According to Harvard's School of Public Health , kale contains carotenoids including beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A—a nutrient that helps prevent cognitive decline and maintains skin health.

Kale is a cruciferous vegetable, like broccoli and cabbage, which also contain carotenoids. Another dark leafy green that is antioxidant and nutrient dense is spinach.

The vegetable contains vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant by reducing damaging free radicals. It also improves immune function and reduces the risk of clots in heart arteries.

Experts also approve of dark chocolate as a source of antioxidants. Additionally, dark chocolate has been known to improve heart health due to its flavonoid content, which acts as an antioxidant, McDonald says.

Flavonoids are a group of natural substances that are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, flowers, tea, and wine. They have anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties that may reduce the risk of cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

It is important to note that dark chocolate should be enjoyed in moderation. The legumes contain phenolic compounds, which act as antioxidants by counteracting harmful free radicals. It's important to note that in a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine, beans with colored coats red, cream, black, pink, and brown were found to be more efficient antioxidants than those with completely white coats.

Consuming foods rich in vitamin C—which McDonald says naturally contains antioxidants—is essential for your overall health. One way to pack your diet with vitamin C is by consuming beets. The beautiful, dark purple root vegetable is one Harbstreet says contains powerful antioxidants that can neutralize free radicals.

Beyond possessing antioxidants, vitamin C is valuable in preventing colds and some chronic diseases. One of the easiest ways to maintain a diet rich in antioxidants is to eat foods rich in color, such as orange vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots.

According to Harbstreet, these foods are an "abundant source of the antioxidant carotene. Carotenoids are natural pigments that are responsible for the bright colors of various fruits and vegetables.

As with all antioxidants, carotenoids can reduce harmful free radicals in the body. When consumed, carotenoids are broken down into vitamin A, which is critical to maintaining a healthy immune system. According to McDonald, yellow and green bell peppers possess essential antioxidants.

The colorful vegetables contain vitamin C which—beyond containing antioxidants—is essential for collagen production, a protein in connective tissue that runs throughout the body. Red bell peppers also contain its own set of health benefits, as the vegetable is rich in vitamin E, another vitamin that contains antioxidants and has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Some nuts, like Brazil nuts, contain selenium, a mineral that stimulates the production of killer T-cells which find and destroy infected cells. Additionally, selenium acts as a powerful antioxidant as it protects against oxidative stress from free radicals. Use limited data to select advertising.

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Skip to content The Nutrition Source. The Nutrition Source Menu. Search for:. Home Nutrition News What Should I Eat? In , a rating tool called the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity ORAC was created by scientists from the National Institute on Aging and the United States Department of Agriculture USDA.

It was used to measure the antioxidant capacity of foods. The USDA provided an ORAC database on its website highlighting foods with high ORAC scores, including cocoa, berries, spices, and legumes.

Blueberries and other foods topping the list were heavily promoted in the popular press as disease-fighters even if the science was weak, from cancer to brain health to heart disease. However, 20 years later the USDA retracted the information and removed the database after determining that antioxidants have many functions, not all of which are related to free radical activity.

Although this was not a primary endpoint for the trial, it nevertheless represents an important outcome. In the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation HOPE trial, the rates of major cardiovascular events were essentially the same in the vitamin E A recent trial of vitamin E in Israel, for example, showed a marked reduction in coronary heart disease among people with type 2 diabetes who have a common genetic predisposition for greater oxidative stress.

In the Supplementation en Vitamines et Mineraux Antioxydants SU. MAX study, 13, French men and women took a single daily capsule that contained mg vitamin C, 30 mg vitamin E, 6 mg beta-carotene, mcg selenium, and 20 mg zinc, or a placebo, for seven and a half years.

The vitamins had no effect on overall rates of cardiovascular disease. Lung disease A study from the Journal of Respiratory Research found that different isoforms of vitamin E called tocopherols had opposing effects on lung function.

Cancer When it comes to cancer prevention, the picture remains inconclusive for antioxidant supplements. MAX randomized placebo-controlled trial showed a reduction in cancer risk and all-cause mortality among men taking an antioxidant cocktail low doses of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, selenium, and zinc but no apparent effect in women, possibly because men tended to have low blood levels of beta-carotene and other vitamins at the beginning of the study.

