Foods rich in antioxidants are currently the preferred superfoods, the magic foods that will give us health and a long life. The best are found in fruits and vegetables. That advice we’ve been hearing our whole lives: “eat your veggies” turns out to be good advice in the end.

What is it about antioxidant foods that are so good for us? These foods contain molecules that, once inside the cells of our body, react with “free radicals” and eliminate them. Free radicals are molecules that contain oxygen and are highly reactive, that is, they will react with many other molecules with which they come in contact. When they react with our cells and tissues, they can cause serious damage and lead to health problems and disease. It is best if they react with an antioxidant first and are removed from the image before they can cause any damage. This is why it is a good idea to eat lots of foods that are high in antioxidants, so that you always have plenty of antioxidants available when you need them.

The information we are hearing about foods rich in antioxidants is not an exaggeration or propaganda devised by the producers of fruits and vegetables; there is good scientific evidence to back it up. However, many opportunists misuse it to sell antioxidant products to consumers. Because antioxidant foods contain many different antioxidants, all of which work in their own way to remove free radicals from the body, the best way to get enough of them is to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables every day. If you simply cannot tolerate vegetables, there are antioxidant supplements available to the consumer. Pick one from a trusted source and try to find one that is produced from a variety of plants and foods that are high in antioxidants so that you get a variety of antioxidant molecules.

Foods rich in antioxidants generally include brightly colored fruits and vegetables: green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach (but not iceberg lettuce), other vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, red vegetables and yellow like tomatoes, red peppers, carrots. and squash, and other things like beets. Fruits that are good antioxidant foods include, again, fruits with a lot of color: pink grapefruit, berries, oranges, plums, grapes, apricots, peaches. Even the dried forms of these fruits are good sources. Two foods rich in antioxidants that have received special attention in recent times are blueberries and chocolate; they apparently contain levels of antioxidants that are disproportionate to the rest.

However, super antioxidant foods like blueberries and chocolate have a caveat: they tend to be relatively high in oxalic acid. Oxalic acid will bind to other valuable nutrients in the food we eat and make them inaccessible during digestion. Oxalic acid also irritates the intestinal lining and is quite toxic if consumed in large amounts. Therefore, a consistent diet of foods rich in antioxidants and high in oxalic acid can lead to nutritional deficiencies and poor health. The key here, as with most things in life, is moderation and variety. You can enjoy medium amounts of these and other antioxidant-rich foods, but don’t overdo it.

A healthy, balanced diet containing lots of fruits and vegetables, with as much variety as possible, should provide plenty of foods rich in antioxidants and all other essential nutrients for good health. Again, if a healthy diet is not possible for you, consider a nutritional supplement that provides the same variety and take it as directed.