Nutrition, Antioxidant Foods and Our Bodies
Posted By admin on August 26, 2008
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Many of our everyday foodstuffs contain antioxidants. Organic foods are likely to contain higher concentrations as they are less affected by chemicals.
But, what do antioxidants do for our bodies?
Antioxidants can help slow the progress of or even prevent some diseases. These magical substances are also credited with slowing down the aging process. Among the many antioxidant foods, there are some that are particularly beneficial:
Berries
Just about every berry contains antioxidants. They are also packed with vitamins, minerals and other elements that help our bodies grow and fight off disease. The richest source of antioxidants are blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries. Fresh berries are better than processed simply because more of their nutritional content is left intact.
Cruciferous Vegetables
These antioxidant foods include cabbages, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. These vegetables are claimed to help reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease.
Red Grapes
Red grapes are one of the most popular antioxidant foods because of course these produce red wine. New research is revealing more and more about the potency of antioxidants provided by grapes and we can expect to see new research reported any time.
Tomatoes
Cooked tomatoes are better than raw as heat allows the release of lycopene. Lycopene is thought to reduce the risks of certain cancers.
Carrots
Carrots contain beta-carotene, a healing agent that helps our bodies fight cancer. Beta-carotene can be found in other yellow-orange fruits and vegetables. Similar to lycopene, beta-carotene is more effective when subjected to heat through cooking.
Essential antioxidants can be obtained from a good, nutritious daily diet but those who are struggling with illness or disease may well wish to consider supplementing with additional antioxidants to help support their immune system. Another reason to supplement would be if your diet did not include any of the antioxidant foods listed above.
We utterly depend on our health for everything else we wish to achieve, I believe we are only at the beginnings of our knowledge about nutrition. I note that you state cooked tomatoes are better than raw, which re-alights the raw or cooked debate
There is no question that most people get nowhere near enough of the fruits and vegetables needed for good health. It’s the antioxidents, especially in most raw varieties that help to prevent so many diseases. Thanks for this article.