antioxidants?

[pauleo]

I gave up berries recently (in fact all fruit) and it feels like my main antioxidant/flavonoid food has gone.

Does anyone have thoughts on best ways to get antioxidants on a meat/fish/vegetables/nuts/seeds diet? Is it an issue at all?

About taking supplements - I read that synthetic antioxidant/flavonoid supplements are inferior to naturally derived supplements. The argument was that all natural organic molecules come in left-handed (cis-) form only, but synthetically created compounds are a mix of left- and right-handed (trans-), and the trans- form cannot be absorbed properly, therefore synthetic antioxidants are not good. Think I got that the right way round. Anyway I'm not sure how much credence to give that, but maybe someone here knows about it. I also have no idea how to find good-quality naturally derived supplements among all the stuff out there.

Paul.

p.s. After I get an idea of what my BG is on a non-fruit diet, I am planning to reintroduce samples of fruit and see the effect, but I am not at that stage yet.

[Nancy LC]

There should be lots of antioxidants in many veggies. Just eat an assortment of colors.

[dina1957]

Antioxidant - Good Food Sources

For Vitamin C -- Citrus fruits and their juices, berries, dark green vegetables (spinach (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html#spinach), asparagus (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html), green peppers (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html), brussel sprouts (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html), broccoli (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html), watercress, other greens (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html)), red and yellow peppers (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html), tomatoes (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html) and tomato juice, pineapple, cantaloupe, mangos, papaya and guava.

For Vitamin E -- Vegetable oils such as olive, soybean, corn, cottonseed and safflower, nuts and nut butters, seeds, whole grains, wheat, wheat germ, brown rice, oatmeal, soybeans, sweet potatoes (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html), legumes (beans, lentils, split peas (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/by-course-vegetable-pairs_31.html#grains)) and dark leafy green vegetables (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html).

For Selenium -- Brazil nuts, brewerÂ’s yeast, oatmeal, brown rice, chicken, eggs, dairy products, garlic, molasses, onions, salmon, seafood, tuna, wheat germ, whole grains, most vegetables (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html).

For Beta Carotene -- Variety of dark orange, red, yellow and green vegetables and fruits such as broccoli (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html), kale (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html), spinach (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html), sweet potatoes (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html), carrots (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html), red and yellow peppers (http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_113405171411816100.html), apricots, cantaloupe and mangos.

http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/01/eating-well-search-for-antioxidant.html


The brighter the color, the more antioxidants in the fruit or vegetable. Blueberries #1 antioxidant rich fruit, but it is higher in sugar than black berries and raspberries. Overall veggies and fruit with blue, red, and purple contain more antioxiands while yellow, green and orange- beta carotene.
Also check this site:
http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/104/107640.htm

[NorthPeace]

Does anyone have thoughts on best ways to get antioxidants on a meat/fish/vegetables/nuts/seeds diet? Is it an issue at all?

About taking supplements - I read that synthetic antioxidant/flavonoid supplements are inferior to naturally derived supplements. The argument was that all natural organic molecules come in left-handed (cis-) form only, but synthetically created compounds are a mix of left- and right-handed (trans-), and the trans- form cannot be absorbed properly, therefore synthetic antioxidants are not good. Think I got that the right way round.
Supplement with vitamin D, or if you prefer a natural source, run naked in the desert.

Blue berries are among the best. Maybe consider small portions if you can until you are ready to increase? Also, in the meantime take a look at a variety of nonstarchy vegetables. Bok Choy, for example, has huge amounts of some antioxidant vitamins, and protein, carb and fiber content are all about equal. With non starchy veg you get more good stuff per gram of carb. There may be more undiscovered than discovered antioxidants, so you could just go for variety.

Cis (same side) and trans (across) are used to describe positioning of the continuation of a chain at the site of a double bond. Cis fats are those most common in nature, or at least in our diet, the ones we want. A stray photon can randomly change a cis double bond to trans. A lot of stray photons e.g. in a 400 degree deep fryer, can change a lot of cis to trans, giving you an unnaturally high level of trans fats. A low level of trans fats is natural, high levels are not.

Left-handed (levorotatory, or L-) and right-handed (dextrorotatory, or D-) are used to describe optical isomers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_isomer), molecular arrangements about a carbon atom with four single bonds each to a different element or group, with one the mirror image of the other, and able to rotate light in opposite directions. Specificity for one or the other is very common in nature. If you made something in a test tube, who knows, you may get one half made each way. If you made it with a sequence of natural enzymes you should get a pure product of one or the other.

[pauleo]

Thanks all. Thanks NorthPeace for the correction about organic chemistry. Reading too much stuff at the moment, but hopefully it will bed in. About Vitamin D, I am finishing off some cod liver oil, but I read that there's no need to supplement once the summer arrives because sunshine (even in ordinary everyday exposure) produces such overwhelming amounts of vitamin D compared to supplementing. Do you agree with that? And if you supplement, any tips for finding a good quality vitamin D supplement amongst all the products or is it pot luck?

Great idea about running in the desert but I may have to wait for climate change to bring one to Boston!

[dina1957]

Supplement with vitamin D, or if you prefer a natural source, run naked in the desert.
no need to run naked in the desert, all it takes is 30 minutes a day to expose some of naked skin ( no sun block) to UV rays. It does not matter if it is your face, arms, or legs. Do it daily, and you will get plenty of Vit.D naturally manufactured by your own body. Feels good too.

Blue berries are among the best.
Actually, I recently read that blackberrries are even higher in antioxidants, than blueberries, and they even lower in carbs. Maybe consider small portions if you can until you are ready to increase? Also, in the meantime take a look at a variety of nonstarchy vegetables. Bok Choy, for example, has huge amounts of some antioxidant vitamins, and protein, carb and fiber content are all about equal. With non starchy veg you get more good stuff per gram of carb. There may be more undiscovered than discovered antioxidants, so you could just go for variety.
does cooking changes ability to use certain antioxidants, I know lycopene is better absorbed from cooked tomatoes, but what about green veggies like bok choy?
I also read that alcohol enhances effect of anxioxidants from berries, so red wine and alcohol made berryblackberry-tiny come to mind;):p

[NorthPeace]

Dina, I am bald and commute in a convertible. I should be ok then :agree:
I deliberately placed a space between the words blue and berries. I meant dark berries as a group.

Cooking, or not affects access to a host of nutrients. It improves it for lycopene, but destroys vitamin C. I have some vegetables each way every day. Raw is generally better for diabetics like me, or other people who want a low glycemic meal. Pureed or cooked is probably better for cancer patients, who need a lot of good stuff to make them well.

[eddiemcm]

"no need to run naked in the desert"
How about naked down Main Street in Houston?
Not sure why "vitamin D" is considered a vitamin.Since the body produces it,it should
probably be considered a hormone.
hmmm....
Eddie