How Blueberries Will Take A Bullet For You

Let’s wrap up Antioxidant Information Week with a little discussion of so-called “superfoods”, shall we?

Blueberries are often used as the poster boy for “superfoods”, foods that have tons and tons of vital nutrients packed densely into a relatively small amount.  In the case of blueberries, or really, any of a number of brightly colored berries like cranberries, raspberries, etc., the nutrients in question are… you guessed it… antioxidants.

Antioxidants are so important because they neutralize “free radicals”, which are highly reactive molecules in the environment that break down the chemical structure of anything from a human being to a chunk of steel.  Free radicals basically ruin anything they come into contact with, like obnoxious loudmouth teenagers.

Antioxidants serve to neutralize free radicals by getting in between that nasty little bugger and whatever it is you want to protect.  The antioxidant itself is consumed in this process, but hey, as long as you’re okay, what do you care?  So basically, antioxidants take the bullet from a free radical that would’ve damaged you instead.  They’re like a biological Secret Service.

So why are these plants so nice, in that they fill themselves up with those antioxidants which are so vital to preventing our bodies from rusting from the inside out (which is what oxidation is)?  Well, they’re not.  In fact, blueberries could care less about you.

Sorry, but it’s true.  The reason why blueberries are so darn full of antioxidants is strictly self-centered.  It’s all about survival.

Protection from the environment, to be extact.  Just like antioxidants protect you from the ravages of the environment (in the form of free radicals), they do the same thing for blueberries, apples, raspberries, and every other superfood.  So the plant’s self-defense, becomes your self-defense.

Actually, a lot of the antioxidants in a fruit are in the skin, which makes sense, since it’s the first line of defense against the environment (just like our skin).  Don’t believe me?  Slice open an apple.  See how quickly the flesh of the fruit becomes brown and yucky?  That’s oxidation, my friends… free radicals at work.

Some of you know that if you put lemon juice on that exposed apple, it won’t turn brown as quickly.  Know why?  Because lemon juice is full of Vitamin C, a very basic antioxidant, that’s why!  You’re basically giving the apple an antioxidant supplement.  The Vitamin C takes the hit from the free radicals rather than the actual apple.

Since the skin of a fruit is basically its bulletproof vest, and contains most of the antioxidants in the fruit, make sure you eat the skin of  that little bugger if you can.  Apple skins have nearly two-thirds of the entire fruit’s antioxidant supply in just the skin.  So when your mom peeled the skin off of your apples, it was because she was trying to slowly kill you.

Kidding!  I’m sure she’s a fine, fine person who loves you dearly.  But seriously, don’t peel your apples, or any other fruits whose skins are edible.

The various antioxidant chemicals help create the vibrant, bright colors associated with different fruits and vegetables. So, rather than trying to memorize a big long list of what foods are “super”, a good rule of thumb is, pick out the brightest (or deepest) colored fruits and vegetables you can find to make sure you’re getting a ton of antioxidants inside of you.

Or, you might end up taking that bullet instead.

If you want to learn more about free radical damage, antioxidants, and how your mother is trying to slowly kill you (kidding!  kidding about that last part!), check out my free guide to nutritional supplements, which you can download if you check the upper right-hand sidebar on this page.  I go into a lot more detail about the mechanism behind all this stuff.

In the meantime, feel free to comment and ask questions, and if you like what you see, spread the word by telling your friends and family about HealthyAndy.com!

Stay healthy!