Anti-Oxidants Galore!
by Dr. John Maher
Natural sources of anti-oxidants, such as Vitamins C and E and beta carotene,
are some of your best defenses against coronary-pulmonary aging. Choose from
these foods when eating at least five servings per day of fruits and
vegetables, better yet 9 servings:
Vitamin C: red pepper, brussels sprouts, papaya, orange, chestnuts,
butternut squash, kiwi, strawberries, cantaloupe, kale, pink grapefruit,
sweet potato, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. {The latter 3 also
help the liver detoxify poisons and "bad" estrogens (16-hydroxyestrone)
that promote breast, colon, cervical and prostate cancer.}
Vitamin E: almonds, spinach, parsnips, peanut butter, sunflower seeds,
asparagus, sweet potato, wheat germ, brussels sprouts, peanuts, pecans.
Beta carotene: carrot, butternut squash, cantaloupe, sweet potato, kale,
watercress, apricot, red pepper, turnip greens, mango.
A good rule of thumb: eat from the fruit and vegetable "color palette"
each day and include red, green, orange, and yellow.
By the way, eating lots of anti-oxidants keeps your lungs strong. The
proof? According to a 3/14/98 article in the FASEB Journal, people who
ate the most antioxidants were able to exhale almost 1/2 cup more air
in 1 second than people who ate much less. The ability to inhale and
exhale volumes of air is called "Vital Capacity" and is perhaps the best
physical exam indicator of life expectancy!**
And need I remind you that lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer? AND 18%
of VICTIMS NEVER SMOKED!
So eat your 9 servings of a rainbow variety of fruits, seeds, nuts and
vegetables. Then take a professional quality multi-vitamin/mineral with
at least 1000mg Vit C, 100 IU Vit E, and 15,000 units of mixed carotenoids
(not just beta-carotene), and 200mcg of selenium. As iron is a pro-oxidant,
it should not be included usually except in the anemic, childrens formulas
and for menstrating or pregnant females*.
Pregnant females and those desiring or even "at risk" for pregnancy should
limit Vit A supplementation to less than 5,000 units a day.
About the Author:
Dr John H Maher Ed., "Longevity News"
"Your Prescription for Wellness"
More Details at: http://www.RxforWellness.com
 
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