Foods rich in antioxidants are fruits and vegetables with high concentrations of vitamins A, C or E, as well as beta-carotene, minerals such as selenium and zinc, and amino acids such as cysteine and glutathione.
There are also other antioxidant substances, such as bioflavonoids found, for example, in grapes or red fruits. See which 6 antioxidants are indispensable.
Some foods rich in antioxidants can be:
Main foods rich in antioxidants
Foods rich in antioxidants are especially fruits and vegetables, although they are not the only ones.
Some examples of antioxidants in rich foods are:
- Betacarotene - Red / orange / yellow vegetables and fruits, such as pumpkin, beets, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, dried apricots, melons or peas; Vitamin C - Acerola , broccoli, cashew, cabbage , spinach, kiwi, orange, lemon, mango, melon, strawberry, papaya or tomato; Vitamin E - Brown rice, almond, peanut, Brazil nut, egg yolk, wheat germ, corn, vegetable oils (soy, corn and cotton) and sunflower seed; Ellagic acid - Red fruits, nuts and pomegranate. Anthocyanins - Purple lettuce, blackberry, açaí, red plum, eggplant, red onion, cherry, raspberry, guava, jaboticaba, strawberry and red cabbage; Bioflavonoids - Citrus fruits, nuts and dark grapes; Catechins - Green tea, strawberry or; grape; Isoflavone - Flaxseed or soybean seed; Lycopene - Guava, watermelon or tomato; Omega 3 - Tuna, mackerel, salmon, sardines, chia and flaxseed seeds or vegetable oils; Polyphenols - Berries, dried fruits, whole grains, onions, green tea, apples, nuts, soybeans, tomatoes, red grapes and red wine; Resveratrol - Cocoa, red grape or red wine; Selenium - Oats, poultry, almonds, Brazil nuts, liver, seafood, nuts, fish, sunflower seeds or whole wheat; Zinc - Poultry, meat, whole grains, beans, seafood, milk or nuts; Cysteine and glutathione - white meat, tuna, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, onions or garlic.
The pulp of watermelon is rich in beta carotene and vitamin C. The seeds contain a large amount of vitamin E, as well as zinc and selenium. A watermelon smoothie with seeds can be a way to use all the antioxidant power of watermelon.
What are antioxidant foods for?
Antioxidant foods serve to help prevent diseases such as Alzheimer's, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Antioxidants favor the proper functioning of cells throughout the body, counteracting the harmful effect of stress or poor diet, for example. Learn more at: What Antioxidants are and what they are for.