Age-related eye disease A six-year trial, the Age-Related Eye Disease Study AREDS , found that a combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and zinc offered some protection against the development of advanced age-related macular degeneration, but not cataracts, in people who were at high risk of the disease.

However, relatively short trials of lutein supplementation for age-related macular degeneration have yielded conflicting findings. The study found that people taking the vitamins were less likely to progress to late-stage AMD and vision loss.

However, the study authors noted that taking lutein and zeaxanthin alone or vitamin E alone did not have a beneficial effect on these eye conditions.

The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial SELECT Eye Endpoints Study, which followed 11, men for a mean of five years, did not find that vitamin E and selenium supplements, in combination or alone, protected from age-related cataracts. It did not find that antioxidant supplements of vitamin E or selenium, alone or in combination, protected against dementia compared with a placebo.

Early death A meta-analysis of 68 antioxidant supplement trials found that taking beta-carotene and vitamin A and E supplements increased the risk of dying. It was also difficult to compare interventions because the types of supplements, the dosages taken, and the length of time they were taken varied widely.

The same authors conducted another systematic review of 78 randomized clinical trials on antioxidant supplements including beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium alone or in combination.

The study found that both people who were healthy and those with diseases taking beta-carotene and vitamin E supplements had a higher rate of death. The duration of the studies varied widely from one month to 12 years, with varying dosages.

The first inkling came in a large trial of beta-carotene conducted among men in Finland who were heavy smokers, and therefore at high risk for developing lung cancer.

The trial was stopped early when researchers saw a significant increase in lung cancer among those taking the supplement compared to those taking the placebo. Again, an increase in lung cancer was seen in the supplement group.

MAX trial, rates of skin cancer were higher in women who were assigned to take vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, and zinc. These results came from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial SELECT that followed 35, men for up to 12 years.

References National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health NCCIH. Antioxidants: In Depth. Carlsen MH, Halvorsen BL, Holte K, Bøhn SK, Dragland S, Sampson L, Willey C, Senoo H, Umezono Y, Sanada C, Barikmo I.

The total antioxidant content of more than foods, beverages, spices, herbs and supplements used worldwide. Nutrition journal. Semba RD, Ferrucci L, Bartali B, Urpí-Sarda M, Zamora-Ros R, Sun K, Cherubini A, Bandinelli S, Andres-Lacueva C.

Resveratrol levels and all-cause mortality in older community-dwelling adults. JAMA internal medicine. Grodstein F, Kang JH, Glynn RJ, Cook NR, Gaziano JM. Archives of internal medicine. USDA Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity ORAC of Selected Foods, Release 2 Lee IM, Cook NR, Gaziano JM, Gordon D, Ridker PM, Manson JE, Hennekens CH, Buring JE.

Lonn E, Bosch J, Yusuf S, Sheridan P, Pogue J, Arnold JM, Ross C, Arnold A, Sleight P, Probstfield J, Dagenais GR. Effects of long-term vitamin E supplementation on cardiovascular events and cancer: a randomized controlled trial.

GISSI-Prevenzione Investigators. Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E after myocardial infarction: results of the GISSI-Prevenzione trial. The Lancet. Milman U, Blum S, Shapira C, Aronson D, Miller-Lotan R, Anbinder Y, Alshiek J, Bennett L, Kostenko M, Landau M, Keidar S.

Vitamin E supplementation reduces cardiovascular events in a subgroup of middle-aged individuals with both type 2 diabetes mellitus and the haptoglobin genotype: a prospective double-blinded clinical trial.

Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology. Hennekens CH, Buring JE, Manson JE, Stampfer M, Rosner B, Cook NR, Belanger C, LaMotte F, Gaziano JM, Ridker PM, Willett W. Lack of effect of long-term supplementation with beta carotene on the incidence of malignant neoplasms and cardiovascular disease.

New England Journal of Medicine. Hercberg S, Galan P, Preziosi P, Bertrais S, Mennen L, Malvy D, Roussel AM, Favier A, Briançon S. The SU. MAX Study: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the health effects of antioxidant vitamins and minerals.

