If asked if you were getting enough nutrients in your diet, you may be tempted to say yes. Statistics show differently, though.
For instance, 94% of the United States population does not meet the requirement for Vitamin D. 52% of Americans are deficient in Magnesium. 44% are lacking enough calcium in their diets.
And the list goes on and on…
Luckily, there are ways to boost your intake of nutritious foods if you focus on which ones you should be eating specifically.
So which foods are high in antioxidants? Let’s dive in to take a deeper look at these foods, their benefits, and more!
What Are Antioxidants?
Ah, the most important question of them all. What is an antioxidant?
Simply put, it is a substance that removes potentially damaging oxidizing agents and toxins from your body. If you have heard of the word “free radicals,” you know that you don’t want these in your body.
Consuming more antioxidants can get rid of those free radicals that can damage your cells and eventually lead to diseases.
What else can antioxidants do?
Benefits of Antioxidants
There are so many benefits of adding antioxidants to your diet. Whether you choose to add them through eating more foods high in antioxidants in your diet or supplementing, you can’t go wrong. The benefits that you will reap are some of the best out there!
More Energy
One of the biggest benefits of consuming more antioxidants is that you can get an energy boost. Foods rich in antioxidants are great foods for energy as well.
One thing that acts as an antioxidant is Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone). It helps our body’s cells create energy in a process called cellular respiration.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a substance that helps convert food into energy. It’s found in almost every cell in the body, and it is a powerful antioxidant!
Supplementing with CoQ10 is a powerful agent that can help your entire body gain more energy!
Slows Aging
Free radicals are known to speed up the process of aging. They are found in all human bodies, but the healthier the person, the fewer free radicals they will have in their bodies.
So where do antioxidants come into this process? They counteract the free radicals found in our bodies. By counteracting the free radicals, they prevent damage to your DNA and cells.
Protect Eye Health
Specific antioxidants can benefit your eye health. Brightly colored foods like carrots and yellow peppers curry some of the best antioxidants for your eye health. Zeaxanthin is a carotenoid molecule found in your eyes and is known to help prevent macular degeneration and improve your vision for longer as you age.
*Our nutritional supplement is specially formulated to contain Zeaxanthin to provide holistic protection of the human body against disease. Learn more about the benefits of Zeaxanthin by clicking the linked text.
Prevent Disease
One of the best things that antioxidants can do is prevent disease. Many diseases occur because of the free radicals lingering in your body, such as heart disease and stroke.
Vitamin C, a vitamin high in antioxidants, actually has been found to decrease stroke in those that have high levels in their blood. Plant-based diets are also beneficial to reduce free radicals that can cause heart disease.
Prevent Cognitive Decline
No one wants to get older and slowly lose their cognitive abilities. Luckily, there are things that you can start doing today that will help prevent this.
Vitamin C and Vitamin E could have a positive impact on reducing the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Other antioxidants can prevent cognitive decline as well. Some can even reduce brain fog at the moment, which can make you feel as though you have a lot more energy.
Foods High in Antioxidants
If you want to add more nutrients to your diet, one way to do so is by focusing on adding foods for energy and those with antioxidants into your diet.
So which foods are those? Let’s take a look!
Dark Chocolate
If you’ve ever heard that nothing good for you tastes good, you couldn’t be more wrong.
Dark chocolate is good for you! It is full of minerals and antioxidants that can help your body. Some of the antioxidants in chocolate can help reduce inflammation and other factors that could eventually lead to heart disease.
Not only does it reduce inflammation, but consuming dark chlorate can also reduce blood pressure and raise blood antioxidant levels.
If you love dark chocolate, this is a win-win for you!
Pecans
Not only are pecans high in healthy fats, but they are also high in antioxidants that you want to add to your diet.
Consuming more pecans can increase blood antioxidant levels. This is great for those who are at risk for heart disease as it can prevent some of the bad cholesterol and blood pressure that can lead to disease.
Blueberries
Calling all fruit lovers! Blueberries are packed with all kinds of nutrients and antioxidants.
If you want an easy way to get more antioxidants into your diet, you can simply start to consume blueberries. This is an easy fruit as you can put them in so many different recipes, add them to your smoothies, or simply eat them as a snack!
Blueberries carry antioxidants that help slow the cognitive decline process. They neutralize some of the harmful radicals that enter our bodies and produce inflammation. By neutralizing these, inflammation is not as high of a risk factor for affecting brain function.
In addition to this, blueberries have been shown to reduce other factors that can cause heart disease.
Artichokes
It is probably not often that you go to the grocery store because a recipe calls for artichokes. They are not common vegetables.
However, artichokes are full of fiber, minerals, and antioxidants.
One of the antioxidants that artichokes have is called chlorogenic acid. This specific antioxidant links to reducing the risk of some types of cancers, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
However, keep in mind that altering the artichokes by cooking can also alter the types of antioxidants inside of them because you are changing the compounds when heat is added.
Goji Berries
Goji berries have been a part of traditional Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years because of their powerful properties.
They are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals.
Specifically, goji berries have one specific antioxidant that can potentially reduce the risk of heart disease and various cancers. It is known as Lycium barbarum.
Goji berries can also raise blood antioxidant levels in your body.
Raspberries
Whether you eat raspberries in a morning smoothie, as a snack, or in a dessert that you treat yourself to, they are full of fiber, manganese, antioxidants, and Vitamin C specifically.
These antioxidants and other properties can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. The anti-inflammatory effects of many of the properties can also slow down any process that may link back to cancer. This is because of the strong effect it has on reducing oxidative stress in the body.
Beans
Not a vegetable or fruit but a legume, beans are extremely healthy. They are high in fiber and one of the best sources of antioxidants.
Beans have a specific antioxidant called kaempferol. This antioxidant has been linked to reducing chronic inflammation (which can cause a lot of damage in the body) and suppressing cancer growth. Specifically, beans reduce the risk of cancer in the breasts, bladder, kidneys, and lungs.
Spinach
Spinach is a green leafy vegetable that has a lot of health benefits. It has many different types of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
While there are many different benefits of consuming spinach and adding it to your diet, it is specifically known to be a great source of lutein and zeaxanthin. These two antioxidants are powerful protectors of your eyes. Not only do they protect against UV light, but they also counteract the free radicals that can potentially cause damage to your eyes over time.
Add An Antioxidant Supplement To Your Diet
Adding antioxidants to your diet is a great decision. Whether you choose to consume more foods high in antioxidants or take supplements to get them, you can’t go wrong.
However, even if you do eat more foods high in antioxidants, if you want to get the biggest benefit, adding a blend of supplements to your diet is beneficial. We recommend adding an antioxidant nutritional supplement to your diet so that you can ensure your body receives 100% of the daily values of essential vitamins, and minerals necessary for optimal health.
At Nutrify Pro, the antioxidant blend was created specifically to fight off free radicals to prevent aging and other terrible diseases in your body.
You can get your blend here to start supporting your body in the best way!
Do you have questions? Do you need to know a bit more about the benefits of the blend? You can contact us today to get the answers you need!
