Antioxidants are one of those compounds you hear about all the time, but their functions, benefits, and sources aren’t always clear. This article is for everyone who’s ever wondered “what are antioxidants, and am I getting enough of them?”

Let’s separate myths from facts and look at which vitamins have antioxidant properties, which foods are high in antioxidants, and what the benefits are of antioxidants in your diet.

 

What Are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants and antioxidant-like compounds are substances found in foods like fruits and vegetables that may prevent or delay certain types of cell damage. “They’re the body’s way of fighting toxins and inflammation,” says Caitlin Self, MS, CNS, LDN, of Frugal Nutrition.

“Antioxidants can be consumed in certain known vitamins, like vitamins A, C and E,” explains Liz Wyosnick, MS, RDN, owner of the Seattle-based practice Equilibriyum. There are also phytochemicals (chemicals derived from plants) that have antioxidant-like properties, such as selenium and zinc, and some carotenoids, flavonoids, and phenols.

Most foods boast a unique blend and amount of antioxidants and antioxidant-like compounds — from apples to walnuts and goji berries to spinach — but don’t worry about specific levels or combinations, says Self: “Eat the rainbow to get a wide range of antioxidants.”

 

How Do Antioxidants Work?

Antioxidants and antioxidant-like compounds can help prevent or counteract the oxidative stress that results from exposure to highly reactive atoms called free radicals. Wyosnick likens this stress to a gradual rusting in the body.

Free radicals can form as a product of normal metabolic processes in the body, including those associated with exercise and the conversion of food to energy. They can also result from environmental factors like X-rays, smoking, and pollution, explains Wyosnick.

By altering the chemical structures of cells, free radicals have the potential to damage them and their components, including cell proteins and DNA. Antioxidants serve as a balancing agent in an otherwise toxic environment.

 

Should You Take Antioxidant Supplements?

Supplements can serve as a handy backup if you’re not getting enough antioxidants in your diet. Of course, that may also be an indication that you need to make some changes to your grocery list. That’s why Wyosnick recommends trying to get your antioxidants primarily from whole foods.

“Spinach is a great source of antioxidants because it’s spinach, not because it contains carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin,” she explains. “Taking lutein on its own may not give you the same benefits as a simple spinach salad… The food always has the perfect combination of compounds for assimilation and utilization by the body.”

As for how to choose that food, Wyosnick has some advice: “I encourage my clients to allow the season and their taste preferences to guide them when choosing food sources of antioxidants, and to aim for diverse colors of these foods, as often as possible.”

When that’s not possible, Shakeology contains antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E and superfoods like camu-camu and pomegranate, which have antioxidant properties, all in a form factor that’s convenient and versatile.

 

Antioxidant Benefits

Since oxidation is happening all the time in the body, antioxidants have their work cut out for them — and that’s also why antioxidants have broad benefits. But while antioxidants are found in foods like fruits and vegetables that are known to help promote normal function and lower health risks, it remains unclear whether it’s the antioxidants in those foods that provide the benefits or something else.

Here’s a look at known benefits linked specifically to antioxidants.

1. Reduce free radicals

“Essentially, we have free radicals in our bodies from different exposures and stressors,” Self says. “They are like a bunch of bulls in a china shop — they run around wreaking havoc and causing damage in the body. Antioxidants swoop in and neutralize them so they can’t damage our cells.”

2. Stimulate normal cell growth

Cell death, or apoptosis, is a part of a cell’s life cycle, but free radicals can cause more cells to die off faster in the body. Antioxidants and antioxidant-like compounds not only help suppress cell death, but also stimulate normal cell growth in healthy individuals.

3. Protect cells from premature aging

As we age, our cells regenerate more slowly, but certain types of antioxidant-like compounds (such as polyphenols) can help offset or delay aging-related changes to cells.

4. Support immune function

The immune system is “particularly sensitive to oxidative stress,” according to researchers. Antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E, and beta-carotene, along with antioxidant-like compounds such as selenium, copper, iron, and zinc, can help keep the immune system strong.

