione required to neutralise these decline. The Free Radical Theory of Aging, first proposed by Harman in 1954, is supported by cross-species examination of animals with regard to life span, free radical damage and antioxidant defence. For example, the white-footed mouse lives about twice as long as the house mouse (8 versus 4 years), and is found to generate less oxidants and have higher levels of antioxidants. As Beckman and Ames write in The Free Radical Theory of Ageing Matures (1998), ‘Together, interspecies comparisons of oxidative damage, antioxidant defences, and oxidant generation provide some of the most compelling evidence that oxidants are one of the most significant determinants of life span.’

Very recent evidence comes from a study on dogs at the University of Toronto by Dr. Dwight Tapp and colleagues who found that ‘old dogs that were on an antioxidant diet performed better on a variety of cognitive tests than dogs that were not on the diet. In fact, the dogs eating antioxidant-fortified foods performed as well as young animals’.

Additional research by Dr. Rabinovitch and his team, studying aging at the University of Washington, Seattle, found that mice engineered to produce high levels of an antioxidant enzyme (catalase) lived 20 per cent longer and had less heart and other age-related diseases than controls.

In light of the role free radicals play in the onset of aging and disease, it is important to ensure our diets include a rich and diverse supply of antioxidants. These protective agents can be found abundantly in vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds and are particularly high in superfoods.

Instead of thinking about things you should not eat, consider foods you can add to your eating plan to help fight disease. One disease or condition that is common to all animals and people is called oxidation.
Like rust on a car, oxidation can cause damage to cells and may contribute to aging. Oxidation causes the formation of substances called free radicals, which is the primary cause of age related skin wrinkles and pigment discoloration.
During exercise, oxygen consumption is increased by 10 times or more, which leads to a significant increase in the production of oxidants. This results in damage that contributes to muscular fatigue during and after exercise. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), which is an inflammatory response that occurs typically within 24 hours after strenuous exercise, is also associated with oxidative stress.
Worse yet, the brain is uniquely vulnerable to oxidative injury, due to its high metabolic rate and elevated levels of polyunsaturated lipids, the target of lipid peroxidation (creation of unstable molecules containing more oxygen than usual).
Project Swole Chemistry 101
Before we can understand free radicals, we must understand a bit about cells and molecules. The human body is composed of many different types of cells, which are composed of many different types of molecules. Molecules consist of one or more atoms of one or more elements joined by chemical bonds.
Atoms consist of a nucleus, which in turn consist of neutrons, protons and electrons. The number of protons (positive charge) in the atom’s nucleus determines the number of electrons (negative charge) surrounding the atom. It is the electrons that are involved in chemical reactions and are the substance that bonds atoms together to form molecules.
Electrons orbit an atom in one or more rings or shells, which are filled from the inner most ring to the outer most ring, with each ring containing 2n^2 where n is the ring number. For example the first ring (n = 1) contain 2(1)^2 = 2 electrons, while the third ring (n = 3) contains 2(3)^2 = 18 electrons, etc…
The number of electrons in an atom’s outer shell is the main factor that determines that atom’s chemical behavior. Atoms strive to fill all of their rings with electrons and will rapid engage in chemical reactions when their outer rings have one or more missing electrons, while an atom with a full outer shell (an inert atom, which has maximum stability) tends not to participate in chemical reactions.
Atoms try to reach maximum stability by:
* Stealing or dropping electrons to either fill or empty the outer shell
* Sharing the electrons in the outer shell by bonding together with other atoms
Free Radicals
Bonds do not normally split in a way that leaves an atom with an odd, unpaired electron. But when this does happen (with weak bonds) free radicals are formed. Free radicals are very unstable and react quickly with other compounds, trying to recapture the needed electron to gain stability.
Free radicals generally attack the nearest stable molecule in an attempt to steal its electron. When the molecular victim loses the electron that once made it stable, it becomes a free radical itself, thus beginning a chain reaction. Once this cycle has begun, it can often have a cascading waterfall effect that results in the disruption of the overall living cell.
Some free radicals arise normally during metabolism, while other free radicals are purposefully created by the body’s immune system to neutralize viruses and bacteria. Environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides can facilitate this process, creating unnecessary free radicals.
The body can usually handle a normal amount of free radicals, unless antioxidants are unavailable. If free radical production becomes excessive or antioxidants are used up, cellular damage can occur. The free radical damage that accumulates with age is particularly important, and can be partially protected against by ingesting as many antioxidants as possible.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants help prevent oxidation, may help increase immune function, and possibly decrease risk of infection and cancer. Most people can benefit by adding foods rich in antioxidants, naturally occurring plant substances that help block bad free radicals in our bodies.
Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons, ending the electron-stealing reaction. The antioxidant nutrients themselves do not become free radicals by donating an electron because they are stable in either form. They act as scavengers, helping to prevent cellular damage and disease.
Acai berries have one of the highest total antioxidant concentrations of all fruits and vegetables on the planet, which has led many people to include an acai berry supplement in their diet and to search for acai berry diets and acai berry weight loss strategies.
Here are some other healthy foods you can eat to help boost antioxidant levels:
* beans: red beans, black beans, pinto beans, and lentils
* green tea
* red grapes (or wine, but be careful as developing a wine habit will add excessive calories to your daily intake)
* blueberries
* cherries
* white potatoes
* artichokes
* whole grains
* nuts and seeds
In general, fruits and vegetables provide many important nutrients including antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene and lycopene.
Vitamin C and Vitamin E
The vitamins C and E are thought to protect the body against the destructive effects of free radicals.
* Vitamin E is the most abundant fat-soluble antioxidant in the body. This is one of the most efficient chain-breaking antioxidants available, and is the primary defender against oxidation and lipid peroxidation.
* Vitamin C is the most abundant water-soluble antioxidant in the body. This acts primarily in cellular fluid, and is the most efficient at combating free-radical formation caused by pollution and cigarette smoke. Vitamin C also helps return vitamin E to its active form.
Foods containing a high concentration of vitamin C:
* citrus fruits: oranges, limes, lemons
* green peppers
* strawberries
* guava (tropical)
* plums
* grapefruit
* black currant
* tamarillo
* rosehip
* persimmon
* kiwi
* melon: honeydew, cantelope, watermelon
* jujube
Foods containing a high concentration of vitamin E:
* wheat germ oil
* almonds, dry roasted
* sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted
* sunflower oil
* safflower oil
* liver oil
* hazelnuts, dry roasted
* peanut butter
* peanuts, dry roasted
* corn oil
* spinach
* soybean oil
* whole grains
* green leafy vegetables
Carotenoids, Beta-carotene, and Vitamin A
A few of the better known antioxidants include carotenoids, which gives fruits and vegetables their deep rich colors. Plant carotenoids are the primary dietary source of vitamin A worldwide. The most efficient pro-vitamin A carotenoid is beta-carotene, which is abundant in yellow and orange fruits.
Vietnam gac has by far the highest content of beta-carotene of any know fruit or vegetable, 10 times higher than carrots, for example. Unfortunately, gac is quite rare and unknown outside its native region of SE Asia.
Foods containing a high level of carotenoids:
* apricots
* mangoes
* papayas
* pumpkin
* cantaloupes
* sweet potatoes (yams)
* carrots
* red peppers
* Vietnam gac (Momordica Cochinchinensis Spreng)
* green leafy vegetables: spinach, kale, sweet potato leaves, and sweet gourd leaves
* broccoli
* squash
* tomatoes
* kale
* collards
Foods containing vitamins C and E are also good sources of antioxidants, as well as selenium and zinc.
Lycopene
Lycopene is a pigment that gives vegetables and fruits, such as tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon, their red color. In recent years, lycopene has received a lot of attention from researchers because it also has strong antioxidant capabilities. Several studies indicate that consumption of lycopene-rich foods is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease.
You can only obtain the benefits of lycopene by eating lycopene-rich foods, as it is not manufactured by the body. Canned tomato products, such as spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, ketchup and pizza sauce are by far the major sources of lycopene for most Americans. Other fruits and vegetables such as watermelon and pink grapefruit also provide lycopene, but in smaller amounts.
Other Antioxidants
There are some other important antioxidants that we haven’t really gone over yet, such as:
* selenium
o fish & shellfish
o red meat
o grains
o eggs
o chicken
o garlic
* phytochemicals
o flavonoids / polyphenols
+ soy
+ red wine
+ purple grapes
+ pomegranate
+ cranberries
+ tea
o lutein – dark green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, kiwi, brussel sprouts and spinach
o lignan
+ flax seed
+ oatmeal
+ barley
+ rye
* antioxidants with additional vitamin qualities
o Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
o glutathione
* antioxidant enzymes made by the body
o superoxide dismutase (SOD)
o catalase
o glutathione peroxidase
Antioxidants work in a variety of ways to reduce the effects of free radicals. They can greatly decrease the damage caused by free radicals, stop them from forming to begin with, or oxidize them through a stabilizing chemical reaction to neutralize their harmful effects.
There are many vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and herbs that act as antioxidants or aid in the production of them. The best way to make sure you have covered all the bases in neutralizing free radicals is to eat the right foods and to supplement with a wide variety of antioxidants.
The best antioxidant supplements that I have found include:
* Extreme Acai Berry, which helps with weight loss
* Enhanced Green Tea, also helps with weight loss
* Pomegranate Cleanse, antioxidant digestive cleanser
Start seeing and feeling the results of antioxidant supplementation today!

A diet rich in antioxidants helps prevent cancer, diabetes, arthritis, excessive weight gain, and premature aging. The Super Anti-oxidant Diet and Nutrition Guide is a total health plan that helps readers adopt and live a lifestyle that unlocks the natural power of antioxidants for superior health.Gourmet chef and former marketing director for Whole Foods Market, Robin Jeep offers a plan that is reasonable, easy to follow and acknowledges that eating for whole health can include (more…)