What foods are rich in antioxidants?
Antioxidants are important for preventing, and limiting, damage to cells. Here are five foods rich in antioxidants
RAW CHOCOLATE
Raw chocolate, or ‘cacao’, tops the table of ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) values for common foods. It has around 10 times more antioxidants than blueberries and 20 times more than red wine!
POMEGRANATE
Pomegranate scores highly on the ORAC table and contains a rather special antioxidant compound called punicalagin. It’s also an excellent source of vitamin C and both soluble and insoluble fibre.
SPINACH
Well-known for its nutritional value, antioxidant power and anti-cancer potential, spinach also delivers plenty of phenolic antioxidants, such as lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene. It’s rich in iron and vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin C, too.
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RED CHILLI PEPPER
Chillies are one of the most nutritious and health-promoting of all spices. They’re unusually high in the antioxidant vitamin A, as well as the renowned antioxidant flavonoids lutein, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin and the carotene family.
RAISINS
Raisins are dense sources of the powerful antioxidants ‘anthocyanins’, found in all dark purple berries, fruits and berry juices. Also present in raisins is resveratrol, a polyphenol antioxidant, which has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and blood cholesterol lowering activity.
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220 Triathlon Team
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