As we age, we need to eat various foods containing antioxidants that control the free radical oxidative stress rampant in our bodies. Free radicals are unstable atoms that can damage cells, causing illness and ageing. They’re produced when the body breaks down food or is exposed to toxins such as tobacco smoke, alcohol, pollutants, and radiation. Antioxidants are the “good guys.” They protect the cells against free radicals (unpaired electrons), slowing down the ravages of cellular imbalance

But when it comes to “eating your fruits and veggies,” one fruit or vegetable doesn’t protect you any more than one vitamin supplement does. If you decide, for example, to eat five cups of strawberries a day because they contain important antioxidants, you wouldn’t be getting the range of substances necessary for good health and longevity. One antioxidant-rich food cannot do the work of all the antioxidants. The best way to minimise the damage done by free radical production from metabolism is to eat a wide range of fruits and vegetables containing all the antioxidants

Free Radicals vs. Antioxidants

Antioxidants are chemicals that lessen or prevent the effects of free radicals. They donate an electron to free radicals, thereby reducing their reactivity. What makes antioxidants unique is that they can donate an electron without becoming reactive free radicals themselves. Scientists discovered antioxidants and their role in combating the effects of free radicals in the 1990s. They found that people with vision loss, atherosclerosis, cancer, and other chronic conditions lacked antioxidants in their bodies. Later studies found that people who ate low intakes of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables were at greater risk of developing chronic conditions than those who ate a varied diet

It’s important to remember that supplements may seem like a quick fix but cannot replace the protective benefits of a balanced diet rich in antioxidants. Consider this: a cup of fresh strawberries contains about 80 mg of vitamin C, a potent antioxidant. But here’s the kicker – a vitamin C supplement, even at high doses, can’t match the disease-fighting power of strawberries. Why? Because strawberries also contain polyphenols, natural compounds that work in tandem with vitamin C to combat disease. Similarly, while eight chemical forms of vitamin E are present in foods, vitamin E supplements typically contain only one form of the vitamin, alpha-tocopherol

Foods highest in Antioxidants

So what foods should you eat to gain the most significant benefits from the antioxidants, allowing your body to fight free radicals best? These foods include:

• Almonds, avocado, sunflower seeds, boiled spinach, red peppers, peanuts, leafy greens, and Swiss chard all contain high levels of Vitamin E
• Broccoli, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, strawberries, grapefruit, honeydew, kiwi, snow peas, papaya, oranges, lemons, and kale are chock-full of Vitamin C
• Brazil nuts, brown rice, barley, shellfish, fish, poultry, and beef contain high levels of Selenium
• Watermelon, apricots, asparagus, tomatoes, tangerines, broccoli, beets, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, kale, bell peppers, carrots, winter squash, spinach, mangos, pink grapefruit, collard greens, peaches, oranges, and turnip greens are full of carotenoids, including lycopene and beta-carotene
• Onions, red wine, and apples contain Quercetin
• Tea, cocoa, and berries contain catechins
• Berries, peanuts, red and white wines, and grapes contain resveratrol
• Berries and spices contain coumaric acid
• Blueberries and strawberries contain anthocyanins
• Fortified cereals, cashews, chickpeas, lentils, pumpkin seeds, shrimp, oysters, sesame seeds, poultry, and beef contain zinc

Some foods contain more than one form of antioxidant. Berries are a good example of this, containing anthocyanins, coumaric acid, resveratrol, catechins, and vitamin C. Foods like this are often called ‘superfoods’

When taken out of their natural context, it is less specific just how much antioxidants affect the free radicals that contribute to cancer, vision loss, cognitive decline, heart disease, and other chronic diseases. Studies are inconclusive but suggest that supplements don’t offer the same level of free-radical-fighting antioxidants as healthy foods

Plenty of evidence supports that eating whole grains, fruits, and vegetables sends disease-fighting antioxidants to battle free radicals, protecting the body against ageing

In the end, while you cannot entirely avoid exposure to free radicals and the resulting oxidative stress, you do have the power to make good lifestyle choices for your health and your future