Natures Natural Fighting Foods: Antioxidants

We are constantly reminded to consume a diet plentiful in fruit, vegetables and wholegrains but what are the reasons behind this? There are probably a few reasons you can think of such as a good source of fibre, low in fat, provide a variety of vitamins and minerals... and also they are a great sources of antioxidants!

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are naturally occurring chemicals in food that help to stop free radicals from harming the body. Free radicals are produced by the process of oxidation in the body. This is where oxygen is metabolized and produces free radicals which then go on to cause damage to cell membranes, protein and DNA by stealing electrons from them. The body can tolerate small amounts of free radicals but excess amounts in the body can cause serious damage leading to certain diseases such as heart disease, liver disease and some cancers. Sources of oxidation include; inflammation, smoking, exercise, air pollutants, radiation, sunlight, stress, and other factors.

Effects of free radicals in the body

• Accelerates the ageing process; so think of your fruit and veg as your natural anti ageing treatment
• Causes deterioration of the eye lenses
• Contributes to arthritis (inflammation of the joints)
• Contributes to conditions such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease by causing damage to nerve cells in the brain
• Increases your risk of heart disease and certain cancers

Sources of Antioxidants

The body makes some of its own antioxidants but we can also obtain them from our diet. Many antioxidants in food can be identified by their colour such as the red in tomatoes and orange in carrots.

As you can see antioxidants are found in a wide variety of foods so the easiest way to obtain them in your diet is too consume a variety of foods.

Some useful tips

• Try and make you meal colourful (and I don't mean added colours!) by having at least 3 different coloured vegetables on your plate. Also try and have 2 different coloured serves of fruit per day which will help you to consume a variety of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
• Dark chocolate is a better choice than standard chocolate due to its higher amounts of cocoa. This doesn't mean we can eat huge amounts! Only eat in moderation as it is still an energy dense food.
• Try and include beans in your diet at least twice a week. This includes soy beans, kidney beans etc
• Nuts can be a healthy snack as long as not eaten in large amounts and you choose the unsalted variety. For those trying to lose weight make sure you eat in moderation as nuts are a energy dense food.
• Small amounts of red wine can be beneficial although excess amounts of any alcohol can cause more damage than harm. Try and keep red wine to small amounts and practice having a few alcohol free days a week.
• As mentioned in the table above tea is a good source of antioxidants; especially green tea. Try not to consume tea with meals containing iron rich foods (i.e. red meat) as compounds called tannins in tea reduce your absorption of iron.
  Note: these compounds are also in cabbage and beans