Foods containing antioxidants that are high in phytonutrients can offer you protection against free radicals that are trying to damage your DNA, fats, and proteins.
Phytonutrients are natural compounds produced by plants that give them their color, smell, flavor, and antioxidant properties.
In addition to plant foods, phytonutrients can also be found in animal foods and in seafood that consumed plant foods high in phytonutrients.
Some of the best known phytonutrients are resveratrol, carotenoids, and flavonoids. There may be 20,000 to 100,000 different types of phytonutrients that exist.
Include a wide variety of foods with antioxidants in your diet to experience the different effects of foods high in phytonutrients.
Phytonutrients come with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. And it has been shown, foods containing antioxidants are major disease fighters.
Each phytonutrient may have different properties and offer different health benefits within your body.
Consuming a "rainbow of foods" would ensure you're getting a good variety of phytonutrients.
Eating these foods raw or lightly cooked helps to preserve phytonutrients and overcooking foods containing antioxidants can destroy them.
Phytonutrients are created in plants to protect them from environmental elements like the sun and insects.
Plants that are raised organically will have more phytonutrients because they will have to fight for their lives and produce enough protection for themselves.
Pesticide and herbicide laden plants are bitten less often by bugs, so they will not have to produce that many phytonutrients to protect themselves.
And these plants will come with a lot of toxins that will create free radicals in your body.
Therefore, be sure to choose organically raised foods if you want foods high in phytonutrients and foods containing antioxidants for the best health.