5 of the best antioxidant-rich foods

Want an immediate health boost? Try these best sources of antioxidants.

Stock up on these 5 of the best sources of antioxidants.

Antioxidants. It’s a “buzz word” that gets touted around without much regard for what it actually means. When someone says: ‘oh yes, eat some broccoli, it’s got antioxidants,’ they might as well be saying it’s got stardust properties if we don’t understand what this means. But actually, when you do know what it means, you’ll be surprised you didn’t consider the antioxidant properties of anything and everything you ate before. Because antioxidants are amazing. Why? Let us tell you…

First, “antioxidant” is the term used for the behaviour of a certain chemical. To understand the antioxidant behaviour of one of these chemicals you have to understand what “free radicals” are. Bear with me, it’s not as tedious as it seems! When atoms in your cells are exposed to oxygen, they can “break off”. Poor diet, strenuous exercise, pollution or bacterial infections can cause this. When the atoms break it means there are then unpaired electrons (free radicals) careering around your blood stream. Electrons don’t like being unpaired so they go to other cells to “steal” their electrons. This causes the neighbouring cell to lose electrons, which become free radicals themselves… and so it goes on and on. But what does that mean? Well, if the cells having their electrons stolen contain DNA, we have a problem. The change in the cell structure can cause symptoms like early ageing, wrinkles, and bad skin, and also diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzhiemer’s, lung disease, cancer and so much more.

Now, the great thing about antioxidants is they can “donate” electrons to the unstable free radicals so they don’t have to go stealing from those important DNA-containing cells. They also help to repair cell damage caused by the free radicals. Pretty good, right?! Not just this, but the foods we can get natural antioxidants from also have other amazing benefits which will, without a doubt, improve your mind, body and lifestyle. So, here’s my top five:

Best sources of antioxidants

1 Chia seeds.

Number 1 in our best sources of antioxidants  are these little power bombs have massively grown in popularity recently and you can get them in most supermarkets. Plus, you can add them to anything. Just sprinkle them on!

They contain antioxidant vitamin A – and we already know that makes them fab – and while they’re wonderfully high in protein, they’re low on carbs. But here’s the shocker – they’re 30 per cent fat, and that’s a huge reason you should eat them. The fat is mainly essential fatty acid, omega-3, which we generally don’t consume enough of, and there are plenty of benefits to taking in omega-3. Some of the biggies are: fats help form haemoglobin, ensuring oxygen is carried efficiently round the body. Muscle performance is increased as well as cardio performance, and that’s not just important for gym goers. It also keeps joints lubricated and clears the rubbish out of your body. What’s not to love?

2 Avocados

Carotenoids are the strongest natural antioxidants going, but most foods containing them (sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy greens) don’t contain much fat. It’s been shown that adding fats to foods with carotenoids enhances the absorption of the antioxidant. The great thing about avocados is they contain both carotenoids and fats. As well as that they’re also high in protein, making them an ideal addition to any meal, any time.

3 Red wine

Yes, you heard right! Resveratrol in the red grape skins is an antioxidant, plus the alcohol in the wine promotes the absorption of unique phenolic. What’s more, scientists say a drinking glass a day promotes a more relaxed lifestyle (no shizzle!) and encourages us to eat slower if we drink it with food, which is great if you want to lose weight!

4 Coconut oil

Another our best sources of antioxidants is The South Pacific population of Tokelauans get 60 per cent of their calories from coconuts – being the biggest consumers of saturated fats in the world – and are perhaps some of the healthiest people on the planet, with no evidence of heart disease at all. To understand how people who eat huge amounts of saturated fats can be so healthy, you’ve got to forget the “saturated fats clog your arteries” myth. This has been disproved.

Coconuts contain a type of fat which, alone, can actually increase calorie expenditure, reduce hunger and help you lose abdomen fat (the most dangerous place to have excess fat) without changing diet or exercise. But importantly, virgin coconut oil has been shown to have enormous antioxidant powers.

5 Spirulina

The most nutrient-dense food known to exist on earth. If you’re going to change one thing about your diet, add this.

It’s the richest known natural source of antioxidant beta-carotene, and it contains other antioxidant chemicals, plus, it also has good amounts of magnesium, copper, iron, potassium, manganese and small amounts of almost every other nutrient we need. It’s 60 per cent protein, meaning you can add it to any smoothie for a healthy protein hit, and contains every essential amino acid.

Once you know what you’re looking for, it can be quite fun sourcing out foods that are high in antioxidants like these best sources of antioxidants, as they usually have many other benefits on the side. Enjoy!

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What to know more about Nutrition? Check out our Guide to Nutrition