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Nutrition Healthy Eating

How to Have a Diet Rich in Antioxidants

Summary & Participants

To reap the benefits of antioxidants, it helps to know what foods pack the most of them.

Medically Reviewed On: August 12, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: You’ve heard about the healthy properties of antioxidants

BONNIE TAUB-DIX, RD, AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION: Antioxidants are kind of like powerhouses that help to fight disease and they actually can be protective and help preserve your body.

ANNOUNCER: But where’s the best place to find them?

RISA SCHULMAN, NUTRITION EXPERT: Carbohydrates and proteins do not contain antioxidants; only fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants. That's why it's so important to eat fruits and vegetables

ANNOUNCER: How do you know which ones to choose?

BONNIE TAUB-DIX, RD, AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION: The foods that are high in antioxidants, very often, are the foods that are the most colorful.

RISA SCHULMAN, NUTRITION EXPERT: For instance, in pomegranates, the polyphenols that cause that beautiful, really red color are antioxidants. Things like blueberries, cranberries, spinach – nice dark green leafy vegetables, orange peppers, red peppers.

ANNOUNCER: And don’t forget to mix it up

BONNIE TAUB-DIX, RD, AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION: When you have more variety in your diet, there's a greater chance of having a variety in this antioxidant activity.

RISA SCHULMAN, NUTRITION EXPERT: It's important to have many different kinds of antioxidants so they'll be working in all the different parts of the body where they're needed.

ANNOUNCER: Antioxidants aren’t just in food - a recent study dubbed coffee the number one source of antioxidants in the u-s diet. And as for antioxidants in alcohol

BONNIE TAUB-DIX, RD, AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION: If you don't drink at all, then I don't know that it's necessarily something that you should add to your diet. However, if you are drinking, then red wine would be the beverage of choice.

ANNOUNCER: So make sure your diet is antioxidant-rich!

RISA SCHULMAN, NUTRITION EXPERT: It really is an easy way to improve your health and to prevent disease later in life.

ANNOUNCER: Thanks for joining us on today’s Once Daily!