ThisNext Blog

Anyone who’s even remotely health-conscious knows the importance of upping your intake of antioxidants: The free-radical-fighting substances are linked to everything from cancer prevention and heart protection to better eyesight and enhanced longevity. And – unless your daily diet is very much of the meat-and-potatoes variety – antioxidants are anything but elusive. You can slurp on a watermelon slice to soak up lots of lycopene, down a glass of OJ for the vitamin C power, or crunch through a carrot to get your beta-carotene.

For some of most antioxidant-rich foods and supplements around, just take a peek at all the very phytonutrient-friendly picks popping up on ThisNext. From the indulgent to the hardcore healthy, our shopcasters know all about the stuff you need to turn back the clock and fight off disease like some kind of superhero.

Tea – especially green tea – is full of flavonoids (compounds with way-high antioxidant activity). Christina Jones of eBeautyDaily sips on TeaVana’s Moroccan Mint (a Chinese gunpowder green tea infused with spearmint), crowning the blend “the best of all green tea.”

Another variety of tea, the rainforest-grown yerba mate, brims over with antioxidants as well as 24 vitamins and minerals and 15 amino acids. Jeff Jackson of Rock and Ice Magazine includes Guayaki’s Yerba Mate on his list of climbing essentials, getting high on the drink’s “good green buzz.”

For a sweeter, juicier gulp of antioxidants, there’s POM Wonderful Blueberry, featured on Gordon’s “Healthy Drinks” list. Says Gordon of POM’s potent antioxidant power:

“Pomegranates and blueberries both supposedly contain loads of free-radical-scrubbing anti-oxidants. That’s great and I am happy this is a healthy drink, but, even if it did not have the health benefits, it would be worth drinking as it tastes great.”

Plus, POM’s basically got the coolest-looking packaging in the history of bottled juices.

And speaking of sweet…we love Wendy Leonard forever for introducing us to Schokinag European Drinking Chocolate, “the most sublimely rich, smooth and decadent drinking chocolate (hot or cold) on the planet.” Where does the good-for-you factor come in?

“Current studies suggest that eating flavanoid-rich dark chocolate may exert a protective effect on a person’s cardiovascular system. (That’s scientist-speak for: It looks like one of the world’s favorite guilty pleasures may be good for your heart!)How much of good thing? Eating ‘till your heart’s content’ in this study involved enjoying 100 grams (that’s about 3 ½ ounces), daily.”

And she’s a medical writer, so we trust her 1,000 percent.

Some of the biggest antioxidant superstars are of a far less indulgent variety, but we’re pretty sure they might help you live forever. Alex of GYMp3 digs Tonic Alchemy – The Ultimate Superfood (the “best tasting ‘green food’ powder”), while Tom Rutlin of Exerstrider goes for Eniva’s VIBE liquid nutritional supplement:

“Convenient source of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. One tasty ounce of it in a glass of water gives you comprehensive supplementation. Get rid of those bottles of pills and capsules!”