It is a good idea to consume lots of foods with high antioxidant levels. What antioxidants are good for is protecting the human body from free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that are unstable and, as a result, cause damage to cells this is called oxidative stress.. This damage over time contributes to a whole host of health problems. When we consume antioxidants they neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. In turn lower oxidative stress typically lowers risks of various health problem including several types of cancer, heart disease and even Alzheimer’s disease.

What Are the Foods With the Highest Antioxidant Content?

Here are foods with high antioxidant content

• Sumac bran
• Dried Indian gooseberries
• Oregano spice
• Rosemary spice
• Dried peppermint
• Thyme spice
• Boabab fruit powder
• Cinnamon
• Tumeric
• Vanilla bean
• Sage spice
• Szechuan pepper spice
• Acai powder
• Black sorgum
• Allspice
• Rose hips
• Majoram spice
• Sumac grain
• Red sorgum bran
• Nutmeg
• Basil spice
• Cocoa powder
• Camu camu powder
• Small red beans
• Blueberries domestic and wild
• ´Pecans
• Dark chocolate
• Arabica coffee beans

It turns out that coffee does not have the highest antioxidant content. So, why is it on our list? The problem with trying to get adequate amounts of antioxidants from all of spices that we list is we use small amounts for seasoning. Some of the other foods are not common to the American diet and may be hard to obtain.

Although Arabica coffee does not have the level of antioxidants per gram that many of the top-listed items do, we drink an awful lot of coffee. In fact, a good estimate that a coffee drinker can easily get half of the antioxidants that they need simply from enjoying their daily Arabica coffee. As a public health issue, because Americans drink so much coffee, it provides a greater health benefit to more people than many of the items that you would need to intentionally added to your diet and get used to.

Arabica versus Robusta Coffee and Antioxidants

We generally prefer Arabica coffee over Robusta because Arabica tastes better. However, if you want a greater antioxidant content, as well as more caffeine, Robusta has higher levels of antioxidants in green beans and it maintains its lead over Arabica after roasting as well Robusta has particularly high chlorogenic acids. The levels of antioxidants vary according to growing conditions, so levels may change from farm to farm and from year to year.

How Much Coffee Should You Drink for Optimal Antioxidant Intake and When Should You Drink It?

There is no long-term data about the amounts of antioxidants consumed from coffee and health results. However, there is good data relating to how much coffee we drink over the years and health results. As the rule the more cups of coffee you drink each day the more the benefits, up to about 5 cups a day. It turns out that when you drink your coffee makes a difference. Morning coffee drinkers have better results including lower incidence of various cancers and lower risk of premature death. So, enjoy your coffee, especially with breakfast and enjoy your healthy life, thanks to all of those antioxidants!