Antioxidants and free radicals…we’ve all heard of them, but which is which? Which is good for you, which is bad?  What IS the deal with those antioxidants and free radicals?

What are Free Radicals and Antioxidants?

Free radicals are the bad ones. Your body produces them all the time; it’s like our version of a car rusting after exposure to oxygen. For us, the damage occurs on a cellular level and it can play a part in cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and a host of other diseases.

Antioxidants are the good ones. They neutralize free radicals and not only stop them from damaging the body’s cells, but they also help fix damage already done.

So, free radicals = bad.  Antioxidants = good.  Now what?  Obviously, you want to have as few free radicals as possible, and as many antioxidants as you can.  Since your body produces free radicals, you need to counteract them by taking in antioxidants.  By far, the best way to get more antioxidants into your body is by eating foods rich in them. I personally don’t recommend antioxidant supplements at all…the data is conflicted about them.  Better to get them the old fashioned way…consuming healthy foods that contain them.

Which Foods Have Antioxidants?

Luckily, antioxidants are abundant in many foods, including:  whole grains, garlic, nuts, eggs, olive oil, fish, and of course…fruits and veggies! When selecting fruits and veggies, the richer and brighter the color the better!  For example, choose darker salad greens such as spinach over iceberg lettuce.  Or red peppers over yellow.  Sweet potatoes before Idaho.  Red beans over lima.  You get the idea!  If you eat the produce raw, that’s even better.

Sometimes being radical is good; this isn’t one of those times.  So grab some blueberries and almonds and stomp out those free radicals!

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