AntioxidantsIn the music world, 'Free Radicals' was the name of a late 1990's band. In the nutrition world, free radicals are molecules that can damage our cells and which may play a role in heart disease and cancer. Research also suggests that antioxidants seem to be the biggest enemy of free radicals.
Three major antioxidents include Vitamin E and C and Beta Carotene. Find these antioxidents in your food and try these ingredients in your recipes:
Vitamin E: nuts, seeds, vegetable and fish oils, whole grains, fortified cereals, and apricots
Vitamin C: citrus fruits and juices, green peppers, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, kale, cantaloupe, kiwi, and strawberries
Beta Carotene: liver, egg yolk, milk, butter, spinach, carrots, squash, broccoli, yams, tomato, cantaloupe, peaches, and grains.
Click here for information about on antioxidents and their interaction with free radicals. Visit ICONN, Connecticut's research engine, to search for more information.
Post by Kathleen Sands, EHPL's Children's Librarian
