Antioxidants are highly essential today, considering the worldwide spread of different cancers and other life-threatening health conditions.
Be it a short trip to the supermarket, or a visit to the local vegetable market, here is a list of foods that are packed with antioxidants, and you should definitely be getting them home.
Tomatoes : Probably the most versatile fruit (yes fruit!); tomatoes are loaded with lycopene, which is an amazing antioxidant that you can put to use. Also, tomatoes give you that extra boost of vitamins A and C, which help keep the body functioning to its optimum level.
Best of all, the tomato ketchup that you use so liberally, also contains a huge amount of lycopene.
Corn : A favorite in the monsoons, corn is packed full of antioxidants lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin C. Plus, it helps protect your eyes, so be sure to load up on these on your next trip to the supermarket.
Spinach : You may hate it for all the reasons, but the fact is, Popeye got the girl (and his muscles too) thanks to this one single greenie. Loaded with iron, and an amazing blood purifier, spinach is one of the best foods to add to your diet. It also contains the antioxidant lutein, and the essentials beta carotene and zeaxanthin which help protect your body against the various ill-effects of free radical damage.
Berries : Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are not just meant to be in your ice creams, make it a point to eat these fruits raw, or as juices. Loaded with vitamin C, anthocyanins and quercetin, these berries can be added to your morning cereal, or whip up a handful of berries with a cup of yogurt, for freshly prepared fruit yogurt.
Bell peppers : They come in three colors and make your salads and pizzas colorful, but that’s just food for the eye. It may seem to be untrue, but bell peppers have more vitamin C than an orange; all the more reason to add them to your pizza toppings. Also, the threesome is known for their abundance in vitamins A, C and E.
Garlic : It adds flavor to your dishes, and keeps your heart healthy, but there’s much more to this teeny tiny herb than just this. Garlic helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol and acts as a natural antibiotic. Just a clove of garlic contains vitamins A, C, E and the essential minerals selenium, sodium, iodine, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and potassium.
