How to Benefit From Antioxidants

Research shows that antioxidants found in many foods may help to improve and maintain health. This is because the antioxidants likely help protect against naturally occurring damage in your body. Various fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants in the form of vitamins and minerals, including tomatoes, carrots and grapefruit. Reap the benefits of antioxidants by adding them to your diet.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Have a tomato, which is packed with vitamin E. Tomatoes provide better nutritional benefits than taking the vitamin alone because of things like beta carotene in the fruit that interact with the vitamin E for optimal benefit.
2. Take daily doses of vitamins C and E, beta carotene and selenium to get your antioxidants. You can get them through food or in a multivitamin.
3. Eat berries. Colorful and flavorful, blueberries, cherries, red and black raspberries and others in this tasty family pack powerful antioxidants.
4. Enjoy vitamin C-filled citrus fruits, peppers, tomatoes, leafy vegetables, potatoes and strawberries. These inhibit the formation of nitrosamine, which is a potential carcinogen.
5. Chow on papaya, apricots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, red peppers, spinach and cantaloupe to amp up your carotenoids, which perform anti-cancer functions.
6. Include cooked tomato, pink grapefruit and watermelon in your diet. This group of carotenoids protects against prostate cancer.