Cook NR, Albert CM, Gaziano JM, Zaharris E, MacFadyen J, Danielson E, Buring JE, Manson JE. Marchese ME, Kumar R, Colangelo LA, Avila PC, Jacobs DR, Gross M, Sood A, Liu K, Cook-Mills JM.

The vitamin E isoforms α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol have opposite associations with spirometric parameters: the CARDIA study. Respiratory research. Berdnikovs S, Abdala-Valencia H, McCary C, Somand M, Cole R, Garcia A, Bryce P, Cook-Mills JM.

Isoforms of vitamin E have opposing immunoregulatory functions during inflammation by regulating leukocyte recruitment. The Journal of Immunology. Duffield-Lillico AJ, Reid ME, Turnbull BW, Combs GF, Slate EH, Fischbach LA, Marshall JR, Clark LC.

Baseline characteristics and the effect of selenium supplementation on cancer incidence in a randomized clinical trial: a summary report of the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer Trial.

Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Biomarkers. Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group. A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss: AREDS report no.

Archives of ophthalmology. A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E and beta carotene for age-related cataract and vision loss: AREDS report no. Archives of Ophthalmology.

Richer S, Stiles W, Statkute L, Pulido J, Frankowski J, Rudy D, Pei K, Tsipursky M, Nyland J. Double-masked, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of lutein and antioxidant supplementation in the intervention of atrophic age-related macular degeneration: the Veterans LAST study Lutein Antioxidant Supplementation Trial.

Optometry-Journal of the American Optometric Association. Bartlett HE, Eperjesi F. Effect of lutein and antioxidant dietary supplementation on contrast sensitivity in age-related macular disease: a randomized controlled trial.

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Although every fruit from this family will benefit our health, some will exhibit stronger antioxidant properties than the others. According to a review published in the Foods journal, blackcurrants and blueberries tend to have the highest concentration of these vital compounds.

Pomegranates are small red fruits packed with crunchy, juicy seeds. Though nowhere near as popular as berries, pomegranates contain a relatively similar level of health-promoting nutrients. According to a review published in the Journal of Food Bioactives , they are a rich source of many different antioxidants, including ellagic acids, gallic acids, anthocyanins, and ellagitannins.

Sweet and juicy, plums are another example of a great antioxidant rich food. As described in an analysis published by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , one medium-sized fruit contains nearly 6.

Multiple studies included in a review published in Phytotherapy Research demonstrated that regular consumption of plums can lead to better cognitive function, bone density and cardiovascular health. If you want to top up your antioxidant intake, consider making dark chocolate your next snack of choice.

Its main ingredient, cocoa powder, is a rich dietary source of flavonoids like catechin, epicatechin and procyanidins. These are compounds that have been shown to lower inflammation levels, improve cardiovascular health and contribute to better immune responses.

According to a review published in the Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity , cocoa consumption may also have a positive impact on insulin resistance, cognitive function and mood.

To get the most benefit, aim for minimally processed chocolate with a high cocoa content. Beetroots are undoubtedly one of the best antioxidant rich foods you can include in your diet. There are multiple health benefits associated with their consumption.

These root vegetables provide a significant amount of nitrates, compounds that have a direct impact on the functioning of our cardiovascular system. Beetroot juice also contains a high amount of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenols.

These vegetables are particularly abundant in betalains, polyphenols which give them their characteristic purple coloring. According to a review published in the Nutrients journal, regular beetroot and beetroot juice consumption can lead to lower inflammation levels, better cognition, improved blood pressure and a vastly reduced risk of developing several types of cancer.

A review published in Sports Medicine also suggests that there is some evidence that beetroot juice may have a significant impact on the sports performance among athletes.

Green leafy vegetables are the cornerstone of a healthy diet. Kale, spinach, watercress, cabbage or lettuce are not only very low in calories and dietary fats, they also provide a significant amount of fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Spinach is a great example of a green leafy vegetable with a high antioxidant content. Research published in Food and Function showed that regular consumption of spinach may lead to a reduced risk of developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis and several types of cancer.

It contains two powerful carotenoid antioxidants: lutein and zeaxanthin. And according to a review published in the Nutrition Reviews journal, lutein and zeaxanthin can absorb damaging blue light that enters the eye, protecting this vital organ from degeneration.

