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Super Foods: Boost Your Immune System Load Up on Antioxidants

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In your supermarket’s produce isle you will find all the healthy natural (super) foods that will not only keep your heart healthy, but will also build up your immune system. With a strong immune system you will be a good shape to ward off colds and the flu.

These fresh fruits and vegetables contain immune-boosting antioxidants which are vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that protect and repair cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Free radicals are charged molecules that are the results of body processes. They roam in the bloodstream looking for cholesterol particles to oxidize with. When this happens the cholesterol becomes much more capable of penetrating the artery-cell wall and accumulating there accelerating the process of hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis. Free radicals can cause many other problems also. Hence, the neutralizing of them with antioxidants helps prevent further complications.

The three major antioxidant vitamins are beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A), vitamin C, and vitamin E. You’ll find them in colorful fruits and vegetables – especially those with purple, blue, red, orange, and yellow hues. To get the biggest benefits of antioxidants, eat these foods raw or lightly steamed; don’t overcook or boil.

Produce high in beta-carotene: Apricots, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, corn, green peppers, kale, mangoes, turnip and collard greens, nectarines, peaches, pink grapefruit, pumpkin, squash, spinach, sweet potato, tangerines, tomatoes, and watermelon.

Produce high in vitamin C: Berries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, cauliflower, grapefruit, honeydew, kale, kiwi, mangoes, nectarines, orange, papaya, red, green or yellow peppers, snow peas, sweet potato, strawberries, and tomatoes.

Produce high in vitamin E: Broccoli, carrots, chard, mustard and turnip greens, mangoes, nuts, papaya, pumpkin, red peppers, spinach, and sunflower seeds.


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This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 at 3:11 pm and is filed under heart health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “Super Foods: Boost Your Immune System Load Up on Antioxidants”

  1. hanks for sharing your blog with all of us, very imformative.

  2. Why would you say that?

    I don’t understand your question? Can you elaborate?

    Thanks

  3. To The Man370:

    I don’t understand your question? Can you elaborate?

    Thanks,

    Tim

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