What is the best way to get antioxidants into your diet?

Perhaps one of the greatest battles in the health-disease continuum is that between free radicals and antioxidants.

A free radical is a molecule that carries a single positive charge. Free radicals are what cause a car's body to rust. In the human body, these same free radicals cause tissue damage and aging. And that single positive charge gets passed dominolike through each molecule the free radical contacts in the body.

Cigarette smoking, stress, chemical exposure, injuries and sun exposure are all sources of free radicals.

Antioxidants neutralize that single positive charge, halting the “domino fall” of tissue damage. Vitamin C, vitamin, E, selenium, bioflavonoids and polyphenols are all examples of antioxidants.
In general, the more antioxidants you have in your body, the healthier you are. A large British study in 2008 found that people with high blood levels of vitamin C lived four years longer than those with low levels.

Not surprisingly, antioxidant supplements are big business, from vitamin C to whole foods-based products like fruit and vegetable juices and powders. But are these products effective and worth the price?

All products will generally contribute to better health, all other things considered. I take a supplement myself, even though I eat lots of antioxidant-rich foods.

Some powdered drinks provide a whopping 15,000 to 20,000 ORAC units, a measure of antioxidant capacity, for about $8 per serving, or 40 cents per 1,000 units. Can we do better with pure foods?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists ORAC values (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) for hundreds of foods. Wild blueberries provide about 6,500 ORAC units per 3.5 ounces. Frozen wild blueberries cost $4 about per pound, making the cost per 1,000 units about 13 cents, or one-third the cost of the supplement.

The ORAC values of dark chocolate and fresh cherries are a real treat. Chocolate-covered dried cherries at a local health food store are $16.99 per pound. Their ORAC value per 3.5 ounces is about 12,000, making the cost per 1,000 units just more than 30 cents. This is more than frozen blueberries, but it's cheaper than the supplement powder. And, it puts a smile on your face to think about taking your medicine.

I'm not suggesting that we all live on dark chocolate and fruit, but a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, plus healthy fats and proteins, are crucial to good health.

Berries, artichokes, black beans, tree nuts, artichokes, and culinary herbs and spices are loaded with life-extending antioxidants. Load your diet with them, and you will enjoy optimal health and reduce your need for expensive supplements.



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