Looking for High Antioxidant sources? Read this article to know everything about Foods High In Antioxidant ,Health Benefits & Consuming.
What Are Antioxidants?
Antioxidants are the chemical molecules that slow down the rate of decaying of food. In other words, they can be considered as the compounds that prevent oxidization. Antioxidants are combination of foods that rummage and counterbalance free radicals. Lack of natural antioxidants may give rise to severe heart and eye problems. Increase the consumption of antioxidant rich foods can help you provide additional protection against problems associated with the immune system.
Sources of High Antioxidant Foods
Broadly, the list of best antioxidant rich foods has been categorized below:
- Vegetables (pumpkin, eggplant, spinach)
- Fruits (peaches, apple, grapes)
- Non vegetarian sources (egg, fish)
- Whole grains (oats, brown rice)
- Nuts (almonds, walnuts)
- Herbs and species (ginger, garlic)
- Other sources (tea, coffee)
How Much Antioxidants Should I Take?
There is no defined limit of consuming antioxidants in food per day. As per basic standards, eating 5 servings of vegetables and fruits with 7-10 portions of grains each day can offer the foods with high antioxidants required by the body. However, supplements providing antioxidant should be avoided and only foods rich in antioxidants should be consumed.
Antioxidant Benefits
Antioxidants are often regarded pretty useful for good well-being and preventing diseases. The benefits of antioxidants are very imperative to good health, as if free radicals are left unobstructed, they can cause a wide range of illnesses and chronic diseases. Some of the other benefits of including high antioxidant foods in your diet includes:
- Heart problems: Antioxidants avert or patch-up the cell damage that free radicals including damage to the innermost layer of the arteries. However, they help in reducing the risk of heart attacks by preventing the foundation of plaque inside the arteries. They can also foil the free radical attacks to your arteries that are the core of atherosclerosis and almost all cardiac diseases.
- Eye problems: Lutein (an antioxidant) safeguards the eye against blue and near-blue (ultra-violet) light, supports macular deterioration and other eye disorders. Astaxanthin (a powerful antioxidant) symbols the blood-brain barrier and the blood-retinal barrier which has colossal inferences for healthy eyes.
- Treats cancer: Studies have found that the best antioxidants are convenient in a number of ways for treating cancer. However, other profits of antioxidants for people with cancer include enlightening the effectiveness of chemotherapy, while reducing the side effects.
- Skin problems: Astaxanthin, shadowed by beta-carotene has been shown to be some of the most powerful antioxidant combinations for preventing the skin from reactive classes of oxygen.
- Immune system disorders: Antioxidants help in boosting your immune system offer protection against several diseases. Precisely, it upturns your immune system by growing the construction of natural killer cells, vital for extinguishing germs and cancer cells.
List Of Foods High in Antioxidant
The amount of antioxidant present in any food is evaluated based on the ORAC score. Its full form is oxygen radical absorption capacity and it tests the ability of a food to absorb as well as eliminate free radicals.
| Antioxidants List | ORAC score (μ mol TE per 100 g) |
| Vegetables High in Antioxidants | |
| Spinach | 1,260 |
| Tomatoes | 189 |
| Broccoli | 890 |
| Carrots | 207 |
| Ginger | 2,800 |
| Garlic | 5,708 |
| Fruits High in Antioxidants | |
| Avocados | 1,922 |
| Blueberries | 2,400 |
| Peaches | 158 |
| Ripe Bananas | 221 |
| Nuts & Other Sources | |
| Almonds | 4,454 |
| Hazelnuts | 9,645 |
| Pecans | 17,000 |
| Turmeric | 127,000 |
| Organic Green Tea | 1,253 |
| Cocoa Powder | 80,933 |
| Red Wine | 4,523 |
| Non Vegetarian Sources | |
| Tuna | 90 |
| Red Meat | 710 |
| Eggs | 20 |
Vegetables High In Antioxidant
1) Spinach: Green leafy vegetables are good sources of antioxidants. Moreover, flavonoids and carotenoids are the antioxidants present in spinach that detoxifies and provides strength to the bones and muscles.
Spinach antioxidants ORAC value: 1,260 μ mol TE/100 g
2) Tomatoes: Tomato contains all the three high power-driven antioxidants (beta-carotene, vitamin E and vitamin C). In particular, tomatoes also contain remarkable amounts of lycopene, thought to have the utmost antioxidant activity of all the carotenoids.
Tomatoes antioxidants ORAC value: 189 μ mol TE/100 g
3) Broccoli: Alike other green veggies, broccoli can do marvels for your skin because of the existence of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Presence of highly essential antioxidants imparts luster, sheen and protection from cancer cells.
Broccoli antioxidants ORAC value: 890 μ mol TE/100 g
4) Carrots: They are high antioxidant vegetables and are pretty effective for blood sugar regulation due to the presence of carotenoids.
