For Best Results, Eat Your Antioxidants

tidbits that tantalizeYeah - They're In There...

The body knows best...

It always seems to be the case. Armed with scientific studies, discoveries, and advances we march toward the future of medicine, only to discover the best ways are those of the past.

The September issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter reports that antioxidant supplements are not the way to go. Instead, they recommend a radical return to the time-proven methodologies of the past: eat a healthy diet, rich in foods that contain antioxidants. That would be foods like fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

Antioxidants have been all the rage in recent years. And, rightfully so. They have amazing abilities to fight a wide range of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's. So, as the evidence in their favor has mounted, so too have sales of antioxidant products, such as vitamins C and E, lycopene, lutein, and carotene. But...

Mayo says not so fast.

Though these antioxidants are certainly good for what ails you, they recommend a quick walk right past the supplement aisle. Instead, they say to head for the produce section. This is where you'll find the good stuff: berries, beans, fruits of all types, veggies, nuts, herbs, and grains.

The difference is in the sheer power of the whole foods. While you may purchase a supplement with a specific antioxidant, foods literally contain thousands of antioxidants. Since it's not known which antioxidants are responsible for many of the health benefits, eating the whole foods covers all the bases. Really, when you consider the numbers, it hardly even seems like a fair fight.

One last significant reason to go for the real foods category over the supplements: chocolate. Ah, yes... Dark chocolate is packed with beneficial antioxidants. Try getting that from a pill...

To read more about the report, including a list of antioxidant containing foods, see this from ScienceDaily. To read more about antioxidants, see this from the International Food Information Council.