Antioxidant-Rich Diets May Prevent Diabetes

More news reaffirming a diet packed with antioxidant-rich foods will not only keep you healthy, but starve off chronic disease as well.

More news reaffirming a diet packed with antioxidant-rich foods will not only keep you healthy, but starve off chronic disease as well. Recent research indicates that a diet consisting of at least five daily servings of fruits and vegetables can lower insulin levels, keeping diabetes at bay.

A study presented at the Endocrine Society's Annual Meeting demonstrated that dietary antioxidants can be a powerful way to improve insulin resistance - even in people who are obese and suffering from metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, and is considered a precursor for diabetes.

This new research holds out the hope that a diet packed with antioxidant-rich foods could greatly improve insulin resistance without the need for medication. Antioxidants are naturally found in many foods and include vitamins E and C, selenium and carotenoids. 
It's easy to get all the antioxidants and nutrients you need naturally from food.

Decorate your plate with richly colored vegetables and fruits. Dark Greens: broccoli, spinach, kale, collards, Swiss chard, romaine lettuce, avocados, parsley. Red, orange, yellow: tomatoes, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, yams, bell peppers, carrots, mangoes, papaya, apricots, cantaloupe, berries, kiwi, watermelon, citrus fruits. Choose organic produce whenever possible; according to the Environmental Working Group there are twelve key produce items, the "dirty dozen", that when available should always be purchased organic.

When we talk about antioxidants we can not forget whole grains and legumes which provide selenium, vitamin E, heart healthy soluble fiber, and a host of other phytochemicals. Good sources are brazil nuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, brown rice, oats, and beans.

For more on organics click here.