20 Antioxidant-Rich Foods You Must Have

Tuesday, March 26, 2013, 14:24 [IST]

We hear so much talk of antioxidant-rich foods these days. The reason why we talk so much about these antioxidant rich foods is because they help you fight cancer. Natural antioxidants are basically elements found in foods that act as janitors of the body. The main health benefit of antioxidants is that they help to clean the free radicals from the body and repair cell damage.

Antioxidant rich foods are also spoken of with reference to cancer. All antioxidants constitute cancer fighting foods. And the emperor of all maladies, cancer continues to claim human lives. That is why the importance of antioxidant rich foods is high. Apart from being cancer fighting foods, antioxidants have other health benefits too. Having ample amount of natural antioxidants will help you stay young for a longer period of time.

Some antioxidant-rich foods are famous. For example we all know that green tea and chocolate contains natural antioxidants. But there are some sources of antioxidant that you may not be aware of. For example, did you know that eggs and apples too contain antioxidants? Therefore, to help you plan your diet properly, here is a list of the best antioxidant-rich foods that are available to you.

Green Bell Peppers

Green bell peppers are pretty well known source of antioxidants. Cancer patients are advised to be on a diet rich in bell peppers.

Blueberries

Berries are citrus and most Vitamin C rich foods have lots of antioxidants. Most of the berries are great anti-ageing foods but blueberries are one of the best among them.

Artichokes

Artichokes are not the prettiest looking vegetables, but they give your diet a wealth of Vitamin C that are antioxidants.

Broccoli

Broccoli is known as a superfood. Broccoli has more Vitamin C than oranges and more calcium than milk. And in addition, it has phytonutrients like Sulforaphane that helps to fight off cancer.

Red Bell Peppers

Red bell peppers are even better antioxidants than green bell peppers. This is because of the strong antioxidant called lycopene that results in the bright red colour.

Plums

Plums can be eaten fresh or as dry fruits. They contain beneficial phytochemical that act as antioxidants.

Dark Chocolate

Dark and unsweetened cocoa is very good when it comes to reducing blood pressure. It gives the body a boost of cleansing antioxidants.

Eggs

Eggs are superfoods for anyone. A full egg contains almost complete nutrition. Eggs have antioxidants that helps to remove free radicals from your muscles.

Raspberries

Raspberries are from berry family. The antioxidant present in berries is called proanthocyanidins and it has dual benefits; prevents cancer and heart diseases.

Kidney Beans

Red kidney beans are the best among the bean family. They have very high concentration of antioxidants and are also rich in fibre.

Apples

All red fruits and vegetables have a certain amount of antioxidants. The red coating of an apple is rich in both Vitamin C and antioxidants.

Green Beans

Green beans contain antioxidant in fair amount. They do not match up to their cousins, the red kidney beans though. However green beans have more fibre and less starch so they are heart healthy too.

Garlic

Garlic has a very important function; it removes heavy metals from the body. Metallic components in the body can cause very severe kinds of cancer.

Cloves

Cloves are not just aromatic spices. They have healthy antioxidants that help with lipid oxidation and also keeps your heart healthy.

Green Tea

Green tea gets its abundance of antioxidants from catechin polyphenols. These antioxidants also help in fat metabolism and keep your skin glowing.

Tomatoes

Just like red bell peppers, tomatoes also contain the powerful antioxidant called lycopene. This antioxidant gives tomatoes its red colour and also its cancer fighting properties.

Kale

Kale is a dark green vegetable that has many health benefits. Fresh kale has Vitamin K and C that acts as antioxidants.

Raisins

Grapes are not very rich in antioxidants. But in their dried form as raisins, the antioxidant count triples. So, a bowl full of raisins can give you lot more antioxidants than grapes.