Go Green, and Go Red to Get the Best Antioxidant

There’s been a lot of talk about antioxidants and how good they are for us, how they are effective in neutralizing free radicals that cause cancer and heart disease. Scientific evidence presents a recommendation for a diet that includes food rich in antioxidants. It is possible to cut your risk of cancer with a daily intake of foods; foods rich in antioxidants are the best antioxidants as there is not enough research to support antioxidant supplements. So what are foods with the best antioxidants out there? There are a few things to help you choose foods with the best antioxidant properties out there.


Going Green

We’ve all heard the constant mantra that organically produced vegetable and fruits are superior to mass commercialised crops and indeed it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that an excessive amount of pesticides and fertilizers are not good for our bodies. But, did you know that the commercialised produce has less nutritional value than their organic counterparts? The nutritional value of vegetables and fruits has been decreasing over the last 50 years. Chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers not only keep away pests but also kill some of the natural goodness that vegetables contain.

Organic vegetables on the other hand do not have this problem, as they are free from pesticides and chemicals; this means that organic vegetables have a higher concentration of polyphenols, a natural antioxidant present in vegetables. Processing of any kind corrupts the health benefits of food and vegetables. For this reason, green tea is considered a good source of antioxidant as green tea leaves are the least processed compared to black teas.


Choosing by Colour

Vegetables are the foods with the best antioxidant content and like all things; different vegetables have varying degrees of antioxidants. An easy way to tell which fruits and vegetables have the best antioxidant content is from the colour of the produce. Fruits and vegetables with a deeper, richer hue have a higher concentration of antioxidants.

Vegetables and fruits with richer colours have a higher level of phytonutrients; phytonutrients are linked to improving the immune system and preventing certain kinds of cancer. Phytonutrients are found mainly in the skins of produce, phytonutrients are also behind the smell and flavor of a vegetable.

Choose red apples, orange and yellow peppers, carrots, tomatoes. You get the picture, anything bright and eye catching is good for you. This principle of choosing food by color can be applied to almost anything, whole-wheat bread instead of white bread and so on. These are just two easy enough ways that you can use to find foods with the best antioxidant content and improve your health. Go green, go red.