“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is good advice for anyone looking to maintain their health, but did you know the same can be said for strawberries, cherries raspberries and other red foods as well. The healthy secret of red foods? They are loaded with powerful antioxidants, including lycopene and anthocyanins that are believed to help prevent everything from heart disease to cancer to macular degeneration. Red foods are an important part of the food rainbow in the alkaline diet
Resveratrol and other antioxidants in red foods
The most important thing to know about resveratrol and other antioxidants in food is this: There is no evidence that these antioxidants work as supplements. All of the available research on antioxidants in food suggest that you have to eat them in foods they come in for them to be effective. The reasons for this are not well understood, but scientists believe that there are thousands of plant phytochemicals that remain to be discovered. It could be that for any one of them to be good for your health, you have to consume all of them, plus the other nutrients in the food.
Red vegetables vs red fruits
Most of the red foods are fruit, including tomatoes. There are just a few vegetables, red peppers, beets, red cabbage, and red onions, plus one legume, red kidney beans. Red vegetables are rich in antioxidant lycopene, a potent anticarcinogenic. Men should consider adding foods rich in lycopene to their diet to reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer. Best sources of lycopene:
- Tomatoes
- Watermelon
- Guava
- Pink grapefruit
Anthocyanins are also antioxidants that are found in red foods. They are very beneficial to your heart and kidneys. Load up on anthocyanin-rich foods if you want to protect against diabetes-related circulatory disorders. Best sources of anthocyanins
- Red raspberries
- Strawberries
- Cranberries
- Red cabbage
- Cherries
- Red onion
- Red apples
- Red beans and kidney beans
Vitamins and minerals in red foods
Along with the antioxidant benefits of red foods, you also get a lot of nutrition. Red fruits and vegetables are high in minerals and vitamins, especially vitamins C and A, which makes eating red foods important for good eye health. Strawberries: Are rich in folate, which is good for your heart, and beneficial for women in their childbearing years. Strawberries are also an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin C, which gives your immune system a healthy boost. Cherries: are loaded with fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. There is a huge benefit to increasing your potassium intake: Most people get too much sodium in their diet. Increasing your potassium intake will enable your body to regulate your sodium levels better. This can be a big benefit if you’re trying to lose weight! Cranberries: can stop bacteria from sticking to urinary tract walls, which can help prevent urinary tract infections. The nutrients in cranberries that prevent bacteria from sticking are called proanthocyanidins, they may also help prevent H pylori, which causes many stomach ulcers, from sticking to stomach walls and causing ulcers. Cranberries are also an excellent source of vitamin C. Tomatoes: are loaded with lycopene, which is strongly linked to prostate cancer prevention, so men should load up on these red superfoods. It may even help prevent breast cancer, so women should as well. To get the maximum lycopene benefit from tomatoes, you need to cook them. Lycopene’s bioavailability increases when you cook it. Tomatoes are also a great source of vitamin C and potassium. Raspberries: are high in fiber, which helps to lower your LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels. Watermelon: are loaded with lycopene, which along with having anti-cancer properties may also help prevent macular degeneration. Pink Grapefruit: has higher levels of lycopene and other antioxidants than white grapefruit. It’s an excellent source of vitamin C and pectin, which helps lower cholesterol levels. Triple the antioxidant benefit of the vitamin C in grapefruit juice by mixing it with alkaline water. You can mix the juice of any citrus fruit with alkaline water to triple the antioxidant benefit of the vitamin C in them. Red Peppers: are a phenomenal source of vitamin A, which helps protect your vision, and have as much vitamin C as an orange. Beets: are rich in anthocyanins, lycopene, and folate, so they pack triple the antioxidant “punch” of other vegetables. Add beets to your diet to protect your heart, vision, bones, and to reduce your risk of some cancers.
Make your alkaline diet better with alkaline water
Alkaline water from a water ionizer does two things for your produce: It neutralizes pesticide residues, so they can be washed away (plain water doesn’t). You can also triple the antioxidant potential of the vitamin C in any citrus beverage simply by mixing it with alkaline water. The alkalinity in the water also buffers some of the juices acidity, which makes it easier on your stomach.
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