Super Antioxidant Diet & Nutrition

A diet rich in antioxidants can help prevent cancer-causing free radicals from forming and might even help boost the immune system. Antioxidants also might have anti-aging properties. Fruits and vegetables are naturally rich in antioxidants as well as vitamins and other nutrients such as fiber, which also can help keep you healthy.

Physiology

A free radical is an atom, usually oxygen, in the human body that has an unpaired electron. According to the website Exercise Prescription, free radical formation is a chain reaction in which the charged atom reacts with other molecules surrounding it to create more free radicals. This overabundance of free radicals can stimulate cancer growth and have other harmful effects on the body. Antioxidants have an extra electron to give to the free radical, thus stopping the chain reactions. Free radicals are created naturally through metabolic processes and exercise, but exposure to secondhand smoke, pollution and toxins can stimulate extra growth.

Vitamins

According to the American Cancer Society, vitamins A, C and E as well as beta carotene and lycopene are antioxidants. Vitamin A is in carrots, sweet potatoes, milk and eggs. Vitamin C is abundant in citrus fruits like oranges and pineapple, berries and melons, but it also is in many vegetables; red bell peppers are very high in vitamin C. Vitamin E is in vegetable oils and nuts like walnuts and almonds. Tomatoes have high amounts of lycopene. Beta carotene is plentiful in orange foods like peppers, sweet potatoes, carrots and squash. Green vegetables like spinach and asparagus are also high in beta carotene.

Recommended Dietary Allowance

There minimal amount of antioxidants from vitamins you need in your daily diet is called the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA. The Food and Nutrition Board recommends consuming 75 milligrams of vitamin C for females and 90 mg for males. The RDA of vitamin A is 700 international units for females, and 90 IU for males. The RDA of Vitamin E is 15 mg per day for both males and females. Beta carotene and lycopene currently do not have a set RDA, but consuming five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily will adequately satisfy needs.

Benefits

By removing free radicals, antioxidants might help prevent or slow cancerous cell growth. Free radicals also can cause other damage. They can promote the growth of LDL or "bad" cholesterol, and atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. This prevents arteries from dilating and contracting with blood flow, increasing blood pressure and possibly leading to heart attack and stroke. The American Heart Association recommends getting all antioxidants from food sources rather than vitamin supplements.

Tips

To get your daily value of fruits and veggies, make sure to eat them with every meal and snack. Eat a banana with breakfast. Have a snack of raw almonds and grapes. For lunch, eat a sandwich with spinach and an apple. Carrots are an easy and portable snack. Steam some broccoli and bell peppers in olive oil for a delicious side dish for dinner. Blend fruits in smoothies for a nutritious drink.