And eating antioxidant rich foods is necessary for health, immunity and longevity anti-aging.
What are antioxidants? The antioxidants in foods help slow down the free radical aging process. So these anti-aging foods help you to look better by dramatically reducing the more visible outward signs of aging.
While this is important to most of us, it's not all that antioxidants do.
The Best Antioxidant Foods and Anti-Aging Supplements
The main anti-aging antioxidant foods are:
- Carotenoids from fruits
- Carotenoids in vegetables
- Vitamin C with bioflavonoids
- Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols)
- Selenium – a mineral antioxidant
The natural anti-aging antioxidant health benefits and food sources for carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium are listed below:
Carotenoids Found in Fruits and Vegetables
The National Academy of Science, National Cancer Institute and many others recommend at least 5 to 9 daily servings of antioxidant rich foods. But most people get only 1 or 2 servings of these high fiber foods.
Carotenoid Benefits include protection against infections and from free radical damage caused by pollution, cigarette smoke, sunlight, radiation, stress and during body metabolism. Carotenoids also:
- Promote clear vision,
- Help skin look healthier,
- Reduce the risk of cancers,
- Help to prevent heart disease,
- Prevent premature aging of skin,
- Reduce macular degeneration risk,
- And risks of cataracts and blindness.
Carotenoid Vegetables are red, yellow, orange and dark green leafy vegetables, especially kale, spinach, broccoli, red and green peppers, Brussels sprouts, beets, carrots and sweet potatoes.
Carotenoid Fruits are red, yellow and orange fruits, especially berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.), oranges, pink grapefruit, grapes, cantaloupe, apricots, peaches and tomatoes.
Antioxidant Vitamins C, E and the Mineral Selenium
Three other anti-aging antioxidants, vitamins C, E and Selenium also help you look and feel better by boosting your immune system and preventing deterioration of bones, joints and organs (your skin is an organ).
Vitamin C Benefits include preventing wrinkles, keeping skin and bones healthy, strengthening the immune system and preventing the oxidation that causes cataracts, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.
Vitamin C Sources (with bioflavonoids) are red and green peppers, kiwi, oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits, berries (especially strawberries), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe cabbage, tomatoes and papaya.
Vitamin E Benefits include reducing your risk of heart disease, cancer and other age-related degenerative diseases. Vitamin E neutralizes free radicals and prevents oxidation of essential fats in cells.
Vitamin E Sources (with mixed tycopherols and tocotrienols) are mainly nuts (especially almonds), seeds (especially sunflower seeds), wheat germ, peanuts, peanut butter, whole grains, spinach and avocados.
Selenium Benefits include boosting immunity, reducing anxiety and depression and maintaining healthy hair and nails.
Selenium Sources are healthy high protein foods like seafood, eggs, lean poultry and meats, Brazil nuts, low-fat cottage cheese, whole wheat, brown rice and other whole grains. (Levels vary based on soil content).
Selenium works synergistically with vitamin E to:
- Slow down aging,
- Decrease cancer risk,
- Protect your blood vessels,
- Lower heart disease & stroke risk.
Natural Antioxidant Foods & Anti-Aging Supplements
Antioxidant anti-aging foods are a virtual fountain of youth. So you should naturally focus on a healthy diet high in antioxidant rich foods. But you may also want to include antioxidant anti-aging supplements.
To get the maximum antioxidants benefits, make sure your supplement sources are natural, preferably from the foods listed above.
Avoid antioxidants with ingredients that are UNnatural for human beings to eat, such as pine bark (pycnogenol), micro sea algae, grape seed extract, noni, gogi, gac, mangosteen, acai berry or alpha lipoic acid.
Credit : http://commonsensehealth.com/
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