Some of the most unexpected foods have been found to have high levels of antioxidants. While everybody knows that blueberries are a powerhouse of antioxidants, very few people know that the humble bean could also have equally high levels of antioxidants.

New studies that are being done suggest that in the imminent future beans way well be on their way to joining the family of foods that are rich in antioxidants. Some of the other foods in this group include potatoes, spices and berries. Very advanced analyses have been done recently on foods rich in antioxidants. These show that some of the most unlikely vegetables and fruits contain the presence of high levels of disease-fighting antioxidants. Some of these foods include Russet potato, artichokes and beans.

Particularly interesting is the fact that small red beans were found by researchers to be among the top of the list in the bean category of antioxidant-rich foods. As a matter of fact, it was found that these beans had a higher level of disease fighting antioxidants as compared to cultivated as well as wild blueberries combined. Blueberries have, down the ages, been known for their rich antioxidant content and of late they have been given even more importance with so much focus on free radicals and antioxidants. However it appears that the small red bean is all set to upstage the spotlight from blueberries.

The study also focused on other foods that are rich in antioxidants. Some of these foods included nuts as well spices such as oregano, cinnamon and ground cloves. The reason why their antioxidant benefits are not so evident is that we tend to eat these foods in much smaller quantities than vegetables and fruits.

Employing updated technology, the study assessed the antioxidant level in over 100 foods including nuts, cereals, fruits, spices, breads and vegetables. The antioxidant concentration was analyzed and each food was given a ranking that was based on the percentage of antioxidant per serving size.

Amongst all the fruits that were studied blackberries, blueberries and cranberries earned the highest ranking. Artichokes, Russet potatoes and beans were top ranked amongst all the vegetables. In the nut category it was hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans that were ranked highest in antioxidant content and in the spice category it was oregano, cinnamon and ground cloves.

Researchers have however noted that the potential health benefits of antioxidant-rich foods are not always totally dependent on the antioxidant capacity of that food. The process of absorption and digestion play an equally important role in determining the health benefits of any antioxidant.

Recently antioxidant rich foods are being given credit for helping cure or at least prevent a majority of diseases that are suspected to have resulted because of the attack of the free radicals on normal, healthy cells. This destruction of free radicals by antioxidants helps stop the ‘free radical chain’ reaction and also repairs cells that are damaged. Antioxidants appear to have some link to the treatment of various ailments such as Alzheimer’s, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and cancer.

Oxygen is one of the essential elements that are needed by all the members who belong to the animal kingdom. Oxygen is an element that is present in the air and is responsible for triggering the burning of fat and glucose in order to provide the body with its necessary supply of energy and heat. However essential it may be, oxygen unfortunately also has some effects that are negative.

During the oxidation process, free radicals, which are highly reactive byproducts, are produced. When other molecules interact with these free radicals they themselves get turned into free radicals and their normal functioning gets disrupted. Eventually this could lead to massive tissue damage and cell destruction. It could even lead to the incidence of degenerative diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, artherosclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and heart disease.

Fortunately for us the human body is naturally equipped with defenses that work to prevent the harmful effects of these free radical compounds. Antioxidants are chemical substances that are naturally present in vegetables as well as fruit. These antioxidants hunt down free radicals and act on them. This causes the free radicals to get neutralized and stops their rampage and the damage they do to the body’s healthy cells, thus preventing or decreasing the incidence of disease.

Antioxidant Effects of Plants

Camellia sinensis is one of many plants that are known to contain a high level of disease-fighting antioxidants. This plant is sometimes also called the tea plant. Chinese households have been serving tea as a healthy beverage for hundreds of years in order to promote general well being and good health. Green tea in particular is very popular because of the many remarkable health benefits it provides.

Green tea is very popular in Japan, India. Thailand and China where people have been drinking it for years. Green tea has been used as one of the ingredients in many traditional Indian as well as Chinese medicines. Green tea is used in medicine as a:
* Stimulant
* Astringent- it helps wounds to heal and also controls bleeding
* Diuretic- promotes urine excretion
* Agent that improves health of the heart.

The benefits derived from green tea are believed to be largely due to the polycatechins that are present in it. These polycatechins have very powerful and highly effective antioxidant effects. Other than polycatechins there are many other ingredients present that contribute to the antioxidant properties of green tea.

The Antioxidant Properties of Green Tea

The antioxidant properties and effects of green tea are due to the presence of powerful polyphenolic antioxidants, also known as catechins. The other substances that give green tea its antioxidant properties include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A and tannin. Green tea also has powerful neuro-protective, anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial and cardio-protective properties. Epigallocatechin gallate, which is an especially bioactive catechin, has been identified by many scientists as particularly important because its antioxidant effects have been linked to cancer prevention.

Antioxidants have been given so much attention and focus of late that everyone cannot help being aware of the health benefits derived from these antioxidants. The health and scientific communities are constantly making new discoveries and work hard at raising awareness on antioxidants and their health benefits.

Studies show that there are many different kinds of antioxidants. Every antioxidant has a different potency from the others and each one also has a different action from any of the other antioxidants. Some antioxidants help in increasing metabolism of fat while others work by helping to combat cancer. Scientists have been trying to ascertain which antioxidant is the most powerful among the various ones that are provided to us by nature.

The French have an interesting title for the antioxidant that is considered most powerful of all. They call it “Gift of the grape”. Time and again the question has been raised about what is the substance present in grapes that enable them to have such powerful antioxidant properties? What secret ingredient did grapes contain? Also why would these antioxidants be considered as the most powerful of all others?

This antioxidant that is considered most powerful, acts by strengthening weakened and fragile blood vessels. In the process, circulatory problems also get reversed or prevented from occurring.

Grape seed extract, which is now considered to be the most powerful of all antioxidants, has twenty times the power as compared to Vitamin C and fifty times more power as compared to Vitamin E. A VERIS Research Summary, done in December 1996, suggested that heart attacks were reduced by as much as 77% on taking a daily dose of 400 IU of Vitamin E. Which means the most powerful antioxidant would potentially offer much higher benefits. Grape seed extract appears to be a much stronger antioxidant as compared to Vitamin E. Because of its powerful antioxidant properties, grape seed extract is emerging as a natural alternative to be used in the treatment of patients who are suffering from heart disease.

It is the active ingredients that are present in grape seed that make it so powerful as an antioxidant. These active ingredients assist the body in neutralizing free radicals. In the process free radicals are prevented from causing any damage and any damage that has already been caused is repaired.

There are many active constituents in grape seed, which are very powerful antioxidants. One of these ingredients is oligomeric procynanidin or OPC, which is very proficient in treating vascular diseases by actually causing an increase in the structural strength of the blood vessels that have weakened.

The very first oligomeric procynanidin or OPC was isolated in 1947 from the peanut’s red skin. This discovery was made by Dr. Jack Masquelier, a French chemist. In the ensuing years, red wine also started being used as a source for OPC.