Antioxidant Rich Foods: Acai Blueberries, Pomegranate and More

Anti-oxidant foods and drink concoctions are very popular right now. Walk into any health foods store or Whole Foods and you will see many offerings. What are the best anti-oxidant foods for you, and which taste the best? Below I talk about three of my favorites:

Acai blueberry drinks

Acai blueberries are extremely rich in antioxidants. Most of the formulas and drinks based on the acai berries are sweet with a slightly bitter finish, or no aftertaste at all, depending on the brand.

Acai blueberries are great for several reasons: they have more antioxidants than nearly any other fruit, they are affordable, they are widely available, and blueberry juice is relatively sweet.

Many health-conscious celebrities are into acai blueberries, and frequent partiers have been known to make acai blueberry protein shakes as "next morning hangover" recovery beverages.

Pomegranate mixes and drinks

The pomegranate is a fascinating fruit with a high antioxidant component. If blueberry juice is too sweet for you, you may grow to love pomegranate drinks such as the widely marketed POM brand of pomegranate juices. POM, in particular, offers several varieties of pomegranate juices that are mixed in with other fruits-such as tangerine and mango. This sweetens the flavor profile of pomegranate for those who dislike the taste, but love the antioxidant benefits.

Pomegranate is generally more expensive to come by than blueberries, although this is likely to be less of an issue over time as pomegranate drinks gain market share and become more mainstream.

Grape juice

Dark grape juice is another superb source of antioxidants; I recommend mixing blueberries with grapes in a morning refresher drink from time to time. Grape juice tastes great, of course, and is the most widely available of the three options.

On the downside, however, grapes are not known for having as high an antioxidant component as acai blueberries or pomegranate. Still, it is better than nothing-especially if you are in a grocery store that does not have fresh blueberries or affordable pomegranate drinks.

Try to get "freshly made" or "not from concentrate" grape juice, as opposed to "from concentrate" grape juice-concentrate juice may have undergone freezing for a long period of time, which can lessen the antioxidant potency. (Also, from concentrate fruit drinks tend to have less flavor than freshly squeezed brands-but from concentrates are typically much less expensive to manufacture, hence their popularity in large supermarkets.)

Red wine

If you are "of age" and can legally drink, many health experts believe that the occasional glass of red wine can be another excellent source of antioxidants.

Drink only in moderation, and choose a darker red wine so that you get the maximum amount of antioxidants. Merlot and cabernet sauvignon are both good varieties to try; pinot noir is arguably not as good since it is a far "lighter" variety of red wine.