Foods High In Antioxidants – Top 21 Anti Aging Foods

LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join the planet friendly plant based diet!

Start today for only $9.49

Antioxidants keep you youthful and you need a plentiful supply of them to maintain not only a healthy body, but also a healthy mind.

This list of plant based foods high in antioxidants are easy to incorporate into your diet. Best of all, they are mostly inexpensive and easy to source. 

In fact, some of these top 21 anti aging foods truly deserve superfood status due to their impressive array of phytochemicals and nutrients. All of which will help keep your skin glowing, your body healthy and you feeling amazing.

What are Antioxidants?

fruits and vegetables

Antioxidants are molecules found in certain foods that help to inhibit the oxidation of other molecules (ie the molecules inside every cell of your body). This is important because oxidative damage can be one of the root causes of disease illnesses and AGING in general.

Therefore, keeping oxidative stress to a minimum is extremely vital to anti aging.

The antioxidant rich foods on this list, either on their own, or through the enhancement of other natural anti aging supplements will help keep you in a state of regeneration instead of degeneration.

What causes accelerated aging?

Oxidative damage to your cells is caused by seemingly benign every day activities and addictions (see list below). This causes cells to split, thus triggering free radicals in the body.

These free radicals are otherwise known as unpaired electrons that scavenge your body looking to pair themselves up again by stealing electrons from healthy cells. This process causes untold damage to your DNA, cells and other proteins.

This is why it is CRUCIAL to negate this free radical damage as much as you possibly can. Otherwise, when it gets out of control it can have a domino effect and eventually trigger disease.

What Causes Oxidative Damage?

Over exercising, OR not exercising enough.

Both exercising and over-exercising can cause oxidative stress on the body. It’s best to stick to no more than an hour a day, but by the same token make sure you’re doing at least half an hour 5 times per week.

Exercise is vital to over-all anti aging and keeping the body strong, healthy and able to fight disease more readily.  

Over eating

(especially sugars and refined carbohydrates)

Over eating causes your mitochondria to release more ‘exhaust’ so to speak. This in turn creates higher free radical levels from the burning of fuel from food for energy.

Eat lots of fibre rich plant based foods to help fill you up and stop you from over-eating in the first place.

Excessive stress

Something that we’re all guilty of in our busy lives, but excessive stress can be very harmful and even deadly. Stress causes the release of the stress hormone cortisol. This in turn produces inflammation in the body, thus creating free radical damage.

It’s also worth mentioning here that chronic inflammation underpins many modern day diseases and illnesses. This is often due to bad diet, lack of exercise and all manner of other environmental toxic damage.

Be sure to exercise, eat healthily and obtain enough sleep to help you fight stress on a cellular level.

Too much alcohol

woman drinking alcohol

Excessive drinking increases cytokine levels. These are molecules that cause oxidative stress through inflammation, not to mention liver disease!

When drinking, be sure to alternate your alcoholic beverages with no alcohol drinks. Also, be sure to keep hydrated before going to bed and the next day to help negate alcohol induced damage too.

Smoking 

Cigarettes contain over 5,000 chemicals when burned. It’s these chemicals, the worst being formaldehyde, lead, arsenic and ammonia that cause the most destructive kind of oxidative stress. The kind that will almost certainly lead to disease and ill health.

So give up the unhealthy ciggies for good if you wish to stay healthy. There really is no other way.

Ionizing radiation

This can mean many things, but most commonly it’s exposure to the sun (as in sun damage).

Also, mobile phones, WIFI, airplanes and X-rays can all cause oxidative stress in our bodies.

Fungus

Moulds and fungus (like those found in your bathroom or in damp houses) can contribute to oxidative stress in the body.

Candida and other fungal infections in and on the body itself will also produce this effect too.

Burnt foods

Burnet or charred foods, especially burnt meat or cheese are carcinogenic and can cause oxidative stress in the body.

The process of burning food oxidises them, therefore when consumed causes oxidation and free radical damage in the body.

Stay away from burnt foods as much as possible, no matter what they may be, to be on the safe side.

Poor sleep and chronic insomnia

alarm clock

Both poor sleep and chronic insomnia cause stress due to the fact that the body hasn’t been able to rejuvenate and repair itself properly.

In the long term, this will have a snow ball effect in terms of oxidative damage and its resulting problems.

If you have problems sleeping then a good diet and exercise will help. Be sure to tire your body and mind enough to be able to drop off naturally. If not, try some natural herbal supplements and if all else fails, visit your Doctor. Insomnia is a dangerous issue that must be sorted as soon as possible.