For years, it looked like egg yolks were no longer disinvited from the breakfast table. After decades of warnings over the amount of cholesterol in yolks, researchers reversed course: Studies suggested that dietary cholesterol had a minimal impact on blood-cholesterol levels and touted the nutritional benefits of egg yolks (fat-burning choline, bone-building vitamin D). In 2016, the federal government’s Dietary Guidelines even lifted the recommended daily limit on eggs. The message was — eat up!

But lately, headlines tease a different story. A study published in March of 2019 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that egg-yolk consumption was correlated with heart disease — and death by any cause. It was the exact opposite news we were accustomed to hearing. And just like that, some of us started staring at our sunny omelettes and breakfast scrambles with mild separation anxiety.

So what’s the deal? Are egg yolks healthy or not? We asked several top nutritionists about the JAMA study. They gave us their take on how many eggs — and what parts — belong in your diet.

 

Why Did Opinions on Egg Yolks Change Again?

“The JAMA study said that there is an increased risk for all-cause mortality and a mortality from heart disease with even half an egg yolk of consumption per day. And it’s kind of a dose-dependent response: The more you eat of the egg yolk, the higher the risk,” says Dana Hunnes, Ph.D, RD, MPH, senior dietitian at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and an adjunct assistant professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

“But that begs the question: Is this a twofold or threefold increase? It wasn’t a significantly huge risk.”

Hunnes is vegan, but she wouldn’t tell a patient who eats one egg yolk a day to stop because of the new study. She warns against demonizing cholesterol, which is not exactly an alien life form.

“Our body naturally contains cholesterol, because cell walls are constructed of cholesterol,” she says. “So should you completely eliminate cholesterol from your diet? I think the jury is still out on that.”

Other experts agree the JAMA study was far from conclusive or prescriptive.

“Yes, you can eat eggs — we are both having them for breakfast today,” say Lauren Slayton, MS, RD, and Carolyn Brown MS, RD, of Foodtrainers NYC. “This latest egg study published in JAMA was a pooled analysis. This means that data from various studies were pooled and hypotheses developed, and that’s all you can do from this data. You can’t draw broad conclusions without a controlled experiment.”

Slayton and Brown point to a similarly formatted study that suggested hormone supplementation decreased women’s risk of heart disease. “This was turned on its head with actual experiments. More often than not, conclusions from these pooled studies do not hold up in controlled experiments,” they say.

The JAMA study was based on periodic questionnaires, not daily food diaries. Slayton and Brown use both in their practice and see how questionnaires, which they give at initial visits, often don’t reflect here-and-now reality: “That’s like drawing conclusions about someone’s fashion sense by what they wore decades ago.”

“The study really was just a snapshot in time, of where the subjects were in their diets,” says Registered Dietitian Andrea N. Giancoli, MPH, RD. “There may have been other confounding factors related to why they had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Certainly the study is not something we should ignore. But we don’t need to jump to conclusions and say, ‘OK, no eggs ever, anymore.’”

 

Egg Yolk Nutrition

One large egg has only 72 calories but 6 grams of protein, which is essential for building and maintaining the muscle that keeps your metabolism humming and body fat down. The majority of that protein in is in the white, another reason why egg yolks were considered disposable for years.

But today, scientific consensus holds that egg yolks have real health benefits. In fact, an egg yolk contains more overall nutrients than an egg white.

Yolks have several vitamins, including A, B2, (riboflavin), B6, B12, and D (which the body does not make naturally). The yolk also boasts the majority of an egg’s tally of minerals like calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, and thiamin.

“Egg yolks contain a lot of vitamins, so are you going to lose out if you skip the yolk and you’re not taking a multivitamin? That’s possible,” says UCLA’s Hunnes.

The fat and protein in yolks makes yolk-inclusive dishes more satiating — that could cut down on snacking later — and speeds the absorption of some vitamins.

“I usually say, ‘Do not take out the egg yolks,’” says Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN, of Real Nutrition NYC. “Because when people take out egg yolk, they start looking for another source of flavor. That’s when they start adding cheese, which is pretty much void of nutritional benefits, give or take some calcium and a little bit of protein. Egg yolks have B and D vitamins, and choline — all these really great nutrients.”

