Antioxidants are chemicals found in foods that help to prevent or repair damage of body cells. It is theorized they play a role in chronic disease prevention and anti-aging, although there is still much to be elucidated. Antioxidants are found in a variety of foods, including spices, fruits, vegetables, coffee and teas. Numerous antioxidants working together are most likely needed for health benefits to occur. Antioxidant supplements are available; however, their efficacy is still scientifically unproved.
History
Studies show that antioxidants do have health benefits, however the extent to which individual antioxidants promote health, versus a diet that contains a variety of them, is unclear. Scientists do know that frequent consumption of an antioxidant-rich diet is associated with better general health.
How Antioxidants Work
As a part of normal metabolism, your body cells make harmful substances known as free radicals. Left unchecked, these free radicals can further damage cells through a process known as oxidation. Oxidation leads to the development of chronic diseases. Antioxidants interfere with this oxidative damage and disease progression, thereby promoting health. Free radicals also come from harmful sources such as pesticides and cigarette smoke.
ORAC
In order to rate the overall antioxidant capability of foods, a standard scoring tool called ORAC is used. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity; the higher the ORAC score the higher the antioxidant potential. Keep in mind that just because a food has a high ORAC score does not mean it performs better than one with a lower score, since the functionality depends upon other physiologic factors, too. Spices such as cinnamon, cloves, oregano and tumeric have high ORAC scores. Raw fruits with the highest ORAC values include dried plums, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries. Vegetables with comparable ORAC scores to these include kale and beets, followed by red bell peppers and Brussels sprouts.
Foods or Supplements?
Because there is still much to be learned about antioxidant activity, choose a wide variety of foods instead of a single supplement to increase your antioxidant intake. Scientists are still studying the effect of single antioxidants, how much is sufficient to take for how long for disease prevention. High doses may also be harmful, or they may even interfere with normal body processes. Medication interactions is another aspect that has not been well studied. Foods also contain thousands of antioxidants instead of just a single one, and it is theorized that healthful properties are only realized when numerous ones work together.
Additional Health Benefits
Food sources of antioxidants offer additional benefits, as they tend to be plant-based foods high in vitamin, mineral and fiber content and low in saturated and trans fats and cholesterol.
Antioxidant-Rich Foods
Good sources of antioxidants include coffee, dark chocolate, nuts, berries, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, red wine, pomegranate juice, artichokes, spinach, sweet potatoes, broccoli, red cabbage, pinto beans, kidney beans, avocados, cherries, and kiwi.
References
- MayoClinic.org: Food Sources the Best Choice for Antioxidants
- Physorg.com: Coffee is the Number One Source of Antioxidants
- Nutrition Journal: The total antioxidant content of more than 3100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs and supplements used worldwide; Monica H. Carlson, et al: January, 2010
- Harvard Medical School Health Publications: Delicious sources of antioxidants for healthy summer eating
- ORACValues.com: A List of the Best Antioxidants
Member Comments