A diet high in antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables can help stave off disease and boost overall health. Antioxidants come in different forms, and the antioxidant profiles of various foods make it difficult to rank specific fruits and vegetables based on their antioxidant levels. Some foods, however, stand out in terms of antioxidant power.
Description
Antioxidants are compounds from foods that stop free radicals from causing problems in the body, explains the World's Healthiest Foods website. Free radicals -- molecules with an exposed free electron -- can cause damage when they pull electrons from the molecules in cells. Antioxidants donate an electron to these free radicals, neutralizing them and halting the damage. Some antioxidants are vitamins and minerals, while others are plant compounds called phytochemicals. Vitamins E, C and A and the minerals zinc and selenium have antioxidant activity. Phytochemicals with antioxidant activity include beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin.
Sources
Many fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants. The powerful antioxidant vitamin C can be found in oranges and grapefruit. Vitamin A, or the carotenoid beta-carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A in the body, occurs in many brightly colored fruits and vegetables such as sweet potato, carrots and cantaloupe. Fruits with a variety of antioxidants that work in concert with one another include berries, apples, avocados, pomegranate, kiwi, grapes and plums. Vegetables high in antioxidants include artichokes, spinach, red cabbage, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts and broccoli.
Benefits
Because antioxidants from fruits and vegetables stop and prevent cellular damage, eating these foods has been linked to the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Other health benefits that may stem from a diet high in antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables include protection from Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases and protection from age-related eye problems such as cataracts.
Considerations
Antioxidants in food work better than antioxidants taken in supplement form, explains MayoClinic.com. Cooking destroys some antioxidants, but not all of them. Boiling vegetables destroys more antioxidants than steaming does, and eating most vegetables or fruits raw may provide more antioxidants. But cooked tomatoes have higher levels of lycopene, an antioxidant, than raw tomatoes do. Although cooking reduces the vitamin C in the tomatoes, the rise in lycopene results in higher antioxidant activity in cooked tomato products such as freshly prepared tomato sauce.
Alternatives
In addition to fruits and vegetables, some other foods have high antioxidant activity. Whole grains, nuts and beans all exhibit antioxidant activity. Beverages such as green tea and cocoa are also high in antioxidants. The specific nutrients and phytochemicals found in these foods and drinks may differ from those in fruits and vegetables, however. Nutritionists recommend consuming a wide variety of foods with antioxidants to get a range of different nutrients.
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