Egg yolks are particularly rich in choline, an essential nutrient that has received a lot of attention in the last few years. Choline helps the body burn fat and is important for brain development and memory. The yolk also delivers carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin, which are essential for eye health and guard against macular degeneration as we age.

That said, experts don’t recommend an all-you-can-eat policy.

 

Egg Yolks vs. Egg Whites

In a 2015 issue of the journal Nutrients, Donald J. McNamara, Ph.D, (a former executive director of the Egg Nutrition Center) noted that only one food has ever been officially restricted in the pursuit of cardiovascular health: the egg.

Eggs have the seventh-highest cholesterol level among all foods (186 mg per large egg), and it’s almost entirely in the yolk.

In 1968, the American Heart Association recommended that Americans consume no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day, and no more than three egg yolks per week. The prevailing belief was that consuming cholesterol-rich foods raised blood cholesterol, potentially clotting arteries and leading to heart disease.

But ensuing decades of research failed to support that assertion. Scientists found that saturated fat — not cholesterol — was the primary culprit in raising “bad” blood cholesterol levels.

“Research has shown that most of the cholesterol in our body is made by our liver — it doesn’t come from cholesterol we eat. The liver is stimulated to make cholesterol primarily by saturated fat and trans fat in our diet, not dietary cholesterol,” said Anthony Komaroff, MD, editor-in-chief of the Harvard Health Letter.

One large egg has 5 grams of fat and 1.6 grams of saturated fat, and 99 percent of both are found in the yolk. Today, the AHA recommends capping your saturated-fat intake at 13 grams a day for a 2,000 calorie diet.

So even eating a couple of yolks daily leaves plenty of wiggle room. And as late as 2018, studies found that the cholesterol in eggs was not well absorbed by the body and had a negligible effect on blood cholesterol in men and women.

 

So Are Egg Yolks Bad for You?

Ultimately, the dietitians we spoke with said the JAMA study hadn’t caused them to modify their previous recommendations — one egg yolk a day, on average, or a weekly quota of about six or seven. (That means you could eat two on one day, and none the next.)

Giancoli says her recommendation is to prepare eggs using one whole egg, plus additional whites, in a scramble with plenty of vegetables: spinach, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms. If you do want to go egg-whites-only, Shapiro also advises that you pile on the vegetables, or supplement with one-quarter of an avocado (what she recommends as one healthy serving, not the half-fruit you’ll get in a restaurant). It could be spread on a piece of whole-wheat or rye toast, if you’re craving grains.

But experts agree that the worst-case scenario would be to overreact to the egg study with substitutions that actually aren’t healthy at all, which is all too common these days. “Take the study with a grain of salt, but also look at your other eating patterns,” says Shapiro.

“There are so many other health concerns out there,” she continues. “Saturated fat intake is very important in terms of raising our cholesterol. And we know we shouldn’t eat red or processed meat more than twice a week for colon health, but today everybody’s putting bacon in everything, because they’re paleo.”

If you’re avoiding kombucha because you don’t think it tastes good — well, you probably haven’t tried the best kombuchas.

Sure, “booch” is made from a yeast and bacteria colony (known as a SCOBY) that looks like a baby alien, and its tartness can be an acquired taste for some people, but there are some amazing flavors out there.

And if science eventually supports all of kombucha’s purported health benefits, that’ll simply be a bonus. So before you swear off kombucha, here are 10 of the best-tasting brands you should try.

1. GT’s

Taste-wise, GT’s Enlightened Synergy Trilogy is hard to beat.

With touches of lemon, raspberry, and spicy ginger, it’s the perfect balance of tart and tangy — not to mention seriously refreshing.

If you love green juice, you may also want to try the Kombucha Multigreen, which tastes like a sweeter, fizzier version of a wheatgrass shot and contains algae, spirulina, and chlorella.

2. Rowdy Mermaid

Despite how popular kombucha has gotten over the years, Rowdy Mermaid has found a way to differentiate themselves in the market. Their uniquely flavored varieties are brewed with sustainably sourced ingredients and infused with botanicals, roots, and mushrooms.

