Why is it better to obtain antioxidants from foods instead of supplements?

Answer 1

There may be thousands of different substances in foods that have antioxidant potential. For example, a typical apple has the antioxidant 'capacity' of 1500 milligrams of vitamin C (even though it contains little vitamin C - it is the numerous other molecules in the apple that are antioxidants).

Additionally, all of these molecules (bioflavanoids, cartenoids, polyphenols, etc.) have many other important, health promoting functions. Thus, you literally get 'more bang for your buck' with whole, fresh foods.

However, most people do not eat the recommended 7 to 9 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Consequently, taking a quality multi-vitamin/mineral supplement can help mitigate the deficiencies our poor diets generate.

Answer 2

The body is able to assimilate and utilize nutrients from food sources more efficiently than from a supplemental pill.... which is why they are intended as supplements to a diet, not a primary source of a diet.

The most ideal thing would be to get all of your nutrition (not just antioxidants, but all nutrients) from the foods you eat, but truth be told, most people don't get enough of the general vitamins and minerals from their daily diet, much less the amino acids, essential fatty acids, and all other nutrients that are beneficial. That's why so many doctors recommend taking a good multivitamin, even if they have no knowledge of herbs or natural supplements.

Answer 3

I think supplements are great when you don't have the means to get the proper nutrients in your diet.
I do think that it is better to try to get more fruits,beans etc into your diet rather than getting just a supplement because many of the foods have more nutrients than you would find in the supplement. I have searched the net and found that blueberries and red beans top the list of foods with antioxidant power. To see the health benefits of blueberries see http://www.simply-blueberries.com

Answer 4

In every food, there is the enzyme(s) present to properly
digest that food. (There may
be some exceptions.)
So that you are assured of
having that food properly digested and metabolized
into your necessary body functions.
the reasons we use supplements is when we cannot get a pure food, or
the store foods have been
alterated with pesticides/chemicals, etc.
As we get older, we also
cannot digest all food efficiently, therefore is it
necessary to supplement to
get the proper nutrients, which still may not be
assimilated properly, but at
least we try.

Answer 5

Yes. Because they still have living essence in them.