Pollution and chemicals

Again, this can come in many forms from household pollutants such as cleaning products, air fresheners, soaps, shampoos and make up to the outdoor pollution of industrial toxins, airplane fuel and car exhaust fumes.

Even our food is full of chemicals, preservatives and fertilisers. The water we drink full of yet more chemicals. We sure are living in a toxic environment so keeping our bodies detoxifying adequately is crucial to keeping free radical damage under control.

Infections

Chronic long term infections such as chlamydia and gum disease all contribute to oxidative stress and damage in the body.

If you suspect and infection of any kind, visit your Doctor as soon as possible.

Bad liver and gut detoxification

When the liver becomes overwhelmed in its pursuit of detoxifying, it will produce yet even more free radicals. This then perpetuates the cycle even further and you will start to feel under par.

If t gets to this stage, a proper detoxification may be necessary to bring the system back into a state of balance. You should do this under medical or practitioner supervision only. 

DETOXIFICATION

As you can see, there are many ways in which your body comes under free radical attack, and many of them simply cannot be avoided.

But, don’t be disheartened because the body IS designed to detoxify itself perfectly adequately given the right conditions. This is where antioxidant rich foods come in.

Antioxidant rich foods alone should not be your only protection, but they will most certainly help. Especially alongside other lifestyle changes such as:-

  • A healthy diet
  • Adequate exercise
  • Not smoking
  • Watching alcohol intake
  • Staying away from (as much as possible) heavily polluted areas
  • Having lots of houseplants to purify your air
  • Where possible, buying organic food, cosmetics and soaps
  • Staying away from, or cutting down drastically on junk foods, fried foods, burnt foods, sugar and refined carbohydrates.

Your body is designed to detoxify itself and without this magnificent system beavering away inside of us 24/7 we would not survive even a day.

But it is important to understand that we were simply not designed to detoxify from all the harsh pollutants we are exposed to in our modern world. Harsh pollutants that we have not yet had a chance to adapt to as they have happened so quickly.

These pollutants put a huge strain on a daily basis onto your liver and other detoxification organs, until eventually the battle is lost and you may succumb to disease and sickness. This CAN be avoided if you start giving your body the nourishing and antioxidant rich foods that it needs to stay thriving.

air pollution

Some (not all) experts say that our bodies are perfectly capable of detoxifying from every day life, but how can this be true when diseases like cancer are rife?

On a personal note, since I have been eating high antioxidant foods and using daily green superfood shots my whole body has changed. I now have MUCH clearer skin (I’m not even kidding, it glows), shiny hair, and my mind is much clearer. 

Top Antioxidant Rich Foods

This list is of the most commonly found foods that have the best antioxidants.

You should aim for at least 7+ portions of these per day to keep your body in good health and detoxifiying adequately.

These foods are also highly anti aging and should be eaten in their most rawest and natural as state possible (or very lightly steamed) for the best results. Light cooking, or raw eating, will help to keep all those healthful nutrients, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fibres intact.

  1. Berries of all kinds
  2. Dark Chocolate (at least 70% cacao)
  3. Pecan Nuts
  4. Kidney Beans
  5. Coriander
  6. Pomegranates (see more about this amazing fruit here)
  7. Pumpkin Seeds
  8. Red Wine/ Red Grapes/ Raisins
  9. Sweet Potatoes
  10. Kale
  11. Broccoli
  12. Tomatoes
  13. Prunes
  14. Oranges
  15. Spinach
  16. Brussels Sprouts 
  17. Onions
  18. Beetroot
  19. Bell Peppers
  20. Green Super Food*
  21. Acai berry powder

Green Superfood Powders

spirulina powder

Green super food powders are very high in antioxidants and a great thing you can do for your body today. 

There are so many green powders available, including spirulina, wheatgrass, barley grass, moringa and blue/green algae’s. All deliver a concentrated hit of nutrients.

You can be sure with quality green superfood brands that they have been picked and freeze dried at their peak of nutrition, immediately after harvesting.