Try their Roaring Pineapple with Lion’s mane mushroom, Savory Peach with thyme, or their Rowdy Belly with fenugreek and turmeric.

3. KeVita Master Brew

Spice lovers, rejoice. KeVita Master Brew Ginger tastes like a cocktail of iced tea and ginger beer, with the perfect amount of ginger bite — plus, you get the tummy-soothing benefits of ginger.

If you’re weirded out by the SCOBY chunks found in many kombuchas, you’ll love KeVita’s “no floaties” filtration process.

4. Nova Kombucha

Nova offers three types of kombucha that makes it less of a drink and more like a lifestyle.

They serve tasty flavors of alcoholic, non-alcoholic, and even “high-performance” kombucha while being 100% natural, vegan, and gluten-free.

Try yummy Guava Mint or Mango Pineapple for traditional Kombucha or one of their nine alcoholic flavors.

Their high-performance options include a pre-workout kombucha that contains energizing caffeine and a post-workout kombucha that provides electrolytes.

5. Better Booch

Better Booch started as a homemade operation run by a brother-sister duo. They continued to work with a chef, a microbiologist, and a chemist to create amazing kombucha for all to enjoy.

With so many delicious flavors that you can buy individually or in variety packs, you’re sure to find your favorite ‘Booch.

They’ve got everything from a strong Ginger Boost with lemongrass and peppermint to a crisp and refreshing Citrus Sunrise!

6. The Kombucha Shop

If you’re the DIY type, The Kombucha Shop’s easy starter kits help you learn how to brew your own amazing kombucha at home.

They’ve got everything from bottles and heat wraps to flavoring and and cultures.

Try the Deluxe Kombucha Brewing Kit, which comes with a one-gallon kombucha brewing kit, six swing top bottles, a bendable bottle brush, a stainless steel funnel, and a strainer set.

7. Holy Kombucha

If you’re a fan of more balanced kombuchas that skew slightly vinegar-y, Holy Kombucha is a must-try. With organically sourced ingredients that make up nine different flavors like Strawberry Yuzu and Green Apple Ginger, each bottle is non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan.

They even brew an award-winning tepache, which they call kombucha’s “bubbly cousin” from the Nahua people of Central Mexico.

8. Wild Bay Kombucha

Putting a modern spin on a family recipe, Wild Bay Kombucha strives for a perfectly balanced taste by using fruits, herbs, and spices that complement the natural tartness of kombucha. Among the 11 flavors they offer, the Elderberry is a fan favorite.

They also donate a portion of their sales to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to help support its efforts to protect the watershed and forms of life it sustains.

9. Humm Kombucha

Humm Kombucha started as a door-to-door delivery service by the “Kombucha Mama,” but it has since evolved into a brand with 20 different flavors that you can find in supermarkets across the US. With Whole30-approved and traditional options for your personal needs and preferences, Humm has health and flavor in mind.

Their Original kombucha contains organic juices and organic cane sugar (so it requires refrigeration) and comes in 12 different flavors. They range from traditional tastes like Ginger and Blackberry to bolder ones like Hopped Grapefruit and Magical Lemon Cupcake.

10. Forage Kombucha

Forage Kombucha calls themselves the “gateway to kombucha” with their carbonated drinks that are more akin to sparkling water. But rest assured, each (beautiful) can comes with gut-healthy probiotics and a blast of flavors, like Raspberry, Peach, and Jasmine Rose.

If you find yourself struggling to look past the strong kombucha flavors of other brands, Forage Kombucha might be what you’re looking for.

A lot is made of the odd dietary combinations that result from cravings during pregnancy, but comparatively little is devoted to how should you eat while breastfeeding.

While the “eating for two” mindset gets an overdue makeover in our nutrition program, 2B Pregnant, lactating mothers do need extra calories. Let’s explore where they should come from.

How Many Calories Should You Eat While Breastfeeding?

Mothers who are nursing require an additional 330 calories in the first six months and 400 calories in the second, per day, per infant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

These calorie counts assume a healthy pre-pregnancy weight, and represent about two-thirds of the calories needed to make enough milk for most babies. (The remainder comes from the weight gained during pregnancy.)

