In biological systems, the normal processes of oxidation are what lead to aging. Oxidation causes the production of substances called free radicals which are highly reactive. These free radicals can readily react with and damage other molecules. Note that it says “molecules” so that means free radicals don’t make the distinction between foreign bodies and healthy cells. And when free radicals start attacking the body’s own cells, you can guess what the results are – Aging.

If only there was a way to get rid of those harmful free radicals…

Well, have we got good news for you? Free radicals are natural enemies of antioxidants. The function of antioxidants is to destroy harmful free radicals, counteracting the damaging of tissues and in effect, treating aging or causing its retardation.

Antioxidants are commonplace in nature. In fact, antioxidants are abundant in more common vitamins such as retinol or Vitamin A, ascorbic acid or Vitamin C, tocopherol or Vitamin E, and selenium. They can be nutrients (vitamins and minerals) as well as enzymes (proteins in your body that assist in chemical reactions). Antioxidants are believed to play an important role in preventing the development of such chronic illnesses as heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, and cataracts.

Although antioxidants cannot completely rid our bodies of free radicals, they can however work to retard or minimize the damage caused. Antioxidants block the process of oxidation by neutralizing free radicals. By neutralizing, they themselves become oxidized. For this reason, our bodies are always in need of a constant source of antioxidants.

How antioxidants work is a two-way process. First is the chain-breaking. This is where the antioxidant comes in to break the chain reaction of free radicals turning other molecules into free radicals like them. Chain-breaking is also called Stabilization.

The other aspect is more on the preventive side. Antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase prevent oxidation by reducing the rate of chain initiation. This time, instead of waiting for the free radicals to make a long chain of free radicals, antioxidants scavenge initiating radicals and destroy them before oxidation is set in motion.

Thus, aging is delayed and not only that, diseases and other illnesses caused by harmful free radicals are avoided.

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While it’s quite true that there’s nothing healthier than including fresh produce in your diet, there is actually another reason why doctors insist on a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables. The answer may lie in antioxidant foods.

Antioxidant foods are powerful scavengers of free radicals. The function of antioxidant foods is to hunt down free radicals and destroy them.

What are Free Radicals?

Free radicals are highly reactive chemical substances that are produced when the body undergoes the process of oxidation. The reason that free radicals are highly reactive is that they lack electrons, which cause them to be highly unstable. To achieve maximum stability, free radicals therefore steal electrons from other molecules around them and in so doing, destroy the cell membranes and weaken the cell.

Free radicals cause a chain reaction of “electron stealing” because the minute they start taking away electrons from other molecules, those molecules become free radicals themselves. Massive destruction ensues, leading to such disorders as Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, cancer, senility, and more.

How Antioxidant Foods Work

Oxidation is a naturally occurring process in the body so there is really no way for us to avoid or prevent it from happening. Even the mere act of breathing causes oxidation to take place. That being said, free radicals, as by-products of oxidation, will always be present in our body.

But what if there is a way for us to retard the development of free radicals? What if there is a way to break the free radical chain reaction? What if there is a way to prevent those diseases caused by harmful free radicals from developing?

Yes, indeed, there is a way. Antioxidant foods are powerful substances that can neutralize free radicals before they damage your body’s cells. This is the major reason why scientists are continuing to conduct studies on antioxidant foods and the benefits that the body can incur from them.

Antioxidant Foods: Which Foods?

As mentioned earlier, many foods with high antioxidant levels are vegetables and fruits. Tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers – these are but a few of the many antioxidant foods out there. However, you should note that not all vegetables are high sources of antioxidant foods. Some vegetables or fruits may have lesser amount or concentration of antioxidant foods as other vegetables. For instance, white grapes don’t have the same amount of antioxidant foods as the grapes used in making red wine.

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The antioxidant red grapes are contained in the seeds of the fruit. Scientists say that these antioxidant red grapes may offer significant protection against certain types of cancer, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cataracts, and many other chronic and degenerative diseases.

The new study on antioxidant red grapes, released in April 9, was conducted by researchers at Creighton University in Omaha. The group of researchers who conducted the study say that a compound extracted from the seeds of red grapes called Activin ™ is that substance with powerful antioxidant red grapes properties. Because of its apparent powerful benefits, Activin was dubbed as the “super” antioxidant red grapes.

During the research, the group tested the ability of the antioxidant red grapes Activin in neutralizing and inhibiting the damage caused by fee radicals in the brains and livers of mice. Afterwards, they then compared the effects of the new antioxidant red grapes compound to the more popular antioxidants – vitamins E, C, and beta-carotene.

Lead researcher of the Creighton team, Dr. Debasis Bagchi, announced that Activin seemed to exhibit more powerful potential compared to the other antioxidants.

“Our studies show that Activin is a more potent antioxidant than vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene – up to seven times more potent,” Bagchi said when he reported the findings of their study at the Experimental Biology conference in New Orleans.

“Activin is a powerful inhibitor of free radical induced lipid peroxidation and DNA fragmentation,” Bagchi further explained. “This is significant because free radicals can destroy cell membranes and damage DNA, and may be a root cause of certain types of cancer, heart disease, and even the aging process itself.”

The findings of this study on antioxidant red grapes may also help explain the scientific logic behind the French paradox – why the French have less risk of heart disease even when they eat the richest types of food. Red wine has always been considered more beneficial compared to white wine in preventing heart disease. Apparently, the antioxidant red grapes are the reason for that since red wine is fermented with the seeds while white wine is not.

This most recent discovery of significant antioxidant red grapes adds to the growing reputation of the red grape as a healthful food. It also follows on the recent wave antioxidants are generally making in the scientific community these days.

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Like a previous University of Illinois study in 1999, researchers found in both studies that dark-colored honey, especially buckwheat, provide more protective dietary antioxidant punch than lighter-colored honeys. This proves that while it is still early to say that honey can be a dietary antioxidant, it does point out its vast potential in terms of antioxidant properties. Principal researcher Nicki Engeseth, a professor of food chemistry in the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmenal Sciences, agrees with this.

Published online on April 6 in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the newest study on dietary antioxidants was the first to look at honey’s effect on human blood. With the use of a much more precise method than the one used in 1999, the study found that the dietary antioxidants found in honey are equal to those in many fruits and vegetables in their ability to counter the degenerating activity of highly reactive molecules known as free radicals.

“It’s still too early to say definitely, but honey seems to have potential to serve as a dietary antioxidant,” Engeseth said.

In January, Engeseth and Jason McKibben, a researcher with Anheuser Busch in Santa Monica, CA, reported in the same journal that the dietary antioxidants in honey were more effective compared to traditional preservatives, such as butylated hydroxytoluene and tocopherol in slowing oxidation in cooked, refrigerated ground turkey. It was observed in both studies that while the meat browned during cooking more extensively than traditionally preserved products, taste was not negatively affected.

For the other study, Engeseth worked with yet another colleague, Nele Gheldof, a doctoral student in the department of food science and human nutrition. They measured the dietary antioxidant and phenolic contents in honey taken from sevel floral sources, such as acacia, buckwheat, clover, firewood, Hawaiian Christmas berry, soybean, and tupelo. Using the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or ORAC assay, they discovered that darker honeys have the highest values of dietary antioxidants. ORAC is a tool that has been used for the past decade as a way to analyze the same components in fruits and vegetables.

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In this article, we will attempt to answer all your questions about antioxidant and free radicals, plus help you understand why it is so important to include rich sources of antioxidant nutrients in your daily diet.

A Little Background on Chemical Bonding

When talking about antioxidant and free radicals, we can’t help but touch a little on biochemistry. You probably remember from your old high school days that the human body is composed of many different cells and each cell is composed of many different molecules. Molecules consist of one or more atoms of one or more elements joined together by chemical bonds.

A typical atom is comprised of a nucleus – neutrons, protons, and electrons. Electrons are those negatively charged particles that orbit the cluster of protons in an atom. When there are eight electrons in an orbit, it means that that particular orbit (or shell as it is called) is full which further means the atom is stable. Stable atoms tend not to enter into chemical reactions. Because atoms seek to reach a state of maximum stability, an atom will try to fill its shell with electrons by:

* Gaining or losing electrons to either fill or empty its outer shell

* Sharing its electrons by bonding together with other atoms in order to complete its outer shell

Free Radicals: The Formation

The free radicals are formed when weak bonds between atoms are split. Free radicals contain an odd, unpaired electron which causes them to be very unstable and react quickly with other compounds. Because it is the nature of free radicals, which is basically an atom with an unpaired electron, to achieve stability, they will try to do so by capturing the needed electron from other molecules. When the free radicals steel electrons from a stable molecule, that molecule will become a free radical itself, beginning a chain reaction. Once the process of free radicals formation is started, it can cascade, finally resulting in the disruption of a living cell.

Antioxidants: Natural Enemies of Free Radicals

Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E are thought to protect the body against the destructive effects of free radicals. What antioxidants do is neutralize the free radicals. Antioxidants do this by donating one of their own electrons, thus ending the electron-”stealing” reaction.

