Antioxidants in foods are important for our health and eating five to seven serves each day of fresh fruit and vegetables has been show to help protect against heart disease, cancers and other diseases.
Antioxidants
There is now good evidence from research that the antioxidant compounds we obtain from eating five to seven serves a day of fruit and vegetables can help protect us from heart disease and certain cancers.
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are naturally occurring chemicals in foods that help to counter the detrimental effects of oxygen free radicals, which form during normal metabolism and through external factors such as x-rays, ultra-violet radiation and pollution.
Oxygen free radicals have been implicated in the development of several diseases including cancer and heart disease, highlighting the need to consider antioxidant levels as part of preventative medicine.
Where will I find antioxidants?
Most of the antioxidants we consume come from plants.
They include vitamins A, C and E, carotenoids such as beta-carotene, some minerals, phenolic compounds and other naturally occurring chemicals with antioxidant properties.
Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables can help guard against heart disease, cancers and the effects of radiation, pollution and ageing.
For example, the best sources of Vitamin E are vegetable oils, cereals - particularly in the germ of whole grains, nuts and seeds.
Tea is a rich source of antioxidants called flavonoids, and wine contains beneficial phenolic compounds.
It is also possible to purchase a range of antioxidant vitamin supplement tablets.
What are the benefits of antioxidants?
Recent research shows the risk of cancer and heart disease is considerably lower in people who consume 5-7 serves of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables.
This is supported by extensive studies which indicate that diets high in antioxidant rich foods, such as fruit and vegetables, offer significant protection against other age-related degenerative diseases.
What more do we need to know?
More research is needed to substantiate this further, and to establish the importance of non-nutrient antioxidants in the diet.
At present it appears that the wide mix of antioxidants obtained from whole plant foods work more effectively in the body that single supplements with pure antioxidants in tablet form although these may be of value in some circumstances.
Current research is evaluating the importance of lesser known antioxidants in plant foods as anti-cancer agents. Levels of intake of the known nutrient antioxidants needed to protect cells against naturally occurring and induced damage to genes, and the associated risks of cancer, also need to be established.
Learn more about the work CSIRO does in Food.
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