Antioxidant Fruits Main Benefits
Antioxidants are plentiful in more common vitamins
such as retinol or Vitamin A, ascorbic acid or Vitamin C, tocopherol
or Vitamin E, and selenium. They can be nutrients (vitamins and
minerals) as well as enzymes (proteins in your body that assist in
chemical reactions). Antioxidants play a very important role in
averting the development of such chronic illnesses as heart disease,
stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and Rheumatoid arthritis, among
others.
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Antioxidant fruits are therefore very
essential for one’s health. However, antioxidant fruits are
not all the same, some are more beneficial than others. Some
antioxidant fruits may have more antioxidant substance
compared to other fruits. Also other fruits may have
nutrients with antioxidant properties, others may only have
vitamins. Although these antioxidant fruits have various
levels of antioxidant content in them, the basic fact is
that antioxidant fruits are generally beneficial to your
body and health.
We all need energy to carry out our daily activities. The
human body obtains its energy from the utilization of
nutrients and oxygen as fuel. However, oxygen, for all its
benefits and positive aspects, may also carry with it some
negative and harmful ripple effect. Oxygen byproducts are
produced during the processing oxygen in the body through a
process called oxidation. |
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These byproducts are called free radicals. They
are highly reactive substances that may cause damage to cells.
This is where antioxidants become very important. The
antioxidant substances found in antioxidant fruits may work to
neutralize these free radicals and prevent them from causing
damage. Antioxidants therefore protect the body from the harmful
effects of the oxidation process which occurs in our body.
What are the benefits of antioxidant fruits?
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Antioxidant fruits, such as citrus fruits are
known for their high vitamin C content or apples for their
beta-carotene. Eating lots of antioxidant fruits in your
diet will help increase the body’s defense against free
radicals and oxidative stress (damage caused by free
radicals). Oxidative stress is a process which many a
scientist has linked with the development of chronic and
degenerative diseases such as heart disease and cancer. It
is therefore very critical to reduce the oxidative stress in
our bodies.
So which foods can you get antioxidants from? Antioxidant
fruits may be plain fruits, cereals, and vegetables. Some
antioxidant fruits may also be taken in dried, powdered
forms, such as dietary supplements or pills. There is some
research though that antioxidant fruits may be taken better
if you actually include them in your diet. |
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The main objective is to increase your daily
consumption of antioxidants. Fruit, vegetables, and cereals in
your diet have added benefits compared to taking antioxidant
fruits supplements. Scientists explain that this might be
because eating antioxidant fruits in food may provide a
combination of lesser-known but powerful antioxidant substances,
which may give greater effect than that of any single nutrient
or individual antioxidant supplement. In a recent issue of the
Journal of Nutrition, the total antioxidant content of several
antioxidant fruits, including fruits, berries, vegetables,
cereals, nuts, and legumes, was analyzed.
The findings of this study indicated that the overall best
sources of antioxidant fruits under the berry category are dog
rose, sour cherry, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, crowberry,
blueberry, and black currant. On the other hand; under the
antioxidant fruits category are pomegranates, grape, orange,
plum, pineapple, lemon, dates, kiwi, Clementine, and grapefruit.
For legumes, broad beans topped the list while in the nut
category, walnuts and sunflower seeds occupied the first and
second spots, respectively. Other antioxidant fruits include
kale, chili pepper, red cabbage, barley, millet, corn, ginger,
and red beets. It is therefore highly recommended that you eat a
lot of these mentioned foods.
It is very important that you look after your body and eat the
food that can help you stay young longer.
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