Phenolic antioxidants are protective chemical compounds found only in plant foods that prevent inflammation and cellular deterioration, and boost the body’s natural defenses. They are found in fruits, grains, vegetables, spices, herbs, and teas. Foods high in phenolic antioxidants include berries, olives, cinnamon, grapes, and carrots. Eating the skin of plant foods is recommended for the highest concentration of phenolic antioxidants.
Derived from plants, phenolic antioxidants are one of three types of antioxidants, which are protective chemical compounds that offer resistance to diseases ranging from cancer to arthritis. This class of antioxidants differs from sulfur-based antioxidants and selenium antioxidants because their protective powers come strictly from polyphenols, which are substances found only in plant foods, such as fruits, grains, and vegetables. Spices, herbs, and teas made from plants also contain phenolic antioxidants.
Since these protective chemicals only exist in plant-based foods, phenolic antioxidants are also called phytochemicals; the prefix “phyto” is the Latin word for “plant.” One of the main benefits of these antioxidants is that they prevent tissue swelling and inflammation, which is the source of most pain and infection. At the cellular level, antioxidants protect against DNA damage and cellular deterioration. These antioxidants do their protective job by suppressing the oxidation necessary for cells to die and for tumors to grow and spread.
These disease-fighting antioxidant compounds also rev up the body’s natural defenses by inducing the production of macrophages, which are groups of white blood cells that fight off malicious bacteria. In addition to cancer, studies have shown that eating foods with these antioxidants can curb cardiovascular disease, cataracts, and a variety of neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Alternative practitioners also recommend phenolic antioxidants for diabetes.
Antioxidants exist in more than a dozen phenolic compounds, compounds chemically composed of hydroxyl groups and benzene rings. Among them are flavonoids, flavonols, and tannins, all of which can be found in certain fresh, dried, or frozen vegetables, herbs, and fruits. Essential oils from plants also contain phenol-based antioxidants, but they are generally for topical application only, not dietary consumption. These oils, therefore, can only affect external inflammation and cannot boost immunity or help with disease. Other sources of phenolic antioxidants are carotenoids and anthocyanins in plants.
Foods that contain high levels of phenolic antioxidant compounds in the form of tannins, flavonoids, and flavonals include cinnamon, olives, and all kinds of berries. Carrots, grapes, and products made from grapes, such as wine and grape juice, also contain high levels of phenolic antioxidants. Almost all fruits and vegetables have some concentration of phenolic antioxidants, and organic varieties retain the highest level of phytonutrition. When eating fruits, vegetables, or grains for antioxidant health, doctors recommend eating the skin as well. While the seeds, meat and leaves of a plant food have phenolics, the intense colors in the skin suggest a concentration of tannins with antioxidant power.
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