Agriculture Research Service – March 13, 2008 
You may not know it, but eating causes what’s known as “oxidative stress.” As we digest our food, we create sometimes-harmful molecules known as “free radicals.” But antioxidants—healthful compounds in fruits and vegetables—can help by neutralizing the free radicals.
That’s yet another good reason to eat at least some antioxidant-rich foods at every meal, according to the Agricultural Research Service. Scientists found that the antioxidant capacity of volunteers’ blood plasma samples declined after eating a test meal that lacked antioxidants. But they also found, for the first time, that consuming grapes with that same test meal prevented the decline in plasma antioxidant capacity of the volunteers during the first two hours following the test meal—the time digestion is the most rapid.
Previous research has shown that omitting antioxidant-rich foods from meals can lead to cellular damage by free radicals, which increases the risk of atherosclerosis, cancer and other diseases. The study looked at the ability of the human body to use the antioxidants in Bing cherries, dried plums, dried plum juice, kiwifruit, red grapes, strawberries and wild blueberries.
To find out which fruits give you the most antioxidant bang for your buck, click here.
Boot campers! Congrats on finishing Week 3. Only one more to go! A great snack anytime of the day is low-fat yogurt mixed with sliced strawberries and blueberries and a few walnuts on top.
