Nutrition Videos

Today I'd like to talk about foods that are rich in antioxidants, but before I start I'd like to explain what antioxidants are. During the functioning of the organism, oxygen free radicals are produced, which are very active and have the characteristic of attaching to the genetic material, leading to significant health problems, diseases and premature aging. The body produces antioxidants to deal with this problem, but as we age, the body's ability to produce antioxidants decreases and so we increasingly need to get these substances from our diet. Today I will present the foods that are rich in antioxidants that protect us. Black chocolate. Although I would choose to start with dark chocolate because I love it, I'm actually starting because it's one of the richest foods in antioxidants. The more cocoa a chocolate has, the more antioxidants it has. So, those of you who care about your health should not look at chocolates with less than 60% cocoa. I have noticed that chocolates with as much as 85% cocoa are palatable to most people. Dark chocolate also lowers blood pressure, increases good cholesterol and prevents oxidation of bad cholesterol. All this creates a profile of excellent food, as long as there is a little care with the quantity because it contains a lot of calories and is fattening. Walnuts. Walnuts are one of the healthiest nuts that we can consume and one of the reasons for this is because they are very rich in antioxidants. At the same time, they are also extremely rich in omega-3s, making them an amazing choice. I've heard some experts complain that walnuts are high in calories, so be careful. I, on the other hand, have followed over 85,000 different patients with weight problems and other health problems, and I can say that I have hardly found anyone who I could say got fat because they ate a lot of nuts. In other words, I give the instruction, "don't eat a lot of nuts", half-heartedly. Even when I say it I don't really believe it. Blueberries. I started eating blueberries after 40, and that's because I discovered that there are frozen blueberries that you can store in your freezer for months and eat when you want. Of the foods that have a high content of antioxidants, blueberries also have the fewest calories, making them my first choice for people who want to especially enrich their diet with antioxidants without burdening it with calories, such as people coming from treatment for some form of cancer, but at the same time they are overweight, and I want to make their diet super healthy by keeping the calories low. Strawberries. Strawberries are just as nutritious and antioxidant-rich as blueberries, except they don't have the convenience of frozen blueberries. Also, there is the problem that strawberries are quite loaded with pesticides and this prevents me from consuming them in large quantities when they are in season. I try to find organic as much as I can so I can eat more freely. In this case, however, cost is a major problem. Both strawberries and blueberries are rich in the antioxidant substances called anthocyanins, which give these two fruits their lovely color and are associated with enormous health benefits. Artichokes are very rich in antioxidants, of which chlorogenic acid is the most famous. You can significantly increase the antioxidant content of artichokes when you boil them and even more when you steam them. Goji Berry. Goji berries are classified as a superfood, meaning a food that contains a lot of nutrients and very few calories. Goji berries are really helpful, although in the case of both they are the problems. The first is their cost if one decides to consume them daily, and the second is that their taste is relatively indifferent unless they are sweetened. Raspberries. Fourth on the list of 7 foods with the most antioxidants is a fruit from the same group as the previous three, berries. We are not surprised that it is also very high on this list, because like the previous ones it contains a lot of antioxidant substances. Kale. The word Kale is sometimes also used in Greek. Kale belongs to one of the two healthiest vegetable groups, the cruciferous vegetables. Broccoli and cauliflower belong to the same group. Cruciferae have excellent health benefits because they are rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer substances. Of this whole group, kale is the vegetable that is the richest in antioxidants. Red cabbage. Red cabbage is also a cruciferous vegetable, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that it's on this list of foods that are so rich in antioxidants. It also shouldn't come as a surprise that it's on this list instead of white cabbage, because as I've said before, more brightly colored foods almost always have a higher content of antioxidant substances. Because some of them have color and color the plant we consume. Red cabbage also contains anthocyanins like the blueberry and strawberries we talked about earlier. Part of the color these foods have comes from anthocyanin. Beans. As I've told you before, you'll rarely hear a list of healthy foods for any reason and not find beans in it. Whether we're measuring fiber, protein, amino acid quality, or almost any nutrient, beans will always come up high on the list. If you really want to find the beans with the highest antioxidant content, look for brightly colored beans, such as black or red beans, which, in addition to being very very tasty, are also very rich in antioxidants. Beetroot. Since I have already spoken again about the importance of color in what we eat, it is good to remember also beets, which are so rich in color, and the color is so intense, where there are few foods that when one consumes them must be very careful not to get dirty. Now that you know that many antioxidants are brightly colored, it will come as no surprise to you that beets are among the vegetables with the highest antioxidant content. Spinach. Spinach also belongs to the cruciferous vegetables. Knowing this detail makes us understand why we see it on this list. Spinach is also extremely rich in antioxidants, as well as other important nutrients for our health, such as fiber and protein, and for this reason it is good to make sure to consume it as often as possible. These are the 12 foods that are particularly rich in antioxidants and if you think about it, in this group we often saw some important representatives from cruciferous and mulberry fruits. In fact, of the foods we mentioned, the representatives of these two groups had the fewest calories. Because no matter how we do it, a portion of chocolate has a lot more calories than a portion of spinach. This is also important. Thank you very much.