Antioxidants

This week’s product is Kellogg’s Fiber Plus Antioxidants cereal bar. In one bar, you will consume 9 grams of fiber, 20% of your recommended amount of Vitamin E and 20% of your recommended amount of zinc. In this product, Vitamin E and zinc are the antioxidants.


Antioxidants are substances that neutralize the effects of free radicals in the body. Antioxidants may also help to keep your immune system in top form and may reduce your risk for cancer and other diseases. In addition to Vitamin E and zinc, other antioxidants include lycopene (commonly found in tomatoes), Vitamin C (commonly found in citrus fruits), and beta-carotene (found in orange vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots)

Vitamin E may help to reduce plaque buildup in your arteries. Vitamin E is also good for your eyes—it can help to prevent cataracts. Would you like healthy skin and hair? Be sure to consume enough vitamin E!

Foods that are naturally high in vitamin E include wheat germ, whole-grain products, seeds (especially sunflower seeds), nuts (especially hazelnuts and almonds), spinach and other dark, green leafy vegetables, and peanut butter. Try sprinkling some wheat germ on yogurt or cereals. Almonds and sunflower seeds are a great snack!

Zinc also has protective properties in the body. Zinc can help your skin by protecting against harmful UV radiation from the sun. This magic mineral may help wounds to heal faster. It can also help bolster your immune system and decrease your risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Within the past ten years, research at Oregon State University has examined the effect zinc has on the brain. Shielding your brain from toxic substances is a layer called the blood brain barrier. Zinc helps to prevent damage to the blood brain barrier; thus, serving to protect the brain.

Good food sources of zinc include meat (beef, lamb, pork), poultry (turkey, chicken), and seafood (lobster, clams, salmon). If you are a vegetarian, you can get zinc from dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt), yeast, legumes (peanuts, beans) whole grain cereals, and brown rice. However, pumpkin seeds contain a high amount of zinc, so you may find them to be a tasty and nutritious snack.

Want to learn more? The website of the American Dietetics Association is full of great information! Visit www.eatright.org. You may find the links below to be especially useful!

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=3542&terms=antioxidants

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=3834&terms=Vitamin+E+and+antioxidant

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12358835

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/ss03/zinc.html

http://www.nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com/