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The human body is incapable of producing its own concentration of antioxidants. For this reason, we depend solely on our diet in order to get the store of antioxidants we need to combat diseases. Antioxidants protect the body from harmful, excess free radicals, sweeping them up before they can cause damage.

These days, when we talk about antioxidants, the first thing that comes to people’s minds is “supplements.” However, studies on antioxidant supplements are for the most part inconclusive and so far, no one study has come up with the same results during antioxidant supplements tests. No problem though because you can always find antioxidant foods almost anywhere.

The best way to lay an antioxidant-rich foundation that’s inhospitable to toxins and free radicals is through a combination of whole foods. With antioxidant supplements still far from the high expectations of the scientific community, you can in the meantime turn to the more reliable source of these helpful compounds, which are antioxidant foods. Below are some examples of antioxidant foods which you can include in your daily diet:

Berries

The provocative allure, the fragile charm, the rich concentration of nutrients. All these spell the one of the most important antioxidant foods – berries. Berries are full of fibers, minerals and vitamins. They are also loaded with healing antioxidants, which of course make them excellent antioxidant foods.

There are several kinds of berries, as you well know, and each kind has a different concentration of antioxidants. In recent studies, purple berries (such as Elderberry and black currant) are considered as the richest antioxidant foods. However, raspberries, cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries are also good antioxidant foods that are rich in proanthocyanidins which help prevent cancer and heart disease.

Broccoli

Another excellent antioxidant foods are green leafy vegetables. Your mom always say, “Eat your broccoli.” Believe me, your mom is not out to torture you by making you eat veggies you hate. There is actually a scientific reason to this.

Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables like cabbages, cauliflowers, and Brussels sprouts are great antioxidant foods. They help prevent cancer and ward off heart disease. Cruciferous vegetables contain a compound called “indole-3-carbinol which is an antioxidant that reduces the risk of breast cancer and other estrogen-sensitive cancers, like cancer of the ovaries and the cervix.

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The human body derives its energy from the utilization of nutrients and oxygen as fuel. But oxygen, for all its benefits and positive effects, may also carry with it some negative ripple effect. When processing oxygen in the body (a process called “oxidation), oxygen byproducts are produced. These byproducts, called free radicals, are highly reactive substances that may cause damage to cells. The antioxidant substances found in antioxidant fruits may work to neutralize these free radicals and in the process prevent them from causing damage.

Antioxidant Fruits: The Benefits

Many people are already familiar with antioxidant fruits, such as citrus fruits which are known for their high vitamin C content or apples for their beta-carotene. Consuming lots of antioxidant fruits in your diet will help boost the body’s defense against free radicals and oxidative stress (damage caused by free radicals). Oxidative stress is a process which many a scientist has linked with the development of chronic and degenerative diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

Antioxidant fruits may be plain fruits, cereals, and vegetables. Some antioxidant fruits may also be taken in dried, powdered forms, like dietary supplements or pills. There is some research though that antioxidant fruits may be taken better if you actually include them in your diet.

Fruit, vegetables, and cereals in your diet have additional benefits compared to taking antioxidant fruits supplements. Scientists point out that this might be because consuming antioxidant fruits in food may provide a combination of lesser-known but potent antioxidant substances, which may afford greater effect than that of any single nutrient or individual antioxidant supplement.

In a recent issue of the Journal of Nutrition, the total antioxidant content of several antioxidant fruits, including fruits, berries, vegetables, cereals, nuts, and legumes, was analyzed.

According to their findings, the overall best sources of antioxidant fruits under the berry category are dog rose, sour cherry, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, crowberry, blueberry, and black currant. Under the antioxidant fruits category are pomegranates, grape, orange, plum, pineapple, lemon, dates, kiwi, Clementine, and grapefruit. For legumes, broad beans topped the list while in the nut category, walnuts and sunflower seeds occupied the first and second spots, respectively.

Other antioxidant fruits include kale, chili pepper, red cabbage, barley, millet, corn, ginger, and red beets.

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That was then. This is now and it’s perfectly okay to whip out your spoons, forks, and mats because today is decades in the making; today is the day you are permitted to salivate.

A recent food Olympics has been conducted and out of the 100 different varieties of foods, vegetables, and nuts, 20 antioxidant rich foods came out at the top. This list of foods contained most of the very rich antioxidant foods as ranked by nutrition scientists at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and reported by the University of Alabama website on November 1, 2004.

Wild blueberry was narrowly beaten out by the small red bean, which captured the red-blue medal. The small red bean was dubbed the food with the highest concentration of disease-fighting antioxidant compounds per serving.

Antioxidants are the heroes in an epic struggle against villain molecules called “free radicals.” Free radicals do nothing but assault cells, turning them into molecules like themselves. This actually creates a chain reaction which could eventually lead to killer diseases such as heart disease and cancer, and even aging itself.

The Top 20 list of antioxidants published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows the ranks of the capacity of berry foods, fruits, and vegetables to interfere with or prevent oxidative processes where free radicals are formed. Ronald L. Prior, a USDA nutritionist and research chemist based in Little Rock, Ark explains that berry antioxidants were ranked according to their total antioxidant capacity. However, they were surprised to find that besides berry fruits, antioxidants may also come from the most unexpected foods as well.

Prior and his colleagues used the most advanced technologies available to tabulate antioxidant levels in more than 100 different types of berry fruits, vegetables, nuts, and spices. The Top 20 list includes small red beans (dried), wild blueberry, red kidney beans, pinto beans, blueberry (cultivated), cranberry, artichokes (cooked), blackberry, prunes (dried plums), raspberry, strawberry, red delicious apples, Granny Smith apples, pecans, sweet cherries, black plums, russet potatoes (cooked), black beans (dried), plums, and gala apples.

“Even though the small red bean came out on top, berry is better understood,” Prior says after noting that a berry devours six of the top 11 blue-red medals.

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If you answered yes, then look out, because that answer’s now!

Today’s medical science has led to several wondrous discoveries about our health and the food we eat. You might be familiar with the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” And it’s true because recent studies show that there are certain substances found in fresh fruits and vegetables that can be very beneficial to our health. Such substances are called super antioxidants.

When you slice an apple and leave it on the table, you will notice that the flesh turns brown after some time. This is caused by oxidation – when the oxygen in the air reacts with the substances found in the apple. Oxidation is a natural process that occurs in the human body as well. Our cells need oxidation in order to undergo metabolism of fats and glucose so they can turn into heat and energy. Oxidation is a vital part of life. But as vital as oxidation is, it can also have some negative effects on the body.

During the process of oxidation, highly unstable substances called free radicals are produced. These free radicals react with other molecules in the cell by stealing their electrons and turning them into free radicals like themselves. When this happens, a chain reaction is created, one that when accumulated could result in massive cell damage.

The Benefits of Super Antioxidants

The job of super antioxidants is to hunt down free radicals but not to eliminate them. No. But to neutralize them so they’ll stop their disease-causing rampaging. Literary tools aside, super antioxidants do indeed react against the harmful effects of free radicals by stopping them from reacting with the molecules in the first place.

Some super antioxidants may also act primarily to break off the chain reaction of free radicals. Others act by repairing damages caused by the accumulation of free radicals in tissues. Countless studies have been devoted to determining the extent of the health benefits super antioxidants may have. Super antioxidants have been the subject of various cancer research studies and even research on how to reverse aging. And though for the most part, the findings are inconsistent only as far as super antioxidant supplements are concerned, the old saying still stands: An apple a day does indeed keep the doctor away.

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It’s normal and it is a part of life. Certainly, it can’t be completely dispelled. It can however be controlled. Now, by “control”, we don’t mean controlling the process of oxidation itself, but controlling the outcome of it.

The oxidation process is what makes a cut apple turn brown and causes the surface of butter to turn dark yellow. Our bodies will always be vulnerable to oxidation and it is something that is beyond our hands to control. During oxidation, certain chemical substances are produced and among them are those that are highly reactive and chemically unstable. These substances are called free radicals.

Free radicals can be harmful to the body, especially if there is an excess of them. They may cause damage to the cell membranes, causing them to weaken. Because free radicals are chemically unstable, they have this bad habit of stealing electrons from stable molecules and in so doing, turn these molecules into free radicals themselves. The result is a chain reaction which can only be stopped with the entrance of antioxidants.

Herbal antioxidants are the body’s natural defenses against harmful radicals. Their function is to stop free radicals from “attacking” other healthy molecules and causing a chain reaction. Because of this function, herbal antioxidants are said to play a role in the prevention and potential cure of various degenerative diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, and several others.

If there is one other thing you need to know about herbal antioxidants, it is that they are not naturally found in the body. Human beings are one of the few organisms that cannot produce their own herbal antioxidants for the body’s use. That is why we have to depend on our diet in order to get our dose of herbal antioxidants.

Herbal antioxidants are of course found in fresh produce, fruits, and vegetables. A large number of members of the berry family are excellent sources of herbal antioxidants. In fact, most herbal antioxidants you find sold in health food stores today are comprised mainly of berry extracts. Studies have shown that berries are rich in certain herbal antioxidants that help reduce atherosclerosis by acting on the agents that causes the clogging and the hardening of the arteries.

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