Antioxidant is a word used to describe a class of compounds found in foods that help our bodies fight damaging free radicals. Chemical reactions in our body often produce harmful by-products as well as useful ones such as hormones, energy molecules, etc. These by-products, together with waste material released from our cells can create extremely harmful free radicals. Free radicals are highly unstable and quickly react with other compounds to form more free radicals. They can attack our food, our body molecules or fluids, changing their structure and destroying them. Free radical accelerate the aging process by breaking down healthy cell membranes and inciting inflammation. In order to protect your food and all the cells and tissues in your body, it is important to make sure that the tissues or foods be coated with an “antioxidant” shield – a nice layer of good vitamins and minerals.

Exposure to light, air, and/or heat can be enough to trigger the reactions that create free radicals (oxidation)in some particularly susceptible foods. These foods, such as many oils, need special treatment and handling to protect their delicate constituents.

Common potent antioxidants are Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A and the mineral selenium. For example, Vitamin C-because it can be destroyed itself–can protect other substances from destruction. Antioxidants therefore protect others from oxidation by being oxidized themselves. You may notice that many packaged products contain ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) as an additive. This is because this antioxidant has the ability to protect other food constituents. In the intestines, Vitamin C protects iron and promotes its absorption, and Vitamin E works on the surface of the lungs to prevent free radicals from forming there. Below are some easy things you can do to increase the quantity of antioxidants in your diet and reduce the amount of free radicals.

Including Antioxidant-Rich Foods in your Diet

The following foods are especially rich in antioxidants:

  1. Prunes*
  2. Raisins*
  3. Blueberries
  4. Blackberries
  5. Garlic
  6. Kale
  7. Cranberries
  8. Strawberries
  9. Spinach
  10. Raspberries

* These foods contain high amounts of antioxidants because they are in a concentrated (dried) form. Because they are dried, they also contain high amount of sugars and should be limited in your diet. Dried fruit can also be high in mold.

Protection from Free Radicals in Foods

To reduce the rancidity of oils:

  • Break open capsules of Vitamin E and add the liquid of 3 capsules to a bottle of oil (cooking oil, body oil, etc.).
  • Cook with extra virgin olive oil–It is stable enough to be heated and is less processed than other vegetable oils (including canola, corn, safflower, etc.). It must be used at low to medium heat only.
  • Never heat flax oil–use only cold in dressings or plain.
  • Keep flax oil in the refrigerator.
  • Limit intake of smoked meats and fish.
  • Store large bottles of oil in the fridge and decant 1-2 weeks worth into smaller bottles to be stored on the shelf. This reduces exposure to heat and light.
  • Avoid restaurant-fried foods and never reuse cooking oils at home. Repeated exposure to heat in oils dramatically increases free radical production.
  • Avoid packaged foods containing the words: hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated. This refers to a process by which oil is made into a solid form and results in huge amounts of free radical formation and therefore inflammation. These are commonly found in margarine, cake mixes, cookies, crackers, etc.