Key points

• Antioxidants are essential for maintaining your health, as they can destroy free radicals, prevent oxidative damage and many chronic diseases.
• The most effective antioxidants essential for maintaining our health include beta carotene and lycopene, vitamins C and E, astaxanthin, and phenolic compounds such as resveratrol, catechins, quercetin, and anthocyanins.
• The best antioxidant-rich beverages include spirulina drinks, coffee, tea, matcha, dandelion tea, beet, pomegranate, acai, and lemon juices, green smoothie, and coconut water.

Following a healthy and highly nutritious diet is essential for keeping your body in good working order. And antioxidants are vital components of any diet. They are responsible for maintaining our bodies in good health, preventing DNA damage, and fighting diseases. Increasing your intake of antioxidants can have numerous health benefits and may even help prevent diseases and slow down your body’s ageing process, which is why adding antioxidant-rich foods and drinks to your diet is always a great idea. And while most people have a general idea of what foods are high in antioxidants, many of us also want to give our diet a nutrient boost with healthy antioxidant drinks. In this article, we’ll give you a complete list of the best antioxidant-rich beverages that can help you stay healthy and happy. 

 

What Do Antioxidant Drinks Do?

Antioxidants are a group of molecules that help to neutralize free radicals, harmful compounds that cause cell degeneration and damage the DNA. This can prevent oxidative stress from damaging the body’s cells, reduce inflammation, and protect against chronic diseases. Antioxidants can also help prevent skeletal muscle damage during exercise-induced oxidative stress and increase the production of antibodies. 

All in all, these compounds are essential for the survival of all living species. And while our bodies are able to generate antioxidants, such as glutathione, a cellular antioxidant, on their own, getting antioxidants from food and drinks will only benefit you and your body.

 

Top 5 Antioxidants And Where To Find Them

• Carotenoids (especially beta carotene and lycopene). You can find these antioxidants in cantaloupe, kale, carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes, apricots, watermelon, and asparagus.
• Vitamin E. This nutrient can be found in avocados, almonds, leafy greens, peanuts, red peppers, and sunflower seeds.
• Vitamin C. Leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, grapefruit, oranges, sweet potatoes, strawberries, and bell peppers are all great sources of this antioxidant.
• Astaxanthin. If you want to get more of this antioxidant in your diet, you should eat more fish, seafood, and blue algae. Krill, salmon, and plankton are especially rich in this nutrient.
• Phenolic compounds. This group of antioxidants includes resveratrol, which can be found in wine, grapes, berries, and peanuts; anthocyanins, which are found in blueberries, and strawberries; catechins, commonly found in tea, cocoa, and berries; and quercetin, which can be found in spades in apples, red wine, and onions.

Best Antioxidant Drinks

While many health-conscious people try to enrich their diet with antioxidants by consuming products from specific food groups, you can also get plenty of antioxidants from the beverages you drink. In fact, drinking just one or two antioxidant-rich beverages a day can give you a significant boost of nutrients and do wonders for numerous organs in your body. 

 

 

Drinks With Spirulina

Spirulina is a type of filamentous cyanobacterium that has been used as a food supplement for centuries. Spirulina has many other potential health benefits besides its high protein and vitamin content. Its antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory properties help reduce oxidative stress and fight immune system disorders. As a result, this can help prevent many diseases such as atherosclerosis, cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, and hypertension.

Spirulina activates cellular antioxidant enzymes, slows down lipid peroxidation and DNA damage, fights free radicals, and speeds up the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase. In addition, clinical trials have proven that spirulina effectively prevents skeletal muscle damage under conditions of exercise-induced oxidative stress and can boost the production of antibodies.

Spirulina powder can be dissolved in hot water or tea, added to smoothies and juices. Or, if you want to save time preparing your drink but still get all the benefits, you can try our FUL® sparkling spirulina drinks!

 

 

 

Green Tea

Green tea is one of the most popular antioxidant drinks consumed by millions of people around the world every day. This beverage is an excellent source of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a compound that has gained a lot of attention and was extensively studied for its antioxidant effects. This compound can help facilitate weight loss, reduce inflammation, and boost your immune system. Plus, green tea is also rich in other antioxidants and polyphenols such as epicatechin, gallic acid, and catechin.

 

 

Matcha

Matcha is a type of tea made from whole tea plant leaves, which are ground into a fine powder, mixed with hot water, and whisked using a bamboo brush until the liquid forms a foam. Matcha has an incredibly high concentration of antioxidants since it’s made from the entire tea plant.

In some studies, matcha has been proven to have many health benefits, including protecting the body against liver damage and lowering cancer cell growth. In addition, one 2017 study concluded that drinking matcha could potentially improve attention, reaction time, and memory.

