Antioxidants - sources and tips for healthy living

Written by Dr Dan Rutherford, GP



If you want to increase the amount of antioxidants in your diet, there are plenty of foods to choose from. As well as the general tips below, we've listed common sources of vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene and selenium.

Eat a minimum of three portions of vegetables and at least two portions of fruit every day, including at least one citrus fruit.

Fresh fruit juices and vegetable soups are an excellent way to increase your intake of antioxidant rich fruit and vegetables. As a certain percentage is lost in cooking and juicing, this should be in addition to the recommendations above and not as an alternative.

Drink more tea and less coffee. Try jasmine tea or green tea after a meal.

A single glass of red wine a day is sufficient for antioxidant benefit. More than two glasses a day and the goodness gets lost in the anti-nutrient effects of alcohol.

Have one vegetarian meal each week. Stir-fries are a quick and easy way to prepare vegetables. Use sesame or peanut oil for flavour (only the smallest amount is needed), adding cashews or crushed peanuts, fresh herbs and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Table 1: Food sources of vitamins and antioxidants

Vitamin A
Broccoli	Eggs	Peaches	Sunflower seeds
Carrots	Leeks	Pumpkins	Tofu
Cheese	Liver	Red/yellow fruits
Chicken	Oysters	Strawberries
Vitamin C
Apples	Coconut	Mangetout	Potatoes
Artichoke	Curly kale	Mango	Radish
Asparagus	Fennel	Melon	Raspberries
Bananas	Figs	Nectarines	Soya beans
Beetroot	Garlic	Oranges	Spinach
Blueberries	Grapefruit	Oysters	Strawberries
Broccoli	Green peas	Papaya	Sweet potato
Brussels sprouts	Guava	Parsley	Tomatoes
Buckwheat	Kiwi fruit	Peaches	Turnips
Cabbage	Lemons	Peppers - green	Walnuts
Cauliflower	Limes	Peppers - red	Watercress
Celery	Lychees	Peppers - yellow	Watermelons
Cherries	Liquorice	Pineapple	Yams
Vitamin E
Almonds	Mackerel	Salmon	Walnuts
Avocado	Mango	Seeds	Watercressl
Blackberries	Nuts	Spinach	Wheat germ
Brussels sprouts	Olive oil	Sunflower oil	Wholegrain cereal
Corn oil	Palm hearts	Sweet potato
Cabbage	Rye	Tomatoes
Selenium
Cheese	Eggs	Mackerel	Shellfish
Brazil nuts	Garlic	Milk	Sunflower seeds
Cashew nuts	Green vegetables	Onion	Tuna
Chicken	Liver	Salmon	Wholegrains
Beta-carotene
Apricots	Courgettes	Mango	Plums
Artichoke	Carrots	Okra	Pineapple
Asparagus	Celery	Olives	Pumpkins
Aubergine	Cranberries	Onion	Prunes
Bananas	Cucumber	Orange	Radish
Blackcurrants	Cranberries	Peaches	Soya beans
Blueberries	Dates	Papayas	Spinach
Broccoli	Figs	Parsley	Squash
Brussels sprouts	Green beans	Passion fruit	Strawberries
Buckwheat	Kale	Pears	Sweet potatoes
Cabbage	Leeks	Peas	Tomato
Celery	Lettuce	Pepper	Watercress

Other articles on antioxidants

Oxidative stress and antioxidants

Fruit and vegetables

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