Consumption of foods high in antioxidants is a way natural for meet the intake of antioxidants for body. Antioxidant itself berrole to protect the body from effects of free radicals that can cause various diseases. What foods can you eat as a source of antioxidants?
The body will naturally produce free radicals as waste substances from metabolism. However, levels of free radicals can increase if the body is often exposed to radiation or toxic substances found in cigarette smoke, pollution, pesticides, factory waste, or processed foods that contain preservatives.
If the amount is excessive, free radicals can cause damage to body cells and are often associated with various types of diseases, such as diabetes, cataracts, heart disease, and cancer.
To prevent cell damage due to free radicals that accumulate in the body, you need to eat nutritious foods that are rich in antioxidants.
Types of Antioxidants and Variety of High Antioxidant Foods
The following are some types of antioxidants following foods that are rich in these antioxidants:
1. Flavonoids
Flavonoids are a group of chemical substances found in many fruits, vegetables, and plant roots. Flavonoids have antioxidant properties that can counteract the effects of free radicals and reduce inflammation.
Several studies say that intake of foods high in antioxidants containing flavonoids can prevent heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Even so, further research is needed to prove its effect clinically in humans.
Flavonoids are found in many drinks or foods high in oxidants, such as tea, dark chocolate, soybeans, and fruits and vegetables, including apples, oranges, mangoes, mangosteen (fruit and skin), guava, soursop, spinach, and broccoli.
2. Anthocyanins
Anthocyanins are dyes that give plants the red, purple, orange, green, and blue colors. This substance belongs to the class of flavonoid antioxidants.
Anthocyanins are believed to prevent blockage of blood vessels, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, metabolic disorders, and help fight infection. These compounds also appear to be good for maintaining healthy brain, nerves, and eyes.
Some types of foods high in antioxidants that contain anthocyanins include tomatoes, grapes, pomegranate, black sticky rice, red beans, peppers, and berries.
3. Beta carotene
The antioxidant properties of beta carotene are good for maintaining healthy eyes, skin, and reproductive organs, as well as maintaining a strong immune system against infection. In the body, beta carotene will be processed into vitamin A.
Most of the beta-carotene antioxidants can be found in red, orange, or yellow fruits and vegetables.
Examples of high-antioxidant foods that contain lots of beta-carotene are carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, tomatoes, beets, kawista fruit, watermelon, peppers, and chilies. However, there are some green vegetables that also contain beta carotene, such as spinach, broccoli, and peas.
4. Lycopene
Some people may take supplements containing lycopene to maintain a healthy body. In fact, lycopene can be obtained easily. The trick is to eat brightly colored fruits or vegetables, such as tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, guava, and papaya.
This lycopene antioxidant has several properties that are believed to be good for body health, such as preventing cancer (including prostate cancer), protecting skin from sun damage, maintaining brain function and eye health, and strengthening bones.
However, claims of the benefits of lycopene as a treatment still need to be studied further.
5. Polyphenols
Polyphenols are believed to have many benefits, such as lowering blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer, maintaining a healthy digestive system, and maintaining brain function.
You can get these benefits by consuming foods or drinks high in polyphenols, such as tea, coffee, dark chocolate, grapes, berries, broccoli, carrots, spinach, soybeans, sprouts, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cumin.
In addition to the several types of antioxidants above, there are also vitamins and minerals that have antioxidant properties, including vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and zinc. zinc.
To meet the daily needs of antioxidants, it is usually enough to live a healthy diet and eat a variety of foods above. However, if you want to take antioxidant supplements, you should first consult with your doctor so that the dosage and type of supplement can be adjusted to the condition of your body.
