Top 5 Souces of Antioxidants
Whether you want to lose weight or just practice a healthy way of life, you shouldn’t miss out on antioxidant-rich foods. They keep free radicals from harming your body, and even slow down the aging process. It pays to know exactly which foods contain a high antioxidant level so that you can tailor your daily diet around them. Here are the five best sources:
Green Tea
Instead of dosing yourself with caffeine in the morning, gulp down green tea instead. There has been a lot written lately about coffee beans having antioxidant content — but the fact is, green tea contains MORE. Aside from that, it contains other healthy benefits. No wonder it’s a staple beverage in many Asian countries.
Berries
Almost all berries have this beneficial compound, but there is one specific berry that is considered a super-antioxidant source: Acai berries, which are found in Brazil, inside the Amazonian jungle. Now, if you can’t get your hands on Acai berry products at your local stores, passable substitutes include strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.
Dark Chocolate
Astonishingly enough, we can now stop considering dark chocolate as a sinful pleasure to be excluded from most diet menus — because they’ve been scientifically proven to be good for your health! Dark chocolate is a wonderful source of antioxidants like Catechins, Epicatechins, Procyanidins, and Flavonols (a variety of Flavonoid).
Fruits
Aside from berries, there are other fruits that contain a beneficial level of antioxidants: raisins, prunes, plums, cherries, red grapes, and oranges. All these fruits have a high Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) — a fancy way of stating that they are antioxidant-laden.
Vegetables
The next time you pass by the fresh produce section, toss in these greens to get a good dose of antioxidants: spinach, kale, Alfalfa sprouts, Brussels sprouts, beets, broccoli florets, corn, onions, red bell peppers, and eggplants.
One last thing: make sure to combine these foods with lean-meat proteins and complex carbs. That way, you’ll have a great, balanced, and healthful diet!