Antioxidants

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• QHow do antioxidants benefit people who exercise?

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  A Dr. Vonda Wright, MD , Orthopedic Surgery, answered

  Vitamins C and E and carotene are called antioxidant vitamins because they may protect against exercise-induced "oxidative stress." Several scientific reviews detail the benefits of antioxidant supplements in protecting our bodies against the harmful effects of free radical damage. However, studies have not shown that these vitamins enhance exercise performance.
  
  Vegetarian athletes may have an advantage over non vegetarians since antioxidants are readily obtained from a diet rich in vegetables, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils, which vegetarians consume.
• QWhich foods are rich in antioxidants?

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  A Piedmont Heart Institute answered

  Antioxidants are abundant in fruits and vegetables, as well as in other foods including nuts, grains, and some meats, poultry, and fish. The list below describes food sources of common antioxidants.
  
  Beta-carotene is found in many foods that are orange in color, including sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, squash, apricots, pumpkin, and mangos. Some green, leafy vegetables, including collard greens, spinach, and kale, are also rich in beta-carotene. Lutein, best known for its association with healthy eyes, is abundant in green, leafy vegetables such as collard greens, spinach, and kale. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant found in tomatoes, watermelon, guava, papaya, apricots, pink grapefruit, blood oranges, and other foods. Estimates suggest 85 percent of American dietary intake of lycopene comes from tomatoes and tomato products. Selenium is a mineral, not an antioxidant nutrient. However, it is a component of antioxidant enzymes. Plant foods like rice and wheat are the major dietary sources of selenium in most countries. The amount of selenium in soil, which varies by region, determines the amount of selenium in the foods grown in that soil. Animals that eat grains or plants grown in selenium-rich soil have higher levels of selenium in their muscle. In the United States, meats and bread are common sources of dietary selenium. Brazil nuts also contain large quantities of selenium. Vitamin A is found in three main forms: retinol (Vitamin A1), 3, 4-didehydroretinol (Vitamin A2), and 3-hydroxy-retinol (Vitamin A3). Foods rich in vitamin A include liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, milk, egg yolks, and mozzarella cheese. Vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid, and can be found in high abundance in many fruits and vegetables and is also found in cereals, beef, poultry, and fish. Vitamin E, also known as alpha-tocopherol, is found in almonds, in many oils including wheat germ, safflower, corn, and soybean oils, and is also found in mangos, nuts, broccoli, and other foods.
  
  This answer is based on source information from the National Cancer Institute.

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• QWhat are good sources of flavonoids for my diet?

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  A Dole Nutrition Institute answered

  Good dietary sources of flavonoids are:

  • Raspberries
  • Green tea
  • Ginger
  • Apples
  • Artichokes
  • Soybeans
• QHow can antioxidants prevent cancer?

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  A Piedmont Heart Institute answered

  Antioxidants neutralize free radicals as the natural by-product of normal cell processes. Free radicals are molecules with incomplete electron shells which make them more chemically reactive than those with complete electron shells. Exposure to various environmental factors, including tobacco smoke and radiation, can also lead to free radical formation. In humans, the most common form of free radicals is oxygen. When an oxygen molecule (O2) becomes electrically charged or "radicalized" it tries to steal electrons from other molecules, causing damage to the DNA and other molecules. Over time, such damage may become irreversible and lead to disease including cancer. Antioxidants are often described as "mopping up" free radicals, meaning they neutralize the electrical charge and prevent the free radical from taking electrons from other molecules.
  
  This answer is based on source information from National Cancer Institute.

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• QWhich beverages are good sources of antioxidants?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  While Americans' number-one source of antioxidants is from coffee, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University, says there are better hot beverages out there, like green tea.
  
  Another great tea option is white tea. "It's not new -- it's very old -- and [has] been used for centuries for healing purposes."
  
  White tea is from the same plant as green tea, but it's produced in a different way. While green tea is made of leaves dried to the point where the tea will be dark in color, white tea is made from an immature plant bud that isn't dried at all. Instead of steeping the leaves, white tea is steamed. Dr. Oz says the potential for medicinal benefits of white tea -- beyond a very small amount of caffeine as compared with other kinds of tea and coffee -- comes from this lack of drying.
  
  Dr. Oz says you should drink about four cups of green tea a day.
  
  One of the most-talked-about pieces of dietary news to arise in recent years is that red wine is good for your health. Dr. Oz says part of the reason is the alcohol and part is resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that comes from the skins of grapes. Vintners add the grape skins back to make red wine, but they don't do the same process for white wine, so white wine has no resveratrol benefit.
  
  "Resveratrol does one other thing," Dr. Oz says. "It turns on a system in your body that prevents your cells from aging. Now think about it: Where do they grow these grapes? On trees on hillsides, right? It's not a very hospitable environment. So those grapes are sending a signal to us that life might not be so good, so why not turn on that cellular chemistry that you have that allows you to live longer and better? That's why we think this has a benefit."
  
  If you don't want the alcohol, Dr. Oz says you can get some resveratrol from Concord grape juice or other dark grape juices, but you won't get as much benefit as you would from red wine. "Eighty percent of the benefit of the wine is actually the alcohol, and twenty percent is the resveratrol," Dr. Oz says. "It's the combination that makes red wine so valuable."
  
  Of course, moderation is the key when drinking to your health. Dr. Oz says most people should drink about one glass of red wine a day, although some men can drink slightly more because males metabolize alcohol more effectively than females.

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• QWhat fruits and vegetables are rich in anthocyanins?

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  A Janis Jibrin, MS, RD , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of The Best Life

  The fruits and vegetables that contain anthocyanins include:

  • blackberries
  • blueberries
  • cherries
  • cranberries
  • eggplant
  • grape juice
  • plums
  • prunes
  • raisins
  • red apples
  • red beans
  • red beets
  • red cabbage
  • red or purple grapes
  • red onions
  • red pears
  • red wines
  • strawberries

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• QHow do antioxidants help slow the aging process?

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  A Dr. Kathleen Hall , Preventive Medicine, answered

  Research continues to reveal the incredible power of antioxidants in our diet. Mounting evidence indicates the key to slowing aging is antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the brain from free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules produced through the body's use of oxygen: free radicals weaken cell walls and damage the cells of the body including the brain. Antioxidants protect cells by disabling the free radicals.

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• QWhat are flavonoids and how much should I eat per day?

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  A gay riley , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered

  Flavonoids are colored pigments in a variety of foods and there are more than 4000 that have been identified. They are mostly known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory protection to cells which can protect the heart, circulation, blood, and brain as well as having cancer or anti tumor benefits. There are no current recommendations for daily flavonoid intake at this time but some signs that you might not be getting enough flavonoids in your diet are:

  • Frequent colds and infections
  • Bruising easily
  • Frequent nosebleeds
  • Excessive swelling after injury 

  It is estimated that the average daily flavonoid intake in the US is about 150-200 mg which is certainly not adequate given the standard American diet. You can increase your daily intake of flavonoids very easily by eating a cup of blueberries or blackberries which contains over 400 mg of flavonoids, 1 cup of green tea can contain as much as 1000 mg, a small red apple with skin has around 200 mg, red onions, celery, and kale are also high in flavoniods. Check out the USDA's flavonoid content of foods database for flavoinoid content in foods.
  
  Foods rich in flavonoids are fruits, vegetables, tea, and legumes. 
  
  Common subclasses of flavonoids are anthocyanidins from grapes, flavonols from teas, chocolate, apples and wine, flavanones from citrus fruit and juices, flavonols from yellow onions, kale, scallions, broccoli, apples, berries and tea, flavones from parsely, thyme, celery and hot peppers, and isoflavones found in soybeans, soyfoods, and legumes. 
  
  Try to include 8 fruit and vegetables daily. 2 vegetables for every fruit, some green tea, and maybe a bit of 99% cocoa and you will be good to go!
• QWhat foods are good sources of phytochemicals?

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  A Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  Even the most humble fruits and vegetables are replete with phytochemicals -- chemical substances made by plants that affect their taste, color, scent, and other properties. The searing bite of hot peppers, the pungent whiff of garlic, the deep orange hue of carrots, and the red blush on tomatoes all owe a tip of the hat to different phytochemicals -- in these instances, capsaicin, organosulfur compounds, and the carotenoids alpha carotene and lycopene. Spices, oils, wine, tea, and other plant-derived foods and beverages also contain a variety of phytochemicals, including flavonoids. Although plants develop phytochemicals partly as a defense against predators, some of these substances appear to be beneficial for people. Experts believe these substances might explain the many health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, and perhaps nuts, whole grains, vegetables oils, and even dark chocolate.
• QWhat are the health benefits of phytochemicals?

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  A Dr. Michael T. Murray, ND , Naturopathic Medicine, answered

  Some of the most important phytochemicals are plant pigments, such as carotenes, chlorophyll, and flavonoids. Although these phytochemicals work in harmony with antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium, they also offer considerably greater protection against cancer than these simple nutrients do.
  
  Furthermore, a considerable amount of research indicates that accessory nutrients and phytochemicals are critical in the battle against the development of many chronic degenerative diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Although some of these valuable food components are available as dietary supplements, in many cases accessory nutrients and phytochemicals are even more bioavailable in foods. This fact once again shows the tremendous healing power of a whole-food diet.

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