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Just remember the key word is little. One glass of wine and a little of the high fat versions of chocolate and blueberries is good. More than that and the positive benefits you may have gained will rapidly decline into health threats. Interestingly, if you take your dark chocolate and blueberries without the fat, the Little Rule no longer applies.
Antioxidants act in a similar way. When you eat them they patrol your body, looking for the harmful processes and toxins that are trying to break down your body. The antioxidants latch on to the bad guys and take care of them so they can’t harm your cells anymore. It’s a fantastically effective and easy system—you eat the foods, the foods keep you healthy. However, it doesn’t work if you don’t eat the good foods in the first place.
Studies show that red wine provides various types of antioxidants that can raise your good cholesterol and lower your bad, reduce inflammation, boost estrogen and block damaging reactions in the body that can cause mental deterioration. Studies have also shown that a specific antioxidant called resveratrol has been shown to inhibit certain kinds of cancers.
Dr. Brenda Hainey, ND, notes that even though resveratrol in red wine has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, it is not recommended in estrogen-sensitive cancers, such as uterine, ovarian, and breast cancer because its estrogen-like effects may actually increase the progression of the disease.
The same goes for other foods that contain resveratrol, such as grapes, grape juice, peanuts, blueberries, bilberries, and cranberries. Avoid them if you have an estrogen-sensitive cancer.
And if you are someone who wants to avoid wine or alcohol in any form, red grape juice is a great alternative.
A tip: You want to look for the darkest chocolate you can find to gain the most health benefits. The darker it is, the more protective antioxidants you get. And to be super healthy, take your chocolate without the fat. You can do this by using cocoa powder to make tasty low-fat desserts or a warming cup of hot chocolate.
When we talk about fruits and vegetables, you need to know about a unit of measurement called the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbency capacity), which is the level of antioxidant protection provided by our fibrous friends. Basically, we’re supposed to take in about 3500 ORAC units a day. You can get close to this amount from eating 11 medium-sized apples, 7 cups of potatoes, or 1 cup of blueberries. Even if you really like fruits and vegetables, that’s a lot of apples and potatoes. However a heaping cup of blueberries is very do-able and just divine!
All fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, which is why your mother keeps trying to get you to eat them. She really does know what’s good for you. Now eat your blueberries…and your red grape juice or wine, and your chocolate.
Photo Credit: Daniel Wildman