AntiOxidants Galore!
Dr. John Maher
Natural sources of antioxidants
Vitamin C: red pepper, brussels sprouts, papaya, orange, chestnuts, butternut squash, kiwi, strawberries, cantaloupe, kale, pink grapefruit, sweet potato, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. {The latter 3 also help the liver detoxify poisons and "bad" estrogens (16-hydroxyestrone) that promote breast, colon, cervical and prostate cancer.}
Vitamin E: almonds, spinach, parsnips, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, asparagus, sweet potato, wheat germ, brussels sprouts, peanuts, pecans.
Beta carotene: carrot, butternut squash, cantaloupe, sweet potato, kale, watercress, apricot, red pepper, turnip greens, mango.
A good rule of thumb: eat from the fruit and vegetable "color palette" each day and include red, green, orange, and yellow.
By the way, eating lots of anti-oxidants keeps your lungs strong. The proof? According to a 3/14/98 article in the FASEB Journal, people who ate the most antioxidants were able to exhale almost 1/2 cup more air in 1 second than people who ate much less. The ability to inhale and exhale volumes of air is called "Vital Capacity" and is perhaps the best physical exam indicator of life expectancy!**
And need I remind you that lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer? AND 18% of VICTIMS NEVER SMOKED!
So eat your 9 servings of a rainbow variety of fruits, seeds, nuts and vegetables. Then take a professional quality multi-vitamin/mineral with at least 1000mg Vit C, 100 IU Vit E, and 15,000 units of mixed carotenoids (not just beta-carotene), and 200mcg of selenium. As iron is a pro-oxidant, it should not be included usually except in the anemic, childrens formulas and for menstrating or pregnant females*.
Pregnant females and those desiring or even "at risk" for pregnancy should limit Vit A supplementation to less than 5,000 units a day.
About the Author: Dr John H Maher Ed., "Longevity News" "Your Prescription for Wellness" More Details at: http://www.RxforWellness.com
