Why do we need antioxidants and what are their functions in the body?
Fruits rich in antioxidants
As mentioned, some antioxidants are produced by the body and others are provided by eating fruits and foods rich in antioxidants. These fruits include:
Raisins
Red grapes have a total antioxidant capacity of 2016 per serving and raisins contain a total antioxidant capacity of 2490.
blueberry
Blueberry is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants in this fruit can prevent a wide range of diseases. Amazingly, eating one cup of blueberries provides 13,427 total antioxidants.
BlackBerry
Blackberry is also a fruit rich in antioxidants.
Strawberry
Strawberries, like blueberries and raspberries, have many antioxidants that protect healthy cells against many types of cancer.
raspberry
The antioxidant ellagic acid found in raspberries, pomegranates, walnuts and cranberries enhances the antioxidant ability of quercetin, an antioxidant found in apples, grapes, onions and buckwheat.
plum
The plum family is all high in antioxidants, but eating black plums will give you 4,873 antioxidants per serving.
Orange
Oranges, along with mangoes, peaches, and watermelons, are rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, a powerful antioxidant and one of a pair of compounds that reduce the risk of osteoarthritis by 20 to 40 percent.
Red grape
You can eat 20 seedless red grapes and consume only 100 calories in addition to getting the antioxidants your body needs.
cherry
Juicy and sour cherries are the best source of melatonin antioxidant. Other cherries also have this antioxidant, but sour cherries have the highest amount. Melatonin protects the skin from UV rays and helps repair sunburned skin by stimulating the growth of new skin cells. In addition, cherries contain vitamin C, which is essential for collagen production.