 

 

Dandelion Tea

Dandelion tea is a type of herbal tea prepared by brewing both the leaves and roots of the dandelion plant in hot water. Dandelions have been widely used in traditional medicine since this plant can effectively reduce inflammation, prevent oxidative stress, and decrease cholesterol levels in the body. One test-tube study has shown that dandelion extract is very high in phenolic acids and flavonoids such as luteolin, quercetin, and caffeic acid. Dandelion tea is a perfect addition to your daily diet if you want to increase the intake of these antioxidants.

 

 

Coffee

Beloved by many people, this drink doesn’t only boost the energy levels but also acts as an excellent source of disease-fighting antioxidants. Some studies show that coffee has even more potent antioxidative properties than fruits and vegetables, which makes it one of the main sources of antioxidants in the average person’s diet. Coffee contains numerous different antioxidants such as caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, catechin, and rutin.

One review of 218 studies concluded that drinking 3–4 cups (720–960 mL) of coffee daily could potentially lower the risk of heart disease, liver problems, and certain types of cancer.

 

 

Pomegranate Juice

Another antioxidant-rich product is pomegranate. Some research studies have shown that the antioxidant potential of this fruit might be more substantial than that of red wine and green tea. Several studies have also found that pomegranate juice can alleviate inflammation, lower blood pressure, and protect against the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries.

Pomegranates also contain a lot of potassium, a nutrient essential for keeping muscle contractions, fluid balance, and blood pressure in check. 

 

 

Beet Juice

Beets are loaded with vital antioxidants and phenolic compounds, including betalains - plant pigments that give beets their vibrant colour.

Because of their antioxidative properties, beets have a lot of health benefits: they help to reduce inflammation, improve heart health, and slow down the growth of cancerous cells.

 

 

Acai Juice

Acai berries are a tropical fruit packed with potent antioxidants such as orientin, isoorientin, and vanillic acid. While just a little while ago, they were only common in Central and South America, today, they can be found in virtually any health food store.

Acai berries are commonly referred to as a “superfood”, and there are good reasons for this. For instance, one study conducted on a small group of athletes showed that drinking a glass of juice mixed with acai berry every day significantly increased antioxidant levels in the blood, lowered cholesterol levels, and helped heal muscle damage caused by exercise after just 1.5 months. Studies also suggest that acai juice may have the potential to reduce oxidative stress, improve brain health, and prevent bone loss. However, more research is needed to prove this conclusively.

 

 

Green Juice

Green juice is made from an assortment of green vegetables such as cucumber, parsley, dill, kale, etc. Each of these ingredients contains a variety of essential antioxidants and micronutrients that provide significant health benefits.

For example, cucumbers help facilitate effective digestion and keep you hydrated due to the high amount of water contained in them. They also can protect the body from diabetes complications. Parsley contains high levels of vitamin K and several antioxidants, including kaempferol and quercetin. The nutritional properties of dill have been widely studied, and this product has been proven to aid in managing diabetes and heart disease.

Adding a glass of green juice to your daily diet is a simple way to increase the intake of antioxidants and provide your body with vital nutrients.

 

 

Green Smoothie

Green smoothies are another tasty drink packed with antioxidants. They are usually made with spinach, beet greens, alfalfa, and watercress, which are combined with sweet fruits and berries such as bananas, strawberries, apples, or kiwis to balance out the flavour. 

 

 

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is known for its high levels of Vitamin C, which make it an excellent antioxidant source. Vitamin C has been proven to reduce the risk of heart diseases and stroke. Lemons are also rich in polyphenols, a group of potent antioxidants that promote skin health and help with anti-ageing and weight loss.  

 

 

Coconut Water

Coconut water is a fantastic source of micronutrients, including potassium, vitamin C, and manganese. It also contains a high level of antioxidants. While there hasn’t been enough research done in humans, animal studies have concluded that coconut water has the potential to help maintain liver health and reduce oxidative stress and blood sugar levels. When looking for coconut water, try to go with fresh rather than processed and canned water because processed coconut water has fewer antioxidants.

 

 

How to Get Enough Antioxidants Every Day?

Now that you know which beverages are rich in antioxidants, you’re probably wondering how much of them you need to consume to get your daily requirement of nutrients. Here are some tips that will help you to make sure you get a healthy amount of antioxidants every day:

• Try not to buy items from a store and instead prepare as many meals and ingredients as possible yourself. That way, you will have control over what you consume;
• Eat proper, whole food and try to include a lot of fruits and veggies in your diet;
• Choose healthy and clean sources of protein;
• Avoid unhealthy cooking methods such as deep-frying and microwaving, since cooking at high temperatures and using excessive amounts of unhealthy oils significantly decrease the nutrient value of your food;
• Plan your meals;
• Drink your nutrients! To save time on preparing your antioxidative drinks, check out our FUL® sparkling spirulina drinks that will help you get plenty of nutrients and antioxidants without any time in the kitchen. 

 

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