New Antioxidant Superstars

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Ranking foods by antioxidants per unit weight.

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Every day, we should stuff our faces with fruits and vegetables. But which are the healthiest? In my 1999 review, I ranked blueberries as the healthiest fruits, and kale, the healthiest vegetable, based on a study of 40 common fruits and veggies at the time. But then in 2002, this article was published, looking at 200 different plants, and I told audiences that blueberries got their little blue butts kicked down to #7. No one had tested nuts before—the new reigning antioxidant champs—with pomegranates nipping at their heels.

But then, this study was published in 2003, looking at herbs and spices. And I had to revise yet again, saying the healthiest thing (by weight at least) on this planet is not blueberries, not kale, not nuts, but cloves—and oregano. 40 times the antioxidant power of blueberries (on a weight-by-weight basis), and about a thousand times more than what most Americans eat. And the graph for cloves at this scale is far, far off the chart.

Now, but this was all five years ago, though. What about goji berries, and all these exotic new fruits on the market? Well, the biggest study of its kind was published last year, looking at 300 plant foods. Once again, cloves #1—found to be the most antioxidant-packed food substance on the planet. But this is on a weigh-by-weight basis. You can eat a whole handful of nuts; no problem, but a handful of cloves? So on a per-serving basis, nuts actually have more antioxidants than cloves, since the serving size of nuts is like, an ounce, and the serving size of cloves is just a tiny pinch. So allow me to rank the top dozen anti-aging, anticancer, antioxidant superfoods, based on the latest findings, by serving, to make it more practical, in terms of helping you find ways to eat healthier, on a day-to-day basis.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Dianne Moore.

Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.

Every day, we should stuff our faces with fruits and vegetables. But which are the healthiest? In my 1999 review, I ranked blueberries as the healthiest fruits, and kale, the healthiest vegetable, based on a study of 40 common fruits and veggies at the time. But then in 2002, this article was published, looking at 200 different plants, and I told audiences that blueberries got their little blue butts kicked down to #7. No one had tested nuts before—the new reigning antioxidant champs—with pomegranates nipping at their heels.

But then, this study was published in 2003, looking at herbs and spices. And I had to revise yet again, saying the healthiest thing (by weight at least) on this planet is not blueberries, not kale, not nuts, but cloves—and oregano. 40 times the antioxidant power of blueberries (on a weight-by-weight basis), and about a thousand times more than what most Americans eat. And the graph for cloves at this scale is far, far off the chart.

Now, but this was all five years ago, though. What about goji berries, and all these exotic new fruits on the market? Well, the biggest study of its kind was published last year, looking at 300 plant foods. Once again, cloves #1—found to be the most antioxidant-packed food substance on the planet. But this is on a weigh-by-weight basis. You can eat a whole handful of nuts; no problem, but a handful of cloves? So on a per-serving basis, nuts actually have more antioxidants than cloves, since the serving size of nuts is like, an ounce, and the serving size of cloves is just a tiny pinch. So allow me to rank the top dozen anti-aging, anticancer, antioxidant superfoods, based on the latest findings, by serving, to make it more practical, in terms of helping you find ways to eat healthier, on a day-to-day basis.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Dianne Moore.

Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.

Doctor's Note

More on the antioxidant content in plant foods:
Anti Up on the Veggies
Antioxidant-Rich Foods With Every Meal
Which Fruit Fights Cancer Better?
Antioxidants in a Pinch

And check out my other videos on antioxidants. 

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