With the winter holidays behind me, I’ve started the new year off with a new resolution - to include foods that are rich in antioxidants into my diet.

According to the WebMD article, "Antioxidants - Topic Overview," fruits and vegetables are the best source of antioxidants, which are substances such as vitamins (Vitamins C and E), some minerals and flavonoids that protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals. This damage is a factor in the development of blood vessel disease (atherosclerosis), cancer and other conditions. According to the article, "a person may be exposed to free radicals:

• Through by-products of normal processes that take place in the body (such as the burning of sugars for energy and the release of digestive enzymes to break down food).
• When the body breaks down certain medications.
• Through pollutants, such as heavy metals and cigarette smoke." 

Which foods have the highest concentration of antioxidants?

According to Antioxidants-4-Life.com, foods that are high in antioxidants have the highest Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) value, or antioxidant concentration. They are called Super Antioxidants. The “Top 11 Super Antioxidants,” according to Antioxidants-4-Life.com, include the following:

1. Unprocessed cocoa powder is the number one super antioxidant food with a whopping 26,000 ORAC value per 100 grams (3.5 ounces).
2. Acai berries have a 18,500 ORAC value. Acai berries are nature's super antioxidants that look like purple grapes and are found in the Amazon Rain forest on Acai palm trees.
3. Dark chocolate (processed) has a 13,120 ORAC value. Unprocessed dark chocolate has many benefits to include lowering blood pressure, decreasing complications with diabetes, increasing the health of pregnant women, increasing energy, and reversing the aging process. The difference between processed and unprocessed cocoa is processed cocoa is heated (most chocolate you buy in store) with high temperatures that destroys most of the antioxidants in the dark chocolate.
4. Prunes have a 5,770 ORAC value. Prunes are a type of plum grown specifically for drying. Prune juice is more fiber-rich than plum juice and is often marketed as a way to increase regularity.
5. Raisins have a 2,830 ORAC value. Raisins are healthy and nutritious fruit snacks that can be enjoyed naturally or cooked as part of your favorite recipe.
6. Blueberries have a 2,400 ORAC value. Blueberries are flowering plants bell-shaped with white, pale pink or red, or sometimes tinged greenish flowers.
7. Blackberries have a 2,036 ORAC value. The fruit ripens from mid-summer to early fall and goes from red to black.
8. Strawberries have a 1,540 ORAC value. Strawberries and blueberries have been linked to protection from Alzheimer's disease.
9. Raw spinach has a 1,260 ORAC value. Raw spinach is naturally rich in lutein, which is an antioxidant.
10. Broccoli florets have a 890 ORAC value. Broccoli is a super food and research suggests that it is especially good for the stomach. A compound found in broccoli and broccoli sprouts appears to be more effective than modern antibiotics against the bacteria that causes peptic ulcers.
11. Red grapes have a 739 ORAC value. It's long been known that drinