Nutrition News Archives

The Power of Antioxidants

“Power Food”, “Super Fruit”, “Antioxidant”, “Phytochemical” . . . these are all words that have become a common part of our vocabulary today.  As scientists and medical researchers learn more about what causes diseases and illnesses, we, as consumers hear more and more about the “right” foods to eat and the foods we should avoid.  This information can be confusing and frustrating . . . especially when we can’t pronounce, much less spell, some of the words.

Antioxidants have been identified for many years.  In a “nut shell”, antioxidants are substances or nutrients found in our food that can prevent or slow damage to our bodies that is caused from oxidation.  There is a paradox in the metabolic process; while the majority of life on Earth requires oxygen for existence, oxygen can cause damage to living organisms. Every cell in the human body uses oxygen to produce energy.  During the normal process of using oxygen and nutrients to create energy (metabolism), oxygen can react with compounds in the body to produce unstable molecules called free radicals.  When two free radicals react with each other they can produce toxins and damage.  Antioxidants act as “free radical scavengers” to prevent and repair damage that is done by the free radicals.  Health problems such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease are contributed to damage caused by oxidation.  A phytochemical is a compound found in plants that has no known nutritional value – meaning it does not contain calories, protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, or minerals. However, phytochemicals may act as antioxidants.  Some of the more well-known phytochemicals include carotenoids like beta-carotene, phenols, phytosterols, isoflavones, lignans, and flavonoids. 

Medical research has focused for years on the role of antioxidant nutrients and their ability to react with free radicals to help prevent disease.  This research has prompted the promotion of the beneficial effects of whole grains, fruits and vegetables to help prevent diseases.  The role of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in disease prevention is attributed in part to the antioxidants they contain.  Some of the more famous antioxidants known to these plants include beta-carotene, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E.  And, thus the emphasis on carrots, winter squash, citrus fruit, and almonds related to a healthy diet. 

More recently, we have learned about the health benefits attributed to various phytochemicals and antioxidants found in blueberries, cranberries, tea, wine, the exotic acai berry, the native Nopal cactus, and yes, even chocolate!  Blueberries contain anthocyanins and phenolics – phytochemicals that have antioxidant actions.  According to data from the USDA, blueberries are among the fruits with the highest antioxidant activity.  Cranberries are a source of polyphenol oxidants that may benefit the cardiovascular system, immune system and may also have anti-cancer agents.  The Acai Berry is a small, round, and black-looking purple berry. It resembles a grape or a blueberry, but is smaller and darker. This fruit has a large seed and minimum amount of pulp. The Acai fruit berry is now broadly used in energy juices, ice cream, certain energy bars with granola. Acai has been used for many generations by the natives of Brazil and it boasts 10 times the antioxidant benefits of grapes and twice that of blueberries.  Studies of humans and animals show that the antioxidants in black and green teas are highly beneficial to our health, according to John Weisburger, PhD, senior researcher at the Institute for Cancer Prevention in Valhalla, N.Y.  According to one estimate, green and black teas have 10 times the amount of antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables.  Green tea, black tea, oolong tea -- they all come from the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis. The leaves are simply processed differently.  All teas from the camellia tea plant are rich in polyphenols.  In addition, black and green teas contain the flavonoids thearubigins, epicatechins, and catechins – all phytochemical antioxidants.  Wine also contains the flavonoid catechin giving moderate and responsible consumption of wine a role in reducing the risk for heart disease.  Wine also contains the antioxidant resveratrol, known for reducing inflammation.  Recently, the media has placed a great deal of interest on the health benefits of chocolate.  And, yes, it is true that chocolate – particularly dark chocolate – is rich in flavonoids giving that rich, dark, decadent favorite an elevated level as a “power food”.

Another “Super Fruit” that has been consumed for thousands of years by the native people of the Sonoran Desert is the Nopal Cactus Fig.  The Nopal cactus, also known as the Prickly Pear, is native to the Sonoran Desert.  From the bright pink bloom of the Mammillaria species of the Nopal cactus a sweet, dark pinkish purple fruit known as a cactus fig is formed.  This fruit is the richest known source of the rare antioxidant betalain.  Scientific research shows that betalains help to protect against premature aging, reduce inflammation, promote optimal cellular health, and detoxify the body.  Nopalea (Nō-pah lay’ uh) by TriVita blends antioxidant-rich Nopal cactus super fruit with naturally sweet Agave nectar to bring you a deliciously unique concentrated wellness drink. Harnessing the power of betalains, a rare and powerful class of antioxidants that flourishes in the Nopal fruit, Nopalea delivers scientifically proven health benefits. Nopalea uses only the freshest Nopal cactus fruit and preserves its antioxidant potency in our state-of-the-art facility. We carefully harvest the fruit using sustainable wild crafting techniques that have been practiced in the Sonoran Desert for thousands of years. Nopalea is a natural, low-calorie concentrated wellness drink that helps you live a healthier life.  When you drink Nopalea, you take these betalains into your system, where they begin to restore your vitality on a cellular level. By helping the body to reduce the toxins surrounding your cells and enabling essential nutrients to reach each cell, the betalains in Nopalea can reduce the inflammation in your body that leads to disease. For more information on Nopalea go to www.sonoranbloom.com/13056690. For more information on antioxidants and their role in disease prevention, TriVita, Nopalea, or other Nutrition subjects, contact Debra J. Johnston, R.D. at djjrd@cox.net or 928-231-1762. 

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