Foods That Contain Antioxidant Minerals
Posted by in Antioxidants on July 8, 2011
There are many foods that are rich with antioxidant minerals, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. The minerals can only be obtained from foods, as well as from supplements. But they cannot be produced by the body. Therefore it is important to add plenty of these foods into the diet for optimum health.
Antioxidant minerals are powerful antioxidants that can help to protect the body against free radicals and toxins. Thereby they are able to help prevent many diseases that plague the western countries.
The common, and most powerful antioxidant minerals are trace minerals. These include iron, manganese, copper, zinc and selenium. The term trace, means that the body only requires a very little amount of these in order to be effective. However, in order for them to be effective, they need to be combined with other important nutrients.
Therefore, it is best to obtain antioxidant minerals from natural food sources such as fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds. Animal products also contain these minerals, but they often also contain other substances, such as high amounts of acids that can interfere with the actions of the minerals. As a result, plant-based foods are the best.
Foods That Contain Antioxidant Minerals.
In general, most plant-based foods contain antioxidant minerals. However, the list below shows some of the foods that contain the most amounts.
Iron. Fruits that contain iron in good amounts include fruits such as avocados, breadfruit, cherries, grapes, lemon, passion fruit, strawberries and kiwi. Vegetable sources include many of the dark leaf vegetables, as well as Brussels sprouts, peas and spirulina. Coconut, oats, and certain nuts are also excellent choices. Read the rest of this entry »
Antioxidant Skin Vitamins – The Ultimate Anti Aging Weapon
Posted by in Antioxidants on July 8, 2011
The idea of antioxidants promoting bodily health is nothing new. It’s the primary reason parents tell their children to eat their vegetables. But a more recent discovery is that antioxidants can do really great things for the condition of your skin due to their ability to prevent free radical damage. Free radicals are unstable cells that naturally seek to bond with healthy, stable cells thus causing damage. This process is what causes skin to look excessively aged, wrinkled, and generally unhealthy and it happens to everyone to some degree.
Antioxidants stop the process by stabilizing free radical cells BEFORE they are able to bond with healthy cells and cause damage. So since antioxidants are so great for the skin, as well as the body as a whole, skin vitamin supplements that contain high amounts of antioxidant rich compounds can have an amazing effect of the look of your skin.
There are several compounds that have recently been found to contain high amounts of antioxidant rich nutrients and are starting to be added to higher end skin care vitamin supplements.
Acai Berry
Acai berry, also called Amazonian palm berry, is one of the most antioxidant rich fruits available. One study found that it has the highest ORAC antioxidant value of anything you can eat, and as a result it’s being added to everything from soda to anti wrinkle cream.
Acai berry extract is particularly great for skin as it contains phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals that make skin healthier, smoother, and younger looking. And acai also has astringent properties that keep the skin taunt and prevent sagging.
Grape Seed Extract
Typically taken from red grape seeds, the extract contains a very high concentration of oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs). These OPCs are found in a wide array of fruits and vegetables and are packed with antioxidants.
Grape seed extract has such potent anitoxidant properties that it has been implicated in the treatment of numerous health issues from heart disease to cancer. In short, grape seed extract is very good at protecting healthy skin cells from free radical damage. Read the rest of this entry »