Do you know everyday sources of antioxidants? | Good health

1. Fresh berries. The darker the berry, the more flavonoids it contains. Anthocyanins, which give the berry its red, blue or purple color, are especially abundant in lingonberries, black currants and blueberries. The place of growth also affects health: forest blueberries have half as many polyphenols as bush blueberries. On the other hand, for example, tartness or sweetness does not indicate the nutritional richness of the berry. You get the most out of berries when you eat them whole. In addition to useful dyes, the peel contains fiber and the seeds contain good fats.

2. Tomato hot. Often, the antioxidant power diminishes with heating. This is the case, for example, with berries and many vegetables. Instead, the lycopene contained in tomatoes becomes biologically easier for the body to process thanks to heating. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives tomatoes their rich red color, and according to studies, a high intake of it can slow down unfavorable arterial changes. A high intake of lycopene is also associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer in men.
3. Strong coffee. The biggest source of antioxidants for Finns is coffee, which contains powerful antioxidants such as hydrocinnamic acids and polyphenols. Even many antioxidant pills are like a drop in the ocean, when their antioxidant amounts are compared to that of coffee, illustrates Jaakko Tuomilehto, Emeritus Professor of Public Health. Antioxidants seem to explain several of the health benefits that have been associated with coffee in studies. For example, coffee drinkers are found to have fewer cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.

Expert Riikka Martikainendocent, University of Eastern Finland

This article has appeared in Hyvä tervey magazine. As a subscriber, you can read all issues free of charge from the digilehdet.fi service.