Antioxidants—Vital to Health

The quick answer:  Antioxidants are vital to your health, but you need to get them from a variety of whole plant foods (like the fruits above).

_______________________________________________________________________

Biggest Dietary Mistakes of the Last Century

Over breakfast with the Beautiful Wife, I attempted to reduce the nutrition disaster of the 20^th Century into four simple but deadly steps:

1. Whole grains were robbed of their most nutritious parts when the modern roller mill replaced the old stone mills.  (The bran and germ, rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc., were removed to make a finer, sweeter, longer-lasting industrial product.)
2. White sugar became cheap and plentiful so replaced natural sweeteners (honey, maple syrup) that had limited supply.  Our consumption of added sugar addictively increased all through the 20^th Century.  (Sugar now provides 15% of the U.S. daily calorie intake.)
3. Traditional fats like butter, olive oil, and lard were replaced with chemically refined and hydrogenated seed oils.  (Examples:  Crisco, margarine, and salad oils such as soybean oil.)
4. Packaged convenience foods (think of those cardboard boxes of macaroni and cheese) took the place of whole foods—especially fresh vegetables—and learning to cook didn’t seem that important anymore.

There you have it—the modern nutrition disaster in four steps. 

The Fire Within

Here’s a different way to look at the 20^th Century nutrition disaster:  The billions of cells in your body produce energy by burning a fuel derived from blood sugar (it’s called ATP).  The process is by oxidation, it keeps you alive, but there’s a problem—a toxic byproduct called free radicals is released. 

Fortunately there’s a solution to free radicals—antioxidants from a healthy diet neutralize the free radicals so problem solved.  Antioxidants are richly found in whole plant foods (they protect the plant from the sun’s harsh UV rays).  Processed foods are deficient in these vital antioxidants—unfortunately the average American gets 2/3 of their calories from processed foods.  See the problem?

Bottom line:  If you eat lots of whole plant foods, you’ll get plenty of antioxidants, free radicals will be neutralized, and you’ll have lots of energy, be healthier, and look younger.  It’s a virtuous cycle.

If you eat a diet full of sugar and other processed foods, you fall into a vicious cycle and become easy prey for the chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, etc. 

Foods Rich in Antioxidants

Whole foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts) are a rich source of antioxidants.  (Processed foods, as noted, are not.)  Antioxidants play a protective role in plants, protecting them against UV damage from the sun.  There are many types of antioxidants and more are being discovered.  Here are some common sources:

• Vitamins:  The vitamins A, C and E, common to plants, are powerful antioxidants. 
• Minerals:  The minerals in food, like selenium, are antioxidants.  (This may be why Brazil nuts, rich in selenium, are protective of prostate cancer.)
• Food:  Different food groups produce different kinds of antioxidant so it’s a good idea to eat a varied diet.  The skin of berries, for example, is loaded with antioxidants.
• Sleep:  The body also produces antioxidants.  Melatonin, produced when we sleep, is a potent antioxidant.

Antioxidants in Pill Form

If the vitamins A, C and E are potent antioxidants, is it good to take vitamin pills?  Recent research doesn’t find a benefit to taking antioxidants in pill form and has even found harm.

The most recent study, testing whether vitamin E could reduce the growth of cancer cells, was a disaster.  It turned out that the vitamin pills helped cancer (in mice) grow even faster.  Read about it here. 

Comment:  Do you eat whole fruit, and avoid processed fruits (sugary fruit drinks, sugared dried fruits)?  Share your experience with a whole, antioxidant rich, diet.  What fruit goes on your breakfast?  Do you make fruits your snack?  Currently navel oranges are in season, but strawberries are on the way.

Comments

[LizA]

I read that recent article about supplemental antioxidants and was only somewhat taken back. As you've taught us, Skip, natural foods the way nature intended is the way to go.

The benefit of this coming to light is having something to physically show those smug "I take x amount of vitamins a day" folks.

[mel]

I love berries! My passion is gathering wild berries. Store bought strawberries have almost no flavor when compared to their wild version and even garden varieties. Blueberries, huckleberries, various raspberries, elderberries...there are some many berries to enjoy. Gathering them takes time, but the fresh air and exercise is also beneficial.

I love berries straight off the bush for dessert/snack, frozen and then added to oatmeal or smoothies, and for homemade pops or fruit leathers. I also make jam sweetened with honey or maple syrup from the berries I collect. I use low-methoxyl citrus pectin so I can use much less sweetner and still get it to gel.

[Sheela]

Hi Skip! Berries can be expensive, so although I'd like to eat more of them, I am somewhat limited by my budget. However, vegetables like red pepper, broccoli, and spinach are good sources of vitamin C, vitamin E, AND vitamin A, so while I do try to eat fruits as well, I think I rely more on vegetables for these vitamins. Zinc, copper and manganese also contribute to the body's natural defense against free radicals (as part of the structure of superoxide dismutases). Both copper and manganese can be found in berries and spinach, so you get an extra punch from those foods. Thanks for continuing your important work!

[skip hellewell]

Mel, gathering wild berries sound super. I had given up on preserved jam/jelly because of the high sugar content. Will try your low-methoxyl citrus pectin now. Perhaps other readers could share their experience.
Sheela, thanks for your defense of vegetables as the value source of antioxidants, including minerals. This could be a good topic for follow-up, finding the best values for antioxidants. I wonder if Mel's low-sugar jams are a healthy source of antioxidants as fruits in season are the cheapest source.
LizA, we agree, there is a certain posing piety among the vitamin and supplement imbibers. Vegetables may require more skill and time, but growing evidence says they're best.