Other awesome reasons to use green superfood powder supplements:-

  • WEIGHT LOSS – Green superfoods are also a great weight loss aid, as they help to keep blood sugar stable and therefore reduce food cravings.
  • HIGH IN NUTRIENTS – Superfood greens are also an intense hit antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and will help you be sure your body is getting everything it needs. Sometimes your body can be ‘starving’ of nutrients, even if you eat a lot of food. This can ultimately trigger food cravings and lead to weight gain.
  • ANTI INFLAMMATORY – Green superfood powders are highly alkaline, meaning they can help lower any chronic inflammation in your body that could eventually lead to diseases.
  • DETOXIFICATION – Keeping the body detoxifying well is at the heart of great health.
  • IMMUNE BOOSTER – A shot a day of superfood will REALLY boost your immune system.
  • ENERGY – Need more energy? These superfood powders will give you a zing and wake you up within 20 minutes. Great for when you’re sick, have a hangover or are just about to hit the gym.
  • GLOWING SKIN – The most natural make-over of all! You will see a noticeable boost to your complexion after you have taken a shot of superfood. Not to mention a sparkle in your eyes too!

CONCLUSION

It’s pretty easy to eat from this list of foods highest in antioxidants every day. Most are widely available in supermarkets, and many are pretty inexpensive.

Making the effort to source out and eat foods from this list will go a way towards anti aging on a cellular level. You will be helping to beat the barrage of free-radicals that we all get hit by every day.

Share this post with your friends.

33 thoughts on “Foods High In Antioxidants – Top 21 Anti Aging Foods”

  1. Amazing, such an easy to read article explaining in term I can understand antioxidants. I have heard a lot about it, but now I know what it is about. It reminded me of oxidation on metal (rust). I guess just like oxygen corrodes metal, these free radicals corrode our cells. Nice also to have a list of the good foods to protect the cells Thank you for your article. Cheers Dave

    1. Hi Dave, yes that’s exactly what it is, the same as oxidation of metal or another example is when an apple turns brown when exposed to oxygen. It’s all oxidation, except when it happens in out body it is bad and accelerate the aging process on both the inside and out.
      That’s why we all need to eat as many antioxidants as we possibly can to help prevent not only aging but many of the diseases that come hand in hand with aging, such as Alzheimer’s, cancer and a host of other things.

  2. Is oxidative damage something that can lead to cancer more specifically? You mentioned various diseases and I have heard about the benefits of antioxidants with respect to cancer. Also, what is a good serving for each amount of the superfoods that you listed? Should I take only one or have two servings of each?

    1. Hi Jessie, yes oxidative damage is very bad because it leads to chronic inflammation and that chronic inflammation is what scientists have now discovered can lead to cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and most other chronic conditions.

      So, it’s definitely worth getting as many of those antioxidants in as possible to protect yourself. A portion would be something like 1 piece of ordinary sized fruit (like an an apple or orange), a large handful of berries or grapes. Same goes for vegetables, go for large handful sizes. Nuts would be a small handful. And to be honest, don’t think you can get to much of this stuff, it’s just so good for you. I would try to get 10 portions a day if possible.

      Remember it is always wise to eat a rainbow of colours with these superfoods as it is the different colour pigments that give fruit and vegetables their antioxidant power. Hope this helps and please feelfree to contact me again if you have any more questions. Good luck on your healthy journey!

  3. This is very important information that everyone should read, and what is even more important, apply. The food high in antioxidants is varied and it is actually very tasty so it shouldn’t be complicated to include it in a daily diet. Great article, as always!

    1. Hi Blanka, I’m really glad you have found my post a good read. Yes, the importance of antioxidants in ones diet cannot be stated enough. Most people just don’t realise how much we need to eat these kind of foods to stay healthy. I hope I can change that in a small way and help others to see the significance of high antioxidant foods.

  4. Thank you for this post, I actually learned that burnt food is bad for you and harms the body. I always loved to eat the burnt part. Now I’m thinking about how wrong I am with that. Also exercising too much I didn’t know you could do that, but my problem is I don’t exercise enough. Good post.

    1. Hi Fred, I know exactly what you mean about eating the burnt part! That was always my favourite thing too, especially before I became vegan. I loved a really well done steak and cheese on toast, but luckily these things are a non issue for me now, though I do still indulge in a bit of well done toast every now and then.

      I think it’s like with everything n life, moderation is key. If you do have burnt foods every now and then, then make sure you take lots of antioxidants in as well. We all have to enjoy our lives and I believe worrying about it all too much is counter productive.
      Just know the basics of a healthy lifestyle and live around that.

      Yes, it sounds shocking but you can exercise too much. Remember that the body wasn’t actually designed for such repetitive exercise like the sort we do now. Long distance running for a start often causes lots of stress and wear and tear on the joints and also produces lots of free radicals in the body. That’s why they say natural exercises and movements like swimming and hiking, and also different terrains such as sand, grass and rock cause us to use differnt muscles and are more natural to our body. There’s just no need to offer do it with anything.

