The Top 8 Antioxidant-Rich Foods to Add To Your Diet

Written by Leslie K. Hughes

“Antioxidant” is a buzzword that has been popping up everywhere in the health world for a few years now. You’ve likely seen foods labeled as antioxidants, or read that foods rich in antioxidants are good for you. 

But do you know what “antioxidants” are?

If not, then keep reading to find out what this buzzword means, and why you want foods rich in these vitamins and minerals as part of your diet. 

What are antioxidants?

To help properly explain what antioxidants are, it is best to start with something called “free radicals.”

These are just like they sound: radical and not so good for your body. More specifically, they are molecules metabolized by your body and can result in inflammation as well as make you more susceptible to disease.

These molecular species are, as stated by Pharmacognosy Review, “unstable and highly reactive. They can either donate an electron to or accept an electron from other molecules, therefore behaving as oxidants or reductants.” 

Free radicals can come from within the body naturally via metabolic processes, or they can come from external things such as smoking cigarettes, industrial chemicals, X-rays, and more. And, when your body has too many free radicals in it, it can put you at risk of oxidative stress. This can lead to inflammation and inflammatory diseases as well as heart disease, gastric ulcers, neurological disorders, and more. 

In short: having too many free radicals in your body has the potential to cause some radically bad harm.

So, what do you do to combat the problem of too many free radicals in your body?

For one, you stay away from any external things that could produce those excess free radicals including smoking. Secondly, you can up your antioxidant intake. 

Antioxidants are the vitamins and nutrients that help to prevent the damage that free radicals cause, or at least help slow the process. 

Some of the most common antioxidants are:

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin E

• Beta-carotene

• Manganese

• Selenium

To help your body battle against free radicals, you need to be eating foods that have the above and other antioxidants. Many of them exist in tasty foods you may already be eating, and if not, this list will give you some great ideas of easy ways to get these vitamins and nutrients in your body to keep you healthy and lower your risk of disease. 

Eat These Antioxidant-Rich Foods

1. Berries

Chances are good you’ve heard that berries boast all sorts of benefits, and one of the biggest is the antioxidants they carry. 

Strawberries and raspberries specifically are full of an antioxidant called ellagic acid. This acid has been shown in research to have the power to render cancer-causing molecules inactive and may even prevent the growth of tumors. 

Blueberries and blackberries have the antioxidants resveratrol and anthocyanin, which means adding these berries to your diet can do wonders for keeping your free radical damage to a minimum. 

2. Pumpkin Seeds

You may want to reach for these seeds beyond just when you’re carving pumpkins. Pumpkin seeds are a great way to get protein as well as fiber, but they also help you in getting key antioxidants like vitamin E and carotenoids. 

3. Walnuts

All you need is a handful of walnuts to give you a boost of antioxidants. In addition to that, you get the benefit of omega-3 fatty acids which exist in higher concentrations in walnuts than any other nut. 

4. Artichoke Hearts

This vegetable not only adds some great flavor to your pizza but also provides you with a lot of polyphenols and chlorogenic acid, which are antioxidants you want in your life. Those, paired with the fiber and protein in artichoke hearts make them a great snack any time of day. 

5. Cranberries

This may be one of the antioxidants that you already knew about, but we put it in here just in case it’s news to you. All you need is one cup of cranberries and you’ve just fed your body a lot of antioxidants to help protect it against disease and to help you boost your immunity. 

6. Cinnamon

Throw a bit of cinnamon in your morning coffee and you’ll be getting some extra free-radical-fighting antioxidants. This spice contains polyphenol antioxidants that not only help your body stay healthy but tastes great too. 

7. Oranges

This citrus is packed with vitamin C as well as the powerful antioxidant beta-cryptoxanthin. You can also get these antioxidants from watermelon, mangos, and peaches. 

8. Kale

Kale has, in the last few years, boomed in popularity. And it’s not just because of the taste. People are loving this green because it is full of antioxidants and vitamins that are known to help fight cancer. You will also find beta-carotene in kale, so start adding more of it into your daily diet. 

To help ensure that you are getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs in order to stay healthy, it is important to get a vitamin panel done. This checks for key vitamins and lets you know where you need to step up your game and get more of these vitamins in your body.