You may hear a lot about antioxidants and their importance for health, but not everyone understands what they are. Antioxidants are substances that may play a part in protecting your cells against free radicals. Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules that can cause chain chemical reactions inside your cells.
These chain reactions may lead to cancers, heart disease, and other illnesses. As such, it makes sense to include as many antioxidants in your diet as possible to protect the cells that act as one of your body’s most important defenses.
Fortunately, including antioxidants in your diet doesn’t have to be a significant undertaking, as there are many different ways to get enough, such as these options below.
Try CBD Products
CBD products from leading manufacturers like Joy Organics may be a way you can help your body fight off free radicals. CBD products like gummies, tinctures, softgels, and similar, contain hemp extract, which research shows has an antioxidant effect in lab tests.
A Food Chemistry journal determined that those antioxidant effects may have resulted from the CBD content within the hemp seed extract, and a of CBD and other seed compounds found that they may also contain anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects.
While people consume CBD products for any number of reasons, knowing they may potentially produce an antioxidant effect may be an extra benefit you possibly weren’t expecting. CBD oil is legal in Australia but classified as a class 4 drug, meaning that it can only be obtained through a prescription filled by a pharmacist.
Consume Carotenoids
Browse the fruit and vegetable shelves of your local grocery store, and you’re bound to spot an abundance of yellow, red, and orange produce that capture your eye. Carrots, apricots, papaya, winter squash, tomatoes, chillies and capsicums are just a few of the many fruit and vegetable options that contain carotenoids.
Carotenoids produce the bright colouring of this produce, and are also an essential source of antioxidants to include in your diet. Carotenoids such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lutein, are for your skin health, cardiovascular health, and immune system. They may even help prevent the formation of tumors.
Foods containing carotenoids that can assist you in your quest to consume more antioxidants are available year-round and are versatile for a range of dishes. Whether you prefer the sweetness of plums and apricots or the zing of capsicums and turnip greens, you’ll undoubtedly find it easy to eat your fill.
Sprinkle On Seasonings
You may know you need to consume more antioxidant-rich foods, but life gets busy. You might be busy growing your business, working a full-time job, or taking care of your family. It’s not always easy to find the time to focus on specific food groups that allow you to get as many antioxidants as you need.
However, it can sometimes be as easy as getting creative with seasonings. Not all foods your family consumes every day may be rich in antioxidants, but what you season them with might be.
Cloves, thyme, ginger, curry powder, mint, parsley, and cinnamon are just a few of the many seasonings for sweet and savory dishes that may bolster your antioxidant intake.
Consume Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient, no matter your age or lifestyle. It can prevent and treat scurvy and is found in a wide range of food types. Perhaps not surprisingly, it’s also an incredibly powerful antioxidant.
Vitamin C can in your body and may even counterbalance the impact of toxins. It’s also an ascorbic acid, which means it can regenerate other antioxidants such as Vitamin E, while also potentially preventing the formation of carcinogenic cell structures.
You can consume vitamin C with ease by eating citrus fruits and vegetables such as oranges and carrots, as well as leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and bok choy. Vitamin C is also present in berries, herbs, cruciferous veggies, and health supplements.
Indulge in Healthy Oils
Many people heard from a young age that fats and oils are bad for you. While many fats and oils are unhealthy, not all of them are bad. Healthy oils like olive oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, and flaxseed oil contain antioxidants in addition to other nutrients.
You should still consume any oil in moderation, but knowing that you’re able to receive antioxidants from something you can cook and dress food with may make you feel better about your food choices.
Olive oil is generally a staple in many homes, and you may be happy to know it contains vitamin E, vitamin K, and beneficial fatty acids in addition to antioxidants.
Have a Glass of Wine
Excessive alcohol consumption can increase your free radical count, which is the very opposite of what you’re trying to achieve by consuming more antioxidant-rich foods.
That said, one glass of deep, red wine from dark-coloured grapes may provide your body with beneficial polyphenols, a form of antioxidant. These may help protect the blood vessels in the lining of your heart, and the alcohol may also have some .
Feast On Green Vegetables
Green vegetables are prized for their many different vitamins and minerals, so most people won’t be surprised to learn that they also contain antioxidants. All manner of leafy greens, including kale, spinach, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are rich in antioxidants.
Many leafy greens can be eaten raw in salads, such as microgreens, broccoli (baby broccoli, spinach, and cabbage, which means there’s minimal time and effort involved in whipping up a nutrient-rich snack.
Drink Tea
Around 10 million Australians are pouring themselves a thirst-quenching cup of tea every day, with hundreds of millions of servings consumed each year. You may be more inclined to fit in an extra cup or two when you realise that tea is a natural way to incorporate a tasty source of antioxidants in your diet.
Oolong tea, black tea, and green tea all come from the camellia sinensis plant, which is rich in . These are naturally-occurring micronutrients that may reduce blood sugar levels, help prevent blood clots, and maybe even lower your risk of heart disease.
While herbal teas may also benefit your health, they come from the leaves, stems, roots, and flowers of other plants, meaning they may not promote the same antioxidant effects.
While consuming antioxidants is a good way to preserve your health, antioxidants aren’t a miracle cure for disease, nor do they make you immune to disease. If you are ill, book an appointment to see a doctor . The fastest and easiest way to search for and book healthcare appointments online is with MyHealth1st.