Antioxidant Levels in Food
Most people are already aware of antioxidants and what they have to offer us, but if you are not, here is some important information you are going to want to be aware of. Whether it is an antioxidant supplement that you are taking or you are just eating regular food, there are certain foods in which there are high levels of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are substances or nutrients that are found in certain foods, some more than others, and which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body uses oxygen, there is a process that takes place, known as the oxidation process. This process, after a while, can end up doing damage to the body, but antioxidants help to slow this process off and make us healthier as a result.
Antioxidants work to kill off the free radicals and hence prevent and repair damage done by them. There are many different health conditions that antioxidants can help to prevent, including heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer, and liver disease.
If you really want to maximize your health and get yourself as healthy as possible, you are going to want to learn about antioxidant levels in foods and which foods contain the most antioxidants. Antioxidant levels in food are very important, as there are certain foods that are chalk full of these things.
Carrots, squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, kale, cabbage, collards, spinach, apricots, and all bright colored fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants. Flax seed, oatmeal, barley, rye, grapefruit, watermelon, and tea are all high in antioxidants as well.
Of all the antioxidant levels in food, the highest are found in the cocoa bean. Antioxidant levels in food refer more to nothing more than chocolate, well dark chocolate. No other type of chocolate contains antioxidants as dark chocolate does. Until now it was thought that tea, in particular green tea, contained the most antioxidants, but now we know that it is dark chocolate.
Research also shows that the cocoa butter in the chocolate helps by coating the teeth and thereby helping to protect them by preventing plaque from forming. The sugar in the chocolate can contribute to cavities if you eat too much of course, and you can also gain weight if you do not eat dark chocolate in moderation. As long as you eat all of these foods in moderation and make sure that you include some from all the different food groups, you will be giving yourself the nutrition you need to strive.