The media are always throwing about new diet fads and raving about the latest celebrity super food. At the heart of all the fuss are the so famed miracle chemicals: antioxidants. They are the chemicals known to help prevent diseases like heart disease and cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, as well as having anti-aging and cleansing properties. Basically they are exceptionally good for you and your health.

What most people don’t realise is that antioxidants are everywhere; present in a wide variety of foods. And, there are many different kinds of antioxidants with different properties. Polyphenols for example have been shown to play a role in the prevention of degenerative diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Even familiar sounding chemicals like Vitamin C and E are considered to have antioxidant properties. So, the good news is antioxidants are very accessible and if you eat healthily you probably already eat a wide variety of them without even realising.

There are however some foods which are extremely high in antioxidants. A good tip for spotting these foods is to look for natural foods with a strong colour – things like berries, red kidney beans and broccoli.

Here is a list of five foods which contain a very high percentage of antioxidants, that will give you a boost in your antioxidant intake.
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