“Where are the hidden Antioxidants?”
February 3, 2010
Just recently I hired a “Concierge Doctor” – like the one based off the television show “Royal Pains”. (My doctor is actually the one the show was modeled after!) The cool part about working with this doctor is I was given the “Presidential Fitness Test” – one like President Obama was given to assess his health and fitness levels. 
The results showed a few outstanding discoveries. One significant outcome detailed that I was low in antioxidants. This surprised me because I eat a diet full of the well-known antioxidants and take a supplement. I have done a little research to find other ways to incorporate antioxidant rich diet.
According to Joe Vinson, PhD, analytical chemist from University of Scranton who specializes in the antioxidant levels in foods, “You can’t just eat blueberries every day and think you’re covered.” Here are five excellent food sources that you may not typically think of as high in antioxidants.
1. Popcorn – has four times more polyphenols- the powerful cancer fighting plant compounds – that is the average amount found in fruits. Vinson’s results showed this was based on air-popped popcorn, not movie popcorn.
2. Whole Grain Pasta – don’t be fooled by imitation – this is pasta that has whole wheat listed in the first three ingredients. It has three times more antioxidants than the enriched or refined products.
3. Eggs – are not considered a commonly rich source of the antioxidant lutein, good for the eyes, but one yolk filled with lutein is absorbed three times more effectively than ¼ cup of spinach. According to Johnson, USDA researcher from Tufts University, “Spinach and other green leafy vegetables are still the best source, but whole eggs are another easy way to get more lutein.”
4. Yogurt – ¼ cup of low fat yogurt (greek yogurt is my favorite) provides about 25% of Vitamin B Riboflavin. While not an antioxidant itself, riboflavin promotes antioxidant activity, and should be replenished in the body daily as it is a water soluble vitamin and only stays in the body a few hours.
5. Canned Beans – small red beans have the highest amount of antioxidants followed closely by the darker canned beans such as dark red kidney beans and black beans. According to Mark Brick, PhD, Colorado State University, they have three times more phytochemicals, plant compounds, than white kidney beans.
Continue to enjoy a regular nutrition program filled with colorful fruits, veggies, and nuts. In addition you may want to incorporate a few of the above mentioned “uncommon sources” of antioxidants.
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