Antioxidant Foods

Antioxidants are thought to be beneficial in the treatment of many diseases today including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer's. They are phytonutrients found in many fruits and vegetables. Eating your antioxidants has more advantages than taking a supplement.

Blueberries, broccoli, brussel sprouts and carrots have long been known to be a useful source of antioxidants, but sometimes the best antioxidant rich foods can be the most unexpected. Take for example, the humble bean.

A new study suggests that beans are a rich source of antioxidants. To date, the largest and most advanced analysis of the antioxidant rich foods shows that disease-fighting antioxidants may be found in the most unlikely fruits and vegetables. Researchers found that the elderberry, black currant and chokeberry collectively known as the "purple berries" due to their dark color are as much as 50 percent higher in antioxidants than some of the more common berry varieties.

Researchers particularly found that small red beans are among the culminate antioxidant rich foods in the bean category. In fact, they were shown to hold more disease-fighting antioxidants than wild blueberries. Red kidney beans and pinto beans were slightly higher than the regular blueberry (not wild). Blueberries have typically been known to hold a rich amount of antioxidants and have been heralded in recent years for its high antioxidant content. With this new study however, it looks as though the small red bean is snatching away the spotlight.

Other antioxidant rich foods that the study focused on comprise of nuts and spices, such as ground cloves, cinnamon, and oregano. What kept these foods away from the antioxidant-consuming public for so long is that they are usually consumed in much smaller amounts than fruits and vegetables.

The study used updated technology to assess the antioxidant content of more than 100 foods, including fruits, vegetables, cereals, breads, nuts, and spices. Each food was analyzed for antioxidant quantity and ranked according to antioxidant capacity per serving size.

A New Orleans study has discovered a new antioxidant that is believed to be more potent that vitamin C, E, and beta-carotene. This new disease-fighting substance is said to be found in red grapes, whose juice and skin may offer more than just wine. Red wine has a high quantity of resveratrol because the skins and seeds ferment in the grapes' juices during the red wine-making procedure. Red wine also contains other antioxidants.

Prunes, raisins, berries, oranges, pink grapefruit, grapes, kiwi, spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, beets, red peppers, carrots and tomatoes were ranked highest among the fruits and vegetables. Beans, artichokes, and Russet potatoes (although not in the form of a french fry!) also ranked high among the vegetables. In addition, pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts were the winners in the nut category, and ground cloves, cinnamon, and oregano were the top three antioxidant rich foods in the spice category.

Eating a colorful diet full of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables may also help to prevent diabetes in addition to the anti-aging advantages.