by Eve Lopez

Created on: August 19, 2009

Antioxidants are nutrients that can prevent or mitigate the damage done by "free radicals." These free radicals are produced by the body when the body's cells use oxygen. Free radicals cause unfortunate damage to the human body by contributing to poor health, rapid aging and advanced disease. Antioxidants work to reverse the damage done by these free radicals. Since every one's body cells use oxygen, there is no one who will not benefit from incorporating food that has antioxidants in their diet.

Antioxidants can be found in a variety of supplements, vitamins and foods that have these nutrients. According to MedlinePlus, a joint project between the United States National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, the following are antioxidants that can be found in everyday foods: beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. It may be more beneficial to eat fresh foods that have antioxidants, rather than rely on supplements that may contain other ingrediants.

Here is a list of the main antioxidants, as well as the foods they are found in:

Beta-carotene. This antioxidant can be found in butternut squash, turnips, kale, tomatoes, apricots, cantaloupe, peaches and sweet potatoes.

Lutein. This antioxidant can be found in eggs, corn, spinach and kale.

Lycopene. This antioxidant is primarily found in tomatoes. Smaller amounts are also in watermelons, pink grapefruits and guava.

Selenium. This antioxidant is found in many foods, but the highest amounts of selenium have been found in Brazil nuts, light tuna, cooked beef, cod, light meat turkey and chicken breasts.

Vitamin A. This beneficial vitamin and antioxidant is found in foods including raw carrots, calf's liver, spinach, sweet potatoes, kale and winter squash.

Vitamin C. The sources of this vitamin and antioxidant are typically found in citrus fruits including oranges, papaya, strawberries and kiwis. Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, kale and cauliflower are also good sources of Vitamin C.

Vitamin E. This antioxidant and vitamin is found in wheat germ, corn, nuts, seeds, olives, spinach, asparagus and vegetable oil.

This list is not exhaustive, as there are many other types of antioxidants, and most are available in supplement form. However, these foods that contain antioxidants may be helpful for people looking to begin an antioxidant diet, or who want to get their antioxidants strictly from food sources. With antioxidants like selenium, which is available primarily in meats, those who are following vegetarian or vegan diets may be more comfortable taking selenium supplements in order to get the benefits of this particular antioxidant.

Another important thing to remember is to always check with an herbalist, naturopathic doctor or other health care professional before beginning a special diet.

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