By Kara Pifer
Antioxidants. It’s a word that can be found all over the grocery store and most likely on products in your pantry, but how many of our clients can actually describe what it means? Or how about name a few good sources? Most can probably say that it’s something good for you, but the fact that food manufacturers display it proudly on their labels should be a enough of an indication that antioxidants are beneficial for your body in some way. What is a good way to describe antioxidants and their benefits to clients? What foods contain antioxidants and which choices are the best among those foods?
Antioxidants are compounds that help the body stabilize free radicals. These free radicals can be dangerous in a body, causing cell damage, which can lead to numerous health conditions. These health conditions include many diseases such as heart disease and some cancers. Why are antioxidants so important? When antioxidants stabilize the free radicals, they remain stable rather than become unstable compounds, therefore helping but not harming the body. Where can you get these amazing little helpers? These compounds can be taken in through eating a variety of healthy choices throughout the day, whether or not the label says it’s a good source.
While many foods contain antioxidants, there are some choices that contain higher amounts that can be more beneficial for health and well-being. Reading and understanding the nutrition labels on food products is crucial to maintaining a healthy dose of protective antioxidants in the diet. Look for certain vitamins, A,C and E on labels. If there is a good amount, you know you’ve found a product high in antioxidants. Other commonly found antioxidants include beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene and selenium.
There are many foods that are known to contain high levels of antioxidants. This list includes items such as blueberries, apples and artichokes, but there are many more options. A new study has shown that there is a particular food that seems to help the body more efficiently with free radicals than any other antioxidant. At first, I assumed this would be some exotic berry or a genetically modified vegetable, but I was surprised to find a more common item taking the lead. According to new research, walnuts have four to fifteen times more antioxidants than any other nut available. The benefits do not stop there! These walnuts are also packed with protein and fiber which are also very beneficial components of a healthy diet.
So do you have to eat a bowl of walnuts for breakfast each day to achieve the healthful benefits? Definitely not! The serving suggestion was actually much smaller than I had anticipated at approximately seven walnuts per day. That amount can easily be put into a salad or a bowl of cereal without feeling like you are even doing anything different from usual!
Are walnuts the only nuts helpful for antioxidant intake? Pecans also pack a good punch of antioxidants, so if walnuts are not up your alley, pecans are another healthy option. High levels of a type of Vitamin E that actually doubles in quantity once it is inside your body can be found within the tasty little nut. Therefore, with twice as much Vitamin E (antibodies) in your body than you actually took in while eating the pecans, twice as many free radicals can be stabilized. This study also showed a connection between the consumption of pecans and the favorable reductions in plasma lipids and lipoproteins. This means that with a regular pecan intake, cholesterol seemed to go down for the participants in the study.
If you would like to start adding extra antioxidants into your diet, April is the perfect month to do so. April is National Pecan Month and while the first recipe that comes to my mind is Pecan Pie, there are many healthier options to fit pecans or even walnuts into your regular diet. Does anyone have any healthy, fun and easy ways to incorporate these nuts into your diet?
For a basic overview of antibodies, please visit: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/antioxidants.html
For articles pertaining to antibody content in walnuts, visit:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42308684/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/
Antioxidants are compounds that help the body stabilize free radicals. These free radicals can be dangerous in a body, causing cell damage, which can lead to numerous health conditions. These health conditions include many diseases such as heart disease and some cancers. Why are antioxidants so important? When antioxidants stabilize the free radicals, they remain stable rather than become unstable compounds, therefore helping but not harming the body. Where can you get these amazing little helpers? These compounds can be taken in through eating a variety of healthy choices throughout the day, whether or not the label says it’s a good source.
While many foods contain antioxidants, there are some choices that contain higher amounts that can be more beneficial for health and well-being. Reading and understanding the nutrition labels on food products is crucial to maintaining a healthy dose of protective antioxidants in the diet. Look for certain vitamins, A,C and E on labels. If there is a good amount, you know you’ve found a product high in antioxidants. Other commonly found antioxidants include beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene and selenium.
There are many foods that are known to contain high levels of antioxidants. This list includes items such as blueberries, apples and artichokes, but there are many more options. A new study has shown that there is a particular food that seems to help the body more efficiently with free radicals than any other antioxidant. At first, I assumed this would be some exotic berry or a genetically modified vegetable, but I was surprised to find a more common item taking the lead. According to new research, walnuts have four to fifteen times more antioxidants than any other nut available. The benefits do not stop there! These walnuts are also packed with protein and fiber which are also very beneficial components of a healthy diet.
So do you have to eat a bowl of walnuts for breakfast each day to achieve the healthful benefits? Definitely not! The serving suggestion was actually much smaller than I had anticipated at approximately seven walnuts per day. That amount can easily be put into a salad or a bowl of cereal without feeling like you are even doing anything different from usual!
Are walnuts the only nuts helpful for antioxidant intake? Pecans also pack a good punch of antioxidants, so if walnuts are not up your alley, pecans are another healthy option. High levels of a type of Vitamin E that actually doubles in quantity once it is inside your body can be found within the tasty little nut. Therefore, with twice as much Vitamin E (antibodies) in your body than you actually took in while eating the pecans, twice as many free radicals can be stabilized. This study also showed a connection between the consumption of pecans and the favorable reductions in plasma lipids and lipoproteins. This means that with a regular pecan intake, cholesterol seemed to go down for the participants in the study.
If you would like to start adding extra antioxidants into your diet, April is the perfect month to do so. April is National Pecan Month and while the first recipe that comes to my mind is Pecan Pie, there are many healthier options to fit pecans or even walnuts into your regular diet. Does anyone have any healthy, fun and easy ways to incorporate these nuts into your diet?
For a basic overview of antibodies, please visit: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/antioxidants.html
For articles pertaining to antibody content in walnuts, visit:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42308684/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/
and
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/journal-of-nutrition-pecans-shown-to-boost-antioxidants-in-the-body--lower-oxidized-cholesterol-119839799.html
and the pecan study summary can be found at:
http://www.nutstudies.org/pecan2008.html
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