The term “antioxidants” is used to promote all sorts of products from processed foods and supplements through to face creams. But there’s no need to look to expensive foods and potions to get your antioxidant fix—they’re found naturally, packed into plant foods that are already in your fridge and pantry.
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are substances found mostly in plants that stop the process of oxidation. Oxidation leads to the creation of free radicals,
which damage cells, including DNA. While the process of oxidation is natural and
a certain amount of free radicals is needed for our bodies to work properly, excess free radicals and the damage they cause have been linked to a range of diseases and certain cancers. Oxidation can also be accelerated by stress, smoking, alcohol and pollution. So antioxidants are compounds that help round up free radicals and stop them from causing damage. Many of the compounds found in foods are considered to be antioxidants, including some vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.
How do you measure antioxidants?
In 2007, the United States Department of Agriculture published the antioxidant
activity of selected foods using a method called Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity
(ORAC). Basically, the ORAC value for a food is its potential to round up and neutralise free radicals. The higher a food’s ORAC value, the higher its antioxidant activity. Spicing up the antioxidants in your diet. Interestingly, spices get one of the top scores in the ORAC database. While they are only used in small amounts in meals compared to other foods, their antioxidant activity is so high that even small amounts can provide a significant antioxidant boost to your diet. To give you an idea of their antioxidant capacity, the total ORAC value for one gram of cinnamon is more than seven times higher than the value for a small fresh tomato. Spices herefore are a great way of topping up the antioxidant content of a meal and
have the added benefit of reducing the need for salt to flavour recipes.
Antioxidant research
New research on antioxidants is constantly emerging. There are thousands of antioxidants found in plant foods that can contribute health benefits—and we are still learning about them. What we do know is that the greatest health benefits are likely to come from eating a wide variety of plant foods, as each food contains a different set of antioxidants that work together in unique
ways. For example, while pomegranate may be high in one type of antioxidant, broccoli
may be high in another. Researchers are also looking at how combinations
of two or more antioxidants in a food work together to create more powerful
benefits than if they were taken out of the
food and consumed individually.
To get all the benefits of antioxidants, it’s
essential to eat a wide variety of nature’s
whole plant foods every day. And next time
you want to add some extra flavour to your
favourite recipe, head to the spice cupboard
to give your meal an antioxidant boost! R