Artichoke is a vegetable that has a similar taste to asparagus and is most commonly found in the Mediterranean diet. They are a rich source of inulin, a type of a prebiotic fiber, as well as potassium and vitamin C. According to a review recently published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences , artichokes have been shown to possess strong anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.

These characteristically bulky vegetables are also a rich source of antioxidants like vitamin C, hydroxycinnamic acids, polyphenols and flavonoids.

However, many of these examples of these staples provide a high amount of polyphenols with strong free radical scavenging abilities. According to an analysis published in the Journal of Food Science , yellow pea, green pea, chickpea, soybean, common bean, lentils, and red kidney bean are the lentils with the highest antioxidant abilities.

Although nuts are very high in calories and dietary fats, they have many health benefits. A review published in Nutrients revealed that regular nut consumption can vastly decrease the risk of developing a host of chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, gallstones and certain types of cancer.

One of the reasons behind this positive impact is that these food staples contain many different carotenoids, phytosterols plant steroids and ellagic acids with strong antioxidant properties. And according to a comparison published in the Food Science and Technology journal, walnuts and pecans tend to show the highest ability to scavenge free radicals.

According to a review published by the Antioxidants journal, oats contain high levels of many important antioxidants, including beta-carotene, polyphenols, chlorophyll and flavonoids.

Beans are a diverse group of legumes that are inexpensive and healthy. They are also incredibly high in fiber, which can help keep your bowel movements regular. Beans are also one of the best vegetable sources of antioxidants, containing a particular antioxidant called kaempferol, which may help with things like reducing chronic inflammation and suppressing cancer growth.

That said, most of the research supporting the benefits of kaempferol has been in animals or test tubes, so more human-based studies are needed. Learn about the health benefits of beans. Beets, also known as beetroot , are a great source of fiber, potassium, iron, folate, and antioxidants.

These give beets their reddish color and have been linked to health benefits. For example, several test-tube studies have linked betalains to a lower risk of cancers in the colon and digestive tract.

Learn more about the health benefits of beats. Spinach is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and is incredibly low in calories. Learn about the health benefits of spinach. Spices such as ginger , turmeric , and garlic , as well as herbs such as rosemary , parsley , and sage , all contain a variety of minerals, vitamins, and important antioxidants.

Putting them on your food or in your cooking can help reduce oxidative stress, which can help reduce the chance of developing various health conditions. Depending on the specific herb or spice, these diseases include high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes.

Okra is a flowering plant with edible seed pods that grows best in warm and tropical climates. It also contains antioxidants that are anti-inflammatory and may help reduce high cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as protect heart and brain health.

Read more about the health benefits of okra. That said, some have more bioactive compounds than others, such as vitamins E and C , for example. Drinks that are high in antioxidants include green tea, pomegranate juice, and acai juice.

They protect your body from potentially harmful molecules known as free radicals, which can accumulate and promote oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress raises the risk of heart disease, cancers, type 2 diabetes, and many other chronic conditions. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help neutralize free radicals and reduce the risk of these chronic diseases.

By eating a wide variety of the foods in this article, you can boost your blood levels of antioxidants and reap their many health benefits. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

VIEW ALL HISTORY. This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by experts. Our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians strive to be objective, unbiased, honest and to present both sides of the argument.

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How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Nutrition Evidence Based 14 Healthy Foods High in Antioxidants. Medically reviewed by Katherine Marengo LDN, R. Dark chocolate Pecans Blueberries Strawberries Artichokes Goji berries Raspberries Kale Red cabbage Beans Beets Spinach Spices Okra FAQs Bottom line Many nutrient-dense foods are rich in antioxidants, including certain types of berries, nuts, and vegetables.

Dark chocolate. Goji berries. Red cabbage. Spices and herbs. Frequently asked questions. The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Feb 14, Written By Ryan Raman. Feb 13, Medically Reviewed By Katherine Marengo, LDN, RD.

Share this article. Evidence Based This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by experts. More in Understanding Inflammation and Aging Your 5-Minute Read on Inflamm-aging and How to Prevent It.