Free Radicals – A Hidden Danger
Have you ever noticed how an apple or banana turns brown shortly after being sliced and exposed to the air? They turn brown quickly (or oxidize) because they don’t contain a lot of antioxidants (an apple’s antioxidants are in the peel).
When we add lemon juice however, which contains the antioxidant vitamin C, the fruit keeps from turning brown. Have you ever noticed how a car fender becomes rusty or a penny turns brown? Again a result of oxidation.
Oxidation happens routinely in our bodies as well, and while some oxidation is beneficial for getting rid of foreign substances, trouble results when the oxygen we breathe converts a stray, high-energy electron into a superoxide – also known as a “free radical”. 
Free radicals are unstable, out of control oxygen molecules which can damage our genes, promote cancer, affect our brain health, encourage plaque rupture (leading to strokes and heart attacks), and a list of other diseases; when too many free radicals are produced, they overwhelm our system and result in cellular damage that essentially promotes aging and causes wrinkles.
Those brown age spots on your hands, for example, are oxidized fat under the skin.
High levels of free radicals also cause oxidative stress, which contributes to arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, emphysema, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and again, pre-mature aging.
Luckily, the body has a way to fight back against oxidative stress.
Antioxidants to the Rescue
As the name implies, antioxidants, a.k.a. ‘free radical scavengers,’ are the body’s defense system against oxidation. Plants are filled with compounds that are capable of binding and neutralizing excess free radicals, which slows the aging process in our cells and helps ward of disease.
Studies continually show that people consuming the most antioxidant-rich foods have lower risk of stroke, lung disease and a host of other diseases. (It should be noted that antioxidant supplements do not provide the same benefits).
So what are the highest antioxidant foods? Researchers spanned the globe and developed a database of more than three thousand foods, beverages, herbs, spices and supplements. On average, plant foods contain sixty-four times more antioxidants than animal foods.
As the researchers stated, “antioxidant rich foods originate from the plant kingdom while meat, fish and other foods from the animal kingdom are low in antioxidants.”
Great Food Sources
The best sources are berries – some containing over 1,000 units of antioxidant power. Even iceberg lettuce, which is 96% water, contains 17 units of antioxidant power, compared to salmon which contains only three units, chicken which contains five, skim milk and hard boiled eggs which contain four, and egg beaters which contain zero.
Herbs and spices are another amazing source of antioxidant power. Adding a teaspoon of oregano or marjoram to your pasta increases the antioxidant power by 150 units. Adding a half teaspoon of cinnamon to your oatmeal adds about 100 units. Plant based meals such as oatmeal, or pasta with marinara and broccoli, are rich in antioxidants on their own, but adding spices makes them even healthier.
By striving to eat a diet comprised of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, herbs and spices at every meal, we’re protecting ourselves against stroke and artery stiffness, lowering blood pressure and inflammation, protecting our immune system and helping to prevent blood clots.
Berries and greens are the best for addressing inflammation, but a diet filled with a variety of plant foods is important due to the thousands of antioxidant phytochemicals found in plants.
Other Contributors to Oxidation
Other dietary factors which produce oxidants and free radicals include the mercury found in fish, excessive sodium, and the trans fats and chemicals found in processed foods.
Plus, animal protein in general should be eliminated (or at least greatly reduced); animal based foods are highly inflammatory, and some evidence suggests the excess protein in today’s diets promotes excess oxidation, and we’re no longer consuming enough plant-based antioxidants to neutralize the damage.
I’m at your service to show you how to incorporate more antioxidants into your daily fare!
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(Sources: Dr. Michael Greger, How Not to Die; Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Whole – Rethinking the Science of Nutrition)