Even though our physical processes necessitate oxygen, the usage of oxygen in our bodies causes oxidative impairment. Free radicals are formed when our bodies use oxygen. A free radical is a molecule that is missing one or more electrons. This makes the molecule vastly erratic and it can cause many problems in our bodies. Antioxidants are nutrients that are found in food that are acknowledged to slow or even check the effects of oxidative damage.
An antioxidant will come in and connect to a free radical by donating the absent electron. Most of the good for your health foods found in nature are rich in antioxidants and including these foods in your diet can improve your immune system and help to avert disease such as heart disease and cancer and other troubles characteristically linked with aging.
Berries include some of the highest antioxidant levels in the world. Blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, strawberries, grapes and cherries all have extraordinary antioxidant content. The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or ORAC is how food is calculated for antioxidants. All berries rank high on the ORAC scale and the highest-ranking solid food on the ORAC scale is the acai berry. A couple of items such as ground cloves and ground cinnamon rank over the acai but as for genuine foods the acai berry surpasses all.
Other fruits that possess high ORAC levels are the citrus fruits, like oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes and the tropical fruits such as kiwi, mango and papaya. Pears, peaches, plums, apricots and apples are also exceptional sources.
Many of the common vegetables are enormously elevated in antioxidants. Spinach, Kale, Swiss chard, dandelion greens and other greens are exceptional, along with the cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.
The orange foods are excessive in beta-carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A. Pumpkins, carrots, sweet potatoes and squash provide plentiful amounts of this crucial nutrient. Beta-carotene is best provided by diet as supplements have been found to cause problems, in particular in smokers.
The top means to get your antioxidants is through eating a multicolored diet. It is the deeply colored foods from nature that provide the most antioxidants. Intense purples and reds from the berries, oranges from the pumpkins and carrots, and greens from the spinach, kale and cruciferous vegetables and reds from tomatoes and watermelon. Any whole food that is a deep color is probably overloaded with most important antioxidants.
Research continues on antioxidants but it is showing ever more advantages for our healthiness. Enhanced immune function can check disease like cancers and heart disease and also avoid common ailments associated with aging such as macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease.
