Thursday, September 10, 2009

Top 20 Antioxidant-Rich Foods

Trying to add more disease-fighting antioxidants into your diet? The following 20 foods contain the highest antioxidant concentration.

  1. Pomegranates
  2. Small red beans (dried)
  3. Wild blueberries
  4. Red kidney beans
  5. Pinto beans
  6. Blueberries (cultivated)
  7. Cranberries
  8. Artichokes (cooked)
  9. Blackberries
  10. Prunes
  11. Raspberries
  12. Strawberries
  13. Red Delicious apples
  14. Granny Smith apples
  15. Pecans
  16. Sweet cherries
  17. Black plums
  18. Gala apples
  19. Black beans (dried)
  20. Plums

Antioxidants are naturally occurring nutrients that help prevent heart disease, cancer, and the effects of aging. Little is actually known about how antioxidants work or what makes them function best. Scientists believe that some antioxidants are more potent than others, and their potency can be affected by cooking or digestion. For example, the antioxidants in blueberries lose their potency when cooked, while the antioxidants in tomatoes become more potent when cooked.

So use this list to find antioxidant-rich foods, but for the best nutritional outcome, eat them in a wide variety.

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