Antioxidants – here’s why you need them
Antioxidants, what are they really and why are they so good for you?
To understand antioxdants you need to understand free radicals
In order for you to to live, you need oxygen. In the process of breathing and metabolizing oxygen your body is forming so-called free radicals. Simply put, free radicals are reactive compounds, always on the lookout to find something to destroy. In the body these free radicals are used, among other things, by your white blood cells to kill bacteria and certain cells.
When your body’s in balance these free radicals are not harmful.
But stress due to for example excessive physical work, sun exposure, illness, smoking or eating overly processed food can increase the amount of free radicals in your body, leading to oxidative stress. And oxidative stress in turn affect the development of inflammation in your body, and are linked to inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Antioxidants have the ability to disarm the free radicals
Antioxidants are a group of compounds that prevent the harmful oxidative stress effects of the free radicals. You need to proper amounts of antioxidants to take care of the excess of free radicals and slow down the oxidation of your cells.
Some of the antioxidants are naturally produced by your body in the form of hormones and enzymes, and some antioxidants you need to get from food. As you include enough antioxidants in your diet you give yourself the best possible conditions for your brain and heart to function optimally, your energy levels and mood to be high and prevent diseases.
How to get all the antioxidants you need
Focusing on a whole food plant based diet basically means you don’t need to worry about getting all the antioxidants you need to prevent oxidative stress. These nutrients naturally comes in a plant based package:
Vitamin B2 – almonds, mushrooms, rye bread, quorn, sun-dried tomatoes, tempeh, kale
Vitamin C – guava, papaya, peppers, red currants, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, kiwi
Vitamin E – sunflower seeds, canola oil, hazel nuts, almonds, avocado oil, pine nuts, olive oil, peanuts
Zinc – hemp seeds, pine seeds, pumpkin seeds, quorn, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, chia seeds, wild rice
Selenium – brazil nuts, sesame seeds, lentils, chia seeds, mushrooms, brown rice, chick peas
Manganese – hazelnuts, pine nuts, rye bread, oats, pumpkin seeds, pecans, macadamia nuts
Copper – spirulina, sesame seeds, cocoa, cashew nuts, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, hazelnuts
Polyphenols – dark chocolate, chestnuts, blueberries, black currants, capers, black olives, hazelnuts
Antocyanins – blackberries, blueberries, black currants, red onions, kidney beans, pomegranates, grapes
Carotenoids – yams, kale, spinach, watermelon, cantaloupe, bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, mangoes
Chlorophyll – spinach, collard greens, mustard seeds, broccoli, cabbage, parsley, asparagus, matcha
