Drinks rich in antioxidants help your cells defend themselves against free radicals from pollution, tobacco or stress. Result: they limit oxidative stress, a phenomenon involved in premature aging and the development of many chronic diseases.
However, among these protective drinks, green tea comes first.
"Green tea stands out as my top choice,"
explains Erin Davis, dietician and diabetes specialist. “The plant compounds in green tea, particularly catechins, are well studied and have been found to reduce blood sugar, protect the nervous system, and have anti-cancer properties.“, she continues.
Tea, coffee, cocoa: great allies
Good news for lovers of homemade hot chocolate: cocoa also has very strong antioxidant power. “Iced chocolate drinks or hot chocolate made with cocoa can help improve blood flow, boost cognitive performance, and lower blood pressure when consumed regularly,” says Spano. “These benefits are due to the flavanols in cocoa. To get the most flavanols, choose a non-alkalized cocoa powder.”
Coffee also dominates the ranking of everyday antioxidant drinks.
“Your Favorite Morning Drink Can Do More Than Wake You Up” assures Erin Davis. “Coffee is an excellent source of chlorogenic acid, a plant compound that has anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity effects..”
A 100 ml serving of espresso achieves around 14.2 mmol of antioxidant content, compared to 2.5 mmol for the same amount of filter coffee.
Pomegranate and grape juice contain many polyphenols
Surprise: pomegranate and grape juice (also) stand out for their many benefits.
“100% pomegranate juice is made by pressing the whole fruit to obtain the polyphenols from the peel, pith and arils to optimize its antioxidant benefits“, underlines dietician Spano.
For her part, Erin Davis, recalls that “grape juice contains many similar polyphenols, such as resveratrol, which act as powerful antioxidants and help reduce the risk of heart disease,”
Be careful, however: if these juices are around 1 to 2.1 mmol of antioxidants per 100 ml; The National Nutrition and Health Program recommends not exceeding one small glass of 150 ml per day.
Orange juice: a concentrate of hesperidin
Orange juice provides vitamin C, carotenoids and flavonoids, but also hesperidin, a powerful antioxidant.
“The majority of hesperidin is found in the peel and membranes of the orange,” Spano points out.When oranges are squeezed, hesperidin is extracted from the peel, pulp and membranes, making orange juice one of the best food sources of hesperidin.” In total, a 100 ml serving provides approximately 0.64 mmol of antioxidants.
For dietitians, these simple drinks therefore remain preferable to vitamin-enriched sodas, which are often very sweet and low in antioxidants.