Which Antioxidants Are Best? Ranking Food Items
Head to the produce section at the grocery store to find most on the list
Medically reviewed by Melissa Nieves, LND, RD
Antioxidants are compounds that help protect your cellular health and overall wellness. They reduce the harm from exposure to free radicals, compounds around us that cause cellular stress. Antioxidants are predominantly found in colorful plant foods like leafy greens, nuts, and berries.
This article explores why antioxidants are good for you and the best places to find them in your diet.
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Why Antioxidants Are Healthy
Every day, our cells are exposed to compounds called free radicals, which are unstable molecules regularly produced by our bodies as a normal byproduct of metabolism. For instance, our bodies produce free radicals after exposure to environmental toxins, certain foods we eat, and ultraviolet light. They trigger oxidative stress, which is hard on our cells and can promote disease and aging.
However, free radicals also serve some beneficial purposes for our health. For instance, they're deployed by the immune system to fight off infections. The key is to balance free radicals and antioxidants in the body so both can do their jobs but not cross the line into being harmful.
Antioxidants neutralize free radicals through a process of transferring electrons. This helps turn free radicals "off" to prevent them from harming our cells and DNA. Without antioxidants, free radicals would have devastating effects on our health.
Specifically, a regular supply of antioxidants through food has been associated with a reduced risk for conditions like heart disease, cancers, and other morbidities.
What Are Free Radicals?
Free radicals are unstable compounds that can cause damage at a cellular level, promoting disease and aging. They are produced as a byproduct of normal metabolism after harmful exposures to environmental toxins and pollution, some viruses, radon, asbestos, tobacco smoke, and ultraviolet light.
Types of Antioxidants in Different Food Groups
Antioxidants play a crucial role in supporting and protecting our health. The same goes for plants, animals, and other living things with antioxidant defense mechanisms.
As such, antioxidants naturally occur in many foods you may already include in your diet. While they are predominantly found in whole plant foods, there are also some animal-derived sources of antioxidants.
The following are some of the major types of antioxidants and where they can be found in food:
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant and can also regenerate other antioxidants. Find vitamin C in citrus fruits, broccoli, berries, tomatoes, potatoes, and bell peppers.
Vitamin E is made up of eight forms E, but α-tocopherol is the most active in the human body. You can find it in foods like spinach, broccoli, almonds, sunflower seeds, and kiwi.
Lycopene is a fat-soluble antioxidant found in red and pink foods like watermelon, tomatoes, pink grapefruit, and goji berries.
Selenium is an antioxidant mineral that originates in the soil, where it's taken up by plants as they grow. The most concentrated food source is Brazil nuts, though it's also found in mushrooms, brown rice, and oats.
Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that is converted into vitamin A in your body. Find it in orange, red, and green foods like carrots, spinach, kale, and cantaloupe.
"Polyphenols" is an umbrella term for antioxidant pigment groups like anthocyanins, isoflavones, and flavanones. You can get polyphenols from foods like berries, leafy greens, apples, garbanzo beans, watermelon, oranges, and celery.
Omega-3 fatty acids are fats that include alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). You can find ALA in plant foods like flaxseeds, a small amount of which is converted into EPA and DHA in the body. The best direct sources of EPA and DHA are fatty fish, like salmon and mackerel. You can also get it from algae- or fish-derived oils.
Astaxanthin is a fat-soluble pigment and carotenoid found in marine life, like wild-caught salmon, shrimp, and algae.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an antioxidant found in oily fish and some nuts and meats.
This isn't an exhaustive list, but it does underline that the best way to incorporate antioxidants into your diet is to consume a variety of healthy, minimally processed foods. The best sources are fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and certain fish.
Risks of Diet Low in Antioxidants
Eating a diet low in antioxidants can set you up for a higher risk of disease. Without antioxidants, your cells are more vulnerable to damage from free radicals.
Diet patterns high in saturated and trans fats, sodium, and added sugar but low in fiber and antioxidants have been found to promote the development of chronic diseases.
Research suggests that eating this way negatively alters the community of bacteria in your digestive tract, called your gut microbiome. An imbalanced gut microbiome promotes inflammation, increasing the risk of disease.
Comparing Antioxidants in Food vs. Supplements
Antioxidants are also sold in supplemental form, often advertised as "ultra" or "high dose." While the marketing can be intriguing, more antioxidants aren't always better. And, there aren't necessarily antioxidants that are better than others. A combination is optimal.
Taking high amounts of isolated antioxidants can harm your health, with their risk outweighing their potential benefits. Megadoses can be toxic and, in some cases, promote oxidation rather than prevent it.
For example, glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant your body produces. While it has anticancer benefits, research shows that excess GSH promotes cancerous tumor growth.
Research also indicates that it's not necessarily the antioxidant that has benefits but how it works with other compounds in whole foods to provide benefits.
A small randomized controlled trial found that, although healthy participants were given either orange juice or sugar water with the same amount of vitamin C, the orange juice offered significantly more antioxidant benefits.
Overall, the best way to get a variety of antioxidants in the safest and most beneficial way is to consume a diet full of antioxidant-rich foods.
Antioxidant-Forward Meal Ideas
If you're looking for ways to include more antioxidants in your diet, consider these ideas:
Smoothies made with blueberries, spinach, kale, and flax seeds
A bowl of oatmeal topped with raspberries, chia seeds, and cinnamon
A mixed green salad that combines kale, spinach, and arugula with red cabbage, strawberries, pecans, and beans
Grilled salmon on a bed of quinoa alongside roasted beets and artichokes
Baked sweet potatoes stuffed with black beans, salsa, avocado cubes, and cheese
Banana and blueberry muffins with walnuts, chia seeds, and cinnamon
Breakfast scramble made with tofu, mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, and onions
White bean soup with chopped veggies and garlic
Peanut soup with quinoa and spinach
Avocado, leafy greens, and hummus tortilla wrap sandwich
The best way to reap the benefits of dietary antioxidants is to include fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and certain fish. Consider what you currently eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and identify some places you can incorporate more antioxidant-rich foods regularly.
Summary
Antioxidants are compounds that help protect us from disease and the effects of aging. While your body makes some antioxidants, it's important to incorporate them into your diet regularly. Find them in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and certain fish like salmon.
It's best to get your antioxidants from these types of minimally processed foods versus high-dose antioxidant supplements, as these may negatively affect health. You probably already consume antioxidants and can add others to your meals and snacks with little effort.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
