Anyone who's been to the Saturday farmers market knows there are lots of veggies out there to choose from. But do you know what ones are richest in antioxidants?
A study of close to 30 different types of veggies put these three at the top of the list: broccoli, beets, and bell peppers (the red kind). Yep, the top-notch veggies all start with B. Makes it easier to remember, doesn't it?
Let's Hear It for the B's
The tests measuring total antioxidant content of the veggies revealed that they were particularly high in phenols—that category of disease-fighting plant compounds that does everything from bolstering artery function to inhibiting the kind of cell damage that might lead to cancer or Alzheimer's. Broccoli and bell peppers are also a top source of antioxidant vitamin C. And beets are full of blood-pressure-friendly potassium.
Why They Deserve to Win
Though broccoli, bell peppers, and beets were tops in the study, it turns out we get most of our antioxidants from . . . potatoes. Not because they are more nutritious, but because we eat so many of them.