  5. I love your article! The more I read about antioxidants the more benefits I see from making them an integral part of my diet. I’m really interested In the ‘Green Super food Powder’, it looks great. I’m on a low carbohydrate diet and it only has 1 net carb! I’ll definitely come back and order some soon. Thanks for all the info. Keep up the good work.

    1. Hi Evan, yes these foods are great and have such powerful antioxidants that I thoroughly recommend you eat them every day, especially if you are doing a lot of training and exercise as you will be creating free radicals in your body. Wow, 1g of net carb! I think I would actually die if I tried to do that, I can only guess your’e doing it to get cut or lose weight? I hope it works out for you and thanks for commenting.

  6. Uh-oh. I’m guilty of not exercising enough, over eating (probably), excessive stress, poor sleep and pollution (we can’t escape from the world we are living in). That’s 5/12 of what you have listed. I guess I’m considered medium-to-high risk?

    Thanks for the list of foods, and I’m glad to see them because I’m a fan of vegetables and fruits! One question though: Why is Dark Chocolate good? Aren’t all chocolates bad?

    1. Hi Rachel, don’t feel too bad as I reckon you are pretty much the same as most of us. You’re right, we can’t escape from the world but we can negate the effects of these toxins by making sure we eat as many antioxidants as possible.

      As for dark chocolate, I just had to put this on the list as I love it, it is my favourite treat. But it is crucial that you go as dark as possible to get the least amount of sugar, I’m not taking about the cheap, candy type chocolate that is mostly just sugar and about 3% cacao, but the proper chocolate that is at least 70% cacao. This is the stuff that is full of antioxidants. 

      The cacao bean in itself contains no sugar and is a great source of antioxidants and many other nutrients (especially magnesium), so therefore is considered a healthy food. But like with everything good in life, moderation is key. Hope that helps.

  7. I really need to get on board the green food bandwagon. It’s so easy to eat poorly, at least in the US- any social experience involves food out, fried food, bread, pizza, and of course dessert….we reward ourselves with the things that harm us. Reprogramming to healthy, vibrant natural foods should be easier than it is!

    1. I know what you mean about social experiences being revolved around food as it’s the same here in the UK mostly (but not as bad as US).I do remember going to Florida as a kid and it was shocking the size of portions and the amount of food people put on their plate. And in the hotel we were staying in the only options for breakfast were sugary doughnuts and muffins washed down with gallons of coffee. Us kids loved it, but it was definitely different to what we were used to.

      I think it is all about reprogramming and starting off slowly because the taste buds do change much more quickly than you think and before you know it you are sick at the thought of junk foods and craving healthy foods…honestly!

  8. Yes of course, these foods are a great beauty booster for everyone, and also great for disease prevention and so many other things. We all need to be getting as much of these high antioxidant foods down us as possible on a daily basis. Thanks Sarah.

  9. Pingback: Collagen Rich Foods List – All 100% Plant based!

  10. Pingback: What Are The Best Anti Aging Supplements? - Top 10 of 2020

  11. Pingback: Dr. Schulze's Superfood Plus Powder - Mind-Blowing Benefits!

  12. Pingback: What is a Plant Based Diet? Plus Benefits & How to Begin

  13. Pingback: L-Arginine Benefits, Side Effects and Food Sources

  14. Pingback: What is Resveratrol in? The Highest Food Sources

  15. Pingback: The Best Vitamin C Supplements from Natural Food Sources

  16. Pingback: How to Burn Fat and Build Muscle - Top Diet & Exercise Tips

  17. Pingback: Are Walnuts Good For You? 7 Powerful Walnut Health benefits

  18. Pingback: How to Eat to Lose Weight for Good - 6 Effective Tips

  19. Pingback: What are the Best Superfoods? - Most Nutrient Dense Top 6

  20. Pingback: Tofu Fried Brown Rice & Vegetables Recipe – High Protein!

  21. Pingback: Quick English Vegetable Curry Recipe – A Pub Classic!

  22. Pingback: Top Reviewed Best Natural Weight Loss Supplements of 2020

Leave a Comment

LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join the planet friendly plant based diet!

Start today for only $1

Shopping Cart

Go ahead and sign up to our mailing list to get a FREE eBook PLUS our delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
You won't regret it!

Wait! Before You Leave, Grab yourself a FREE Fast & Easy Recipes eBook...

Scroll to Top