Carrot antioxidants ORAC value: 207 μ mol TE/100 g
5) Ginger: Due to its high content of gingerol, it has stunning anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In addition to this, they also help in reducing pain triggered by muscle aches, annoyances and rheumatism.
Ginger antioxidants ORAC value: 2,800 μ mol TE/100 g
6) Garlic: Garlic is a powerful antioxidant with an incredible array of medicinal properties. Its antibacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties can protect you against a diverse variety of harmful, disease-causing germs and bacteria.
Garlic antioxidants ORAC value: 5,708 μ mol TE/100g
Fruits High In Antioxidant
7) Avocados: Adding avocados to your daily diet can defend the eye tissues from sun damage, reduce cholesterol and boost health heart. It is the fat content in avocado that helps the body to absorb the carotenoid which acts as an antioxidant.
Avocados antioxidants ORAC value: 1,922 μ mol TE/100 g
8) Blueberries: Apart from being good for your skin, it is also the ultimate brain food. Being the best source of antioxidants, it is the eventual cancer blocker.
Blueberries antioxidants ORAC value: 2,400 μ mol TE/100g
9) Peaches: One of the other antioxidant rich fruits, it also a great source of vitamins, minerals, and various other chemical contents. The antioxidants present in the fruit foil the growth of cancer cells, lower cholesterol level and helps in maintaining a healthy skin.
Peaches antioxidants ORAC value: 158 μ mol TE/100 g
10) Ripe bananas: Although we trash them out, they are among the best fruits rich in antioxidants that are spectacular for skin. This also helps uphold a regular heartbeat and an appropriate balance of water in the body.
Banana antioxidants ORAC value: 221 μ mol TE/100 g
Nuts & Other Foods That Contain Antioxidants
11) Almonds: Almond with its Vitamin E has substantial antioxidant properties that defend the tissues from oxidative mutilation. However, foods rich in antioxidants act as a shield against sun exposure and minimize skin damage.
Almonds antioxidants ORAC value: 4,454 μ mol TE/100 g
12) Hazelnuts: According to a study, hazelnuts contain 20 times additional antioxidants than Vitamin C and 50 times more than Vitamin E. It comes bursting with B complex vitamins like riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, pyridoxine, and pantothenic acid.
Hazelnuts antioxidants ORAC value: 9,645 μ mol TE/100 g
13) Pecans: Pecan nuts contain plenty of antioxidants together with ellagic acid, vitamin A and vitamin E that combats and abolishes the free radicals often responsible for causing untimely skin aging. Thus, pecans can thwart the existence of fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation.
Pecans antioxidants ORAC value: 17,000 μ mol TE/100g
14) Turmeric: Ordinarily used in Chinese and Indian foods and prized for its medicinal properties, turmeric is the yellow spice that offers curry its distinctive shade and tang. Used for spans as a dye for materials and to give food a deep and peppery flavor, turmeric also contains powerful antioxidant properties.
Turmeric antioxidants ORAC value: 127,000 μ mol TE/100 g
15) Organic Green Tea: Green tea is regarded among the healthiest beverage on this planet. It is laden with antioxidants and nutrients that have dominant effects on the body. It is overloaded with polyphenols like flavonoids and catechins, which are powerful antioxidants.
Green tea antioxidants ORAC value: 1,253 μ mol TE/100 g
16) Cocoa Powder: The benefits of raw cacao is simply stunning, it can improve memory, increase your pleasure, prevent heart diseases, aide weight loss, boost immunity, and create good amount of energy. It comparatively contains 20 times more antioxidants than blueberries and 119 times than banana.
Cocoa antioxidants ORAC value: 80,933 μ mol TE/100 g
17) Red Wine: Resveratrol is an antioxidant found in grapes, red wine, and certain berries. It has been found that wine’s anti-inflammatory properties makes it the best antioxidant drink. It is a perfect source for controlling your blood pressure, blood sugar, boosting brain health and protecting against different cancers.
Red wine antioxidants ORAC value: 4,523 μ mol TE/100 g
Non Vegetarian Sources
18) Tuna: While lesser amount of antioxidant nutrients like vitamin C, manganese, and zinc are delivered by tuna, it is bizarrely rich in one particular antioxidant mineral, explicitly, selenium. Present in the form of Selenoneine, it is particularly good for shielding red blood cells from free radical damage.
Tuna antioxidants ORAC value: 90 μ mol TE/100 g
19) Red meat: Red meat have large amount of antioxidants such as creatine, minerals, and B-vitamins. Red meat is a font of lipoic acid. Moreover, antioxidants present in the food promote development of nervous system too.
Meat antioxidants ORAC value: 710 μ mol TE/100 g
20) Eggs: Being so nutritious, eggs are referred as ‘nature’s multivitamin’. They are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Moreover, the antioxidants present in the eggs promote hair growth, tissue growth and acne less skin.
Egg antioxidants ORAC value: 20 μ mol TE/100 g