Not to scare you, but free radicals can be found all around us. We generate them simply by breathing! Unfortunately, the environment we live in today is full of free radicals. They can invade the body through pesticides and herbicides, ozone contamination, nutritional deficiencies, injuries, UV gamma rays, and toxic metals. Things like pollution, chemicals, cigarette smoke and even certain foods all play a role.
Free radicals are chemically reactive, unstable molecules missing one of their electrons. In order to become more stable, they attempt to steal an electron from nearby molecules in the human body. This disrupts the normal cellular process, which causes cellular damage. Each cell experiences somewhere around 10,000 free radical attacks every single day.
Free radicals can make us age faster and ultimately cause cancer and other chronic diseases. But no need to worry! There are ways to defend your body against them. And it all starts with your diet. By incorporating superfoods into your daily meals, which contain tons of antioxidants, you can fight back.
Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by giving up electrons, which makes free radicals more stable and no longer a threat. Since our bodies don’t naturally produce antioxidants on their own, we need to get them from the food we eat.
Here’s a list of superfood products with the highest antioxidant content, and thus, the most effective in fighting free radicals. Remember to always choose organic!
Wheat Grass Juice Powder: A rare source of a special compound known as Superoxide Dismutase (SOD). This enzyme is one of the most powerful defenses against free radicals.
How to use: 1-2 teaspoons daily, in smoothies, juices or mixed into energy bars.
Freeze-Dried Blueberry Powder: One of the top sources of antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. It helps to neutralize free radicals and eliminate toxins that lead to heart disease and age-related illness like Alzheimer’s.
How to use: 1-2 teaspoons daily, in smoothies, juices or mixed into yogurt.
Freeze-Dried Acerola Powder: Perhaps the best natural source of Vitamin C on the planet. Rich in antioxidants, Acerola Cherry Powder is a very potent form of acerola nutrients like protein, iron, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
How to use: 1-2 teaspoons daily, in smoothie, juices or mixed into baked goods.
Freeze-Dried Maqui Berry Powder: One of the most powerful antioxidants available in food form. The maqui berry ranks the highest on ORAC tests, claiming a rating of 69,930, more than the acai berry and goji berry combined.
How to use: 1-2 teaspoons daily, in smoothie, juices or make your own maqui berry syrup with maple syrup and fresh blackberries (get the recipe).
Freeze-Dried Pomegranate Juice Powder: One of the earliest cultivated fruits in the world and best known for its amazing blend of powerful antioxidants.
How to use: 1-2 teaspoons daily, in smoothies, juices or blended into yogurt.
Raw Cacao Powder: Containing more antioxidants than any food known to man, cacao powder is minimally processed and dried at low temperatures to allow you to reap the maximum amount of health benefits of the pure cacao bean.
How to use: 1-2 teaspoons daily, in smoothies, baked goods or in “hot chocolate” with steamed almond milk and a pinch of cinnamon.
Dried Elderberries: One of the most therapeutic berries, the high Vitamin C content in elderberries accounts for the strong antioxidant properties that can protect against cell damage.
How to use: Before consuming, these berries should be boiled down into a syrup, as they do contain low levels of naturally-occuring toxins. By boiling, the toxins are completely removed, leaving a safe, toxin-free syrup.
Raw Goji Berries: One of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet, and loaded with nutrients for full-body healing. They’re easy to add to almost anything.
How to use: Add to smoothies, trail mix or baked goods or toss over salads, soups and other meals.
Freeze-Dried Cranberry Powder: With an incredible ORAC score of 9,090, it’s chock full of beneficial compounds that work synergistically to promote good health. Mainstream medicine is embracing the cranberry as a legitimate treatment in combating harmful bacteria.
How to use: 1-2 teaspoons daily, in smoothies, juices or baked goods.
Raw Mangosteen Powder: Touts a whopping 2,510 ORAC score, a rating almost unheard of in a fruit. Thanks to a class of naturally occurring polyphenols called xanthones, it’s one of the best superfoods to fight free.
How to use: 1-2 teaspoons daily, in smoothies, juices or blended into yogurt.