Antioxidants, now there’s a word we hear being tossed around everyday. Lot of products being advertised highlight their antioxidant content, and it’s not unusual to pick up certain products in the supermarket and see “high in antioxidants” printed on the label. But still many people fail to realize the positive health benefits of adding these substances to their diets.
When your body breaks down food, it produces molecules called ‘free radicals’ which can damage cells, and lead to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer among other things. Environmental factors like smoke can also play a role in free radical buildup in the body. Antioxidants protect your cells against the effect of free radicals.
Fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, cranberries and blackberries are good sources of antioxidants. The Acai berry, found primarily in the Brazilian rainforest, is described by many as an exceptional antioxidant. There are products on the market now which contain Acai berries, like Tropicana Pure Raspberry Acai juice.
Small red beans, Pinto beans and dried black beans also provide healthy servings of antioxidants. Other good sources are red meat, fish, shellfish, chicken and garlic. Most of us are not big fans of meticulously watching what we eat, but these foods can be had just about anywhere. So there is no need to go looking for that health food store that just opened around the corner.
Still a trip to a Health food store might not be a bad idea. You never know what information you might pick up. Remember too that antioxidant substances include Beta-carotene, Lutein and Vitamins A, C and E to name a few. And I’m sure I may have left out some other good sources of antioxidants, so feel free to shout out a few.
Tags: Acai juice, antioxidants, free radicals, health, Healthy food, heart disease
August 24, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I’m always into discussions on anything organic, so this read made me feel at home.
I’ll bookmark the site and subscribe to the feed!