While nutritionists advise eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, recent studies have zeroed in on the fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts that have the highest antioxidant contents. Antioxidants protect the body against free radicals, which are substances that can damage healthy cells, causing a host of diseases, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Experts worry that the low-carb fanatics who exclude fruit from their diets in an effort to lose weight miss out on the antioxidants they could be getting.
According to the June 9 Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, leading the list of antioxidant-rich foods are small red beans, wild blueberries, red kidney beans, pinto beans, cultivated blueberries, cranberries, cooked artichoke hearts, blackberries, prunes and raspberries. Top nuts were pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts. Top grains were whole-grain cold cereals.
If you cannot eat five servings each of fruits and vegetables per day, then eating one or two servings of those rated in the top 10 for antioxidants will certainly benefit you. For those who like fruits and vegetables and already eat ample servings, imagine eight to 10 servings of the top-rated ones in your diet on a daily basis. You’ll go from great nutrition to supernutrition!
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