The Benefits of Antioxidants and How to Get Them

The benefits of antioxidants, a group of vitamins that protect the body against free radicals, the toxic molecules that damage cells and have been linked with heart disease, certain kinds of cancer and macular degeneration, are no farther away than your kitchen. Free radicals are produced naturally, as a result of normal cellular function, and by the environment in the form of ultraviolet radiation and airborne pollutants, including cigarette smoke.

Where the Antioxidants Are
If you're wondering to find antioxidants, look no further than your crisper drawer, your garden or your local butcher or grocer. Dietary antioxidants occur naturally in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, some nuts, and certain meats and animal products. Other sources of antioxidants include fortified foods like breakfast cereals.

If you find it challenging to eat the daily recommended 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables, you can boost your antioxidant intake with multivitamins and supplements. However, getting your antioxidants from food is the better choice.

Vitamin A
Eat your carrots, and you'll protect your eyesight. Carrots contain carotenoids that convert to one of the more well-known antioxidants: vitamin A. Vitamin A plays a role in vision, reproduction, bone growth and cell function. It also helps stave off infections by aiding in the manufacture of white blood cells.

There are two forms of the antioxidant vitamin A: preformed vitamin A that's found in both animal and plant products and provitamin A carotenoid. Preformed vitamin A is absorbed by the body as retinol, one of the more usable forms of vitamin A. You'll find it in liver, whole milk and some fortified foods. The preformed vitamin A found in animal products is absorbed more easily than plant-based provitamin A, but it's also possible to develop toxic levels of Preformed Vitamin A if you consume large quantities of it over a short period of time.

Provitamin A carotenoid is the antioxidant form found mainly in plants. The carotenoid most of us are familiar with is beta-carotene, which converts more efficiently to retinol than other carotenoids. The body absorbs Provitamin A less readily than Preformed Vitamin A, however, it also stops converting to Vitamin A when the body has enough, making it next to impossible to take in too much. Look for this antioxidant in carrots, spinach, kale, peppers, apricots, mangos and peaches.

Other Carotenoids
Lutein is the carotenoid that gives many fruits their orange or yellow color, but it's also found in dark, leafy greens like kale, collard greens and bok choy. Lutein has been shown to protect against cataracts and macular degeneration.

Lycopene is associated with a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease prostate cancer and sun damage to your skin. It's also what makes tomatoes red and colors watermelon and pink grapefruit. Watermelon and pink grapefruit contain smaller amounts of lycopene than tomatoes, so if your doctor has recommended adding more lycopene to your diet, focus more on tomatoes.

Keep in mind however, that current research indicates the greatest antioxidant benefit is greater when tomatoes are cooked or processed. Choose tomato sauces, pastes and juice blends over slices in your sandwich for the greatest antioxidant benefit.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin with strong antioxidant properties that are thought to play a key role in immune function, metabolic processes and repairing DNA. Alpha-tocopherol is the most active form of vitamin E for humans.

You'll find vitamin E in vegetable oils, nuts, green leafy vegetables and some fortified foods. When sold as a supplement, the antioxidant Vitamin E may be in the form of alpha-tocopheryl acetate, a form of alpha-tocopherol that protects its antioxidant function. Synthetics are labeled D, L while natural forms are simply labeled D. Choose natural over synthetic (D over D,L) to be sure you're taking the most active form.

Vitamin C
The body requires the antioxidant vitamin C for tissue growth and repair. Vitamin C is necessary for the formation of collagen, the protein that makes skin, tendons, ligaments and your blood vessels. Without it, wounds wouldn't heal and your cartilage, bones and teeth would break down. The body doesn't manufacture the vitamin C on its own; neither can it store it, making daily intake of this antioxidant necessary.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and cannot be stored by the body and cases of toxic levels of Vitamin C are rare. However, doses higher than 2,000mg daily of this antioxidant may result in an upset stomach or diarrhea. All fruits and vegetables contain some vitamin C, but the foods that contain the highest amounts of this antioxidant include citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, leafy green vegetables and green peppers.

Selenium
In the case of the antioxidant selenium, the body requires only small amounts to function properly. The role of the selenium is to interact with proteins to manufacture antioxidant enzymes. These antioxidant enzymes are called selenoproteins and may help regulate thyroid function and support the immune system.

Selenium deficiencies are rare in the United States, so chances are you're already getting what your body needs plus a little extra. Selenium is another antioxidant you're probably eating without realizing it. The antioxidant selenium is found in beef, cod fish, eggs, cottage cheese, turkey (white meat only), some breads and pastas, oatmeal, walnuts and Brazil nuts.

Be aware that all of these selenium-rich foods, Brazil nuts contain the highest concentration. If you're looking to boost your intake of the antioxidant selenium, limit the amount you get from Brazil nuts. Although selenium toxicity is rare in the United States, high selenium blood levels can result in a condition called seleonosis (symptoms include gastrointestinal disorders, hair loss, bad breath, fatigue and mild nerve damage).