Antioxidants are the compounds that are produced in our bodies. It is found in a lot of food that we consume. Since these can help defend our cells from the damage caused by some harmful molecules like free radicals, we prefer to eat foods highest in Antioxidants.
It’s also worth noting that the free radicals can accumulate and later on they can cause a state which is known as Oxidative stress. So, if you develop this stress then it can damage your DNA as well as other essential structures in your cell.
Moreover, chronic oxidative stress can also increase the chances of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and also heart disease. That’s why we should eat foods highest antioxidants to increase the blood antioxidant levels to fight this oxidant stress. If we do that then we can also reduce the chances of those chronic diseases that we mentioned before.
Scientists can use FRAP or the ferric reducing ability of plasma test to measure antioxidant content in foods. The higher the value of FRAP is, the more antioxidants will the food contain.
So, in this article, we will take a look at some of the top-rated foods high in antioxidants.
Here Are The Foods That We Should Eat & Increase The Antioxidant Level In Our Blood
First of all, it’s worth noting that if you want to eat foods highest antioxidants in your diet, then it’s a great choice because chronic oxidant stress is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Secondly, there are a lot of foods out there that contain a high level of antioxidants. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the options here in this article.
1. Dark Chocolate
Are you looking for foods highest in Antioxidants? Then of course we have to include dark chocolate. Chocolate lovers will simply love to know this fact that chocolate is nutritious and has 15 mmol of antioxidants per 3.5 ounces or 100 grams. This is in fact more than blueberries and raspberries that contain up to 9.1 and 2.4 mmol of antioxidants per 3.5 ounces.
In fact, heart patients are recommended to consume dark chocolate. In fact, there are studies that have proved that those who eat dark chocolate are leading better lifestyle foods highest in Antioxidants.
2. Blueberries
Next, we have to include blueberries which is another great option if you want to increase the antioxidant levels in the blood. So, it’s true that blueberries are a bit lower on the calories side. However, it has a lot of nutrients as well as antioxidant elements in them. For instance, the FRAP test show that blueberries have 9.1 or 9.2 mmol per 100grams foods highest in Antioxidants.
3. Strawberries
Do you like strawberries? Then you’d like to know that it’s another source of the antioxidant compound. Moreover, it’s also worth noting that these beautiful berries are the most popular on our planet. Therefore these are one of the best foods highest in Antioxidants. They are sweet and also a rich source of vitamin C and antioxidants as well. According to the FREP test, strawberries have 5.4 mmol of antioxidants per 100 grams.
Strawberries have a type of antioxidant that we can call anthocyanins. It is red in color and it can help reduce the risk of heart disease a lot of foods highest in Antioxidants.
4. Kale
Kale is another one of those foods highest in Antioxidants. It is a type of vegetable which is also one of the nutritious greens on the globe. Moreover, kale is also high in Vitamin A, K, and C as well.
According to the FREP test, Kale scores 2.7 mmol per 100 grams, making it one of the foods highest in Antioxidants. However, if we take a look at the red variety of Kale, then it scores 4.1 mmol per 100 grams. It’s because the red varieties have more anthocyanin than the green ones.
Final Thoughts:
So, these were some of the best foods highest in Antioxidants. Now’s the time to go to the market and get these foods to improve your antioxidant level in blood.