One of the reasons why plant-based diets are so beneficial is because of their rich supply of antioxidants. Antioxidants help protect your body by preventing or reversing the damage to your cells that occurs as part of the normal process of aging, from lifestyle factors like smoking, as well as environmental factors like radiation, air pollution, and chemical exposure. Without antioxidants, the damage to your cells contributes to inflammation and increases your risk of chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancer,
The vitamins and minerals found in food are known a micronutrients. Some of these micronutrients occur naturally in plants and are called polyphenols. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants and there are more than 8000 different types, which fall into four main categories:
Flavonoids account for more than half of all polyphenols. They are found in a wide variety of foods including berries, spices, kale and leafy greens, onions, tea, red wine, dark chocolate, and soybeans.
Phenolic acids make up another 30% of polyphenols and are found in foods like grapes, berries, pomegranates, spices, walnuts, chocolate, coffee, and green tea.
Polyphenolic amides include capsaicinoids in hot peppers and avenanthramides in oats.
Other polyphenols include resveratrol found in red grapes and red wine, as well as ellagic acid in berries.
The health benefits of polyphenols are wide ranging because of their antioxidant activity in keeping your cells healthy and reducing your risk of disease. These include the following:
By consuming whole, plant-based foods, you automatically increase your intake of polyphenols. Make sure to include a wide variety of herbs and spices, fruits (especially berries), vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, olive oil, tea, coffee, dark chocolate, and red wine.
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