Antioxidant-rich foods have long been championed by health professionals as crucial components of a healthy diet, backed by thousands of studies supporting their benefits.
Found primarily in plant foods, antioxidants help to neutralize oxidative stress, offering protection against cellular damage caused by free radicals. This capability is why antioxidants are thought to be one of the main reasons why enjoying a plant-based diet with a high intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-rich foods may reduce the risk of oxidative stress-related diseases, such as heart disease, certain types of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and many other conditions.
A review published in Public Health Nutrition has linked diets rich in fruits and vegetables with lower death rates, a phenomenon dubbed the antioxidant hypothesis. Researchers propose that the combined presence of antioxidants, fiber, and other essential nutrients in these foods helps protect against several chronic diseases and inflammation, adding years to your life.
Getting your antioxidants from foods rather than pills or powders is essential because the synergistic interaction of antioxidants in food paired with nutrients like fiber and essential vitamins offers superior health benefits compared to isolated supplementation. Therefore, eating berries, including veggie side dishes at most meals, drinking 100% fruit juice, or enjoying fresh or dried fruit as a snack are optimal ways of enjoying these free-radical-fighting foods in your daily diet.
