Antioxidant Foods

If you are concerned about age related macular degeneration or about aging in general, then you will want to know more about how to include more antioxidant rich foods in your diet.

Just by eating, as our bodies break down and metabolize food, they generate a lot of free radicals.

“And without any antioxidants present, like those from colorful fruits and vegetables, for instance, there’s nothing to counteract this detrimental effect,” says Dr. Ronald Prior,a chemist at USDA’s Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center in Little Rock.

“We’re learning that antioxidants should be consumed with every meal,” says Prior. “And if you routinely skip antioxidants in your diet, over time, the excess number of free radicals being produced may begin damaging cellular components, ultimately leading to atherosclerosis, cancer, and other diseases.”

Antioxidant foods help protect us from the damaging effects of free radicals.

Antioxidant Health Benefits

slowing down the aging process,

building up our immune system and

protecting us from degenerative diseases like macular degeneration.

Two human studies show that eating high-ORAC fruits and vegetables or by simply doubling the intake of fruits and vegetables—both naturally high in antioxidants—raises the antioxidant power of the blood between 13 and 25 percent.

The studies are published in the Journal of Nutrition (vol. 128, pp. 2383-2390) and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Antioxidant Food List

vegetables,

nuts,

spices,

teas and

legumes.

It is important to include a variety of these foods daily. To see a list of the top antioxidant foods and drinks that you can easily incorporate into your diet click here: Antioxidant Foods

Thanks so much for subscribing to Macular Degeneration News.

Leslie Degner, RN, BSN

Better Health for Better Vision