“Some nursing mothers will lose weight during breastfeeding due to the high energy demands required to produce breastmilk,” says Krista Maguire, R.D.N., senior nutrition manager for BODi. “Fat stores can be used to fuel this production as well as help make up the fat content of your baby’s milk.”

Of course, the exact number of calories needed to breastfeed can depend on a variety of factors, including the mother’s body mass index (BMI) and activity level, and whether the baby is receiving any additional forms of sustenance, such as formula or baby food.

Best Foods to Eat While Breastfeeding

The USDA guidelines on what to eat while breastfeeding mostly resemble those for any healthy diet, with a few additional considerations.

1. Protein

Lean meat, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils, and a variety of seafood that is low in mercury.

2. Whole fruits (as opposed to dried fruit, juices, jams, etc.)

Apples, berries, oranges, peaches, pears, and bananas.

3. Vegetables

Broccoli, potatoes, beets, spinach, carrots, peppers, and brussels sprouts.

4. Whole grains

Wild rice, oats, rye, spelt, and whole-wheat bread and pasta.

5. Low-fat dairy

Milk, yogurt, cheese.

The most important thing for breastfeeding moms is to maintain a well-balanced diet, says NorthShore University HealthSystem OB/GYN Dr. Ann Borders. Maguire adds that mothers should start by getting at least 1,800 calories per day via a variety of the above foods to ensure their babies get a full range of nutrients.

There are some specifics to be mindful of when getting those nutrients, due to 1. Their importance for the infant, and/or 2. Their insufficiency in some lactating women. These include:

• Protein
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Calcium
• Vitamin D
• B vitamins (including folate)
• Iodine
• Choline
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Dietary fiber

According to the CDC, a mother’s need for iodine and choline in particular increases during lactation. So, the USDA recommends getting 290 mcg of iodine and 550 mg of choline a day during the first year of motherhood. Sources of iodine include dairy, eggs, seafood, and iodized table salt, while choline can be found in eggs, dairy, meats, and some seafood and legumes.

Bonus tip: Diversifying your food sources, as Borders and Maguire advise, has the added benefit of exposing your child to a fuller range of tastes and flavors. That may make them more receptive to new foods later in their development.

Foods to Avoid While Breastfeeding

A 2017 literature review didn’t find any foods that mothers should avoid while breastfeeding, excepting those that elicited adverse reactions from the infant. That said, lactating mothers are best advised to limit their consumption of the following items.

• Alcohol: abstinence is ideal, but one drink per day is the maximum, waiting at least 2 hours before nursing.
• Caffeine: maximum 300 mg per day (approx. 2 to 3 cups coffee)
• High-mercury fish: skip; instead opt for 2 to 3 servings per week of fish lower in mercury

It’s also generally a good idea to limit foods and beverages that are high in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.

Breastfeeding Tips for Vegans and Vegetarians

“When women are vegetarian or vegan, it’s a good idea to meet with a nutritionist or dietitian to make sure they’re on track to meet the dietary needs of their babies,” Borders says, noting the particular importance for these women of the following nutrients:

Similar concerns apply to breastfeeding women who are interested in maintaining or revisiting their pre-pregnancy eating patterns, oftentimes in the interest of shedding pregnancy weight and getting back into shape fast.

Breastfeeding and Weight Loss

Though not every woman reports weight loss while breastfeeding, it can certainly help the cause for some.

“Typically, prolonging breastfeeding really helps women get back to their pre-pregnancy weight, while also lowering the rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiac disease,” Borders says.

The biggest reason, in Borders’ opinion?

“By breastfeeding for longer, you’re helping to morph those fat reserves in your body into the energy needed to produce breastmilk,” she says.

Still, it’s all the more reason to go easy on the extra calories — unless you really need them.

“Our bodies should’ve already done a good job of putting fat reserves together during pregnancy months,” says Borders, who provides a bottom line that can work for everyone:

“I always just tell women to 1. Maintain a healthy diet, 2. Eat when you’re hungry, and 3. Don’t go too crazy with additional calories. Just focus on a well-balanced diet to meet the needs of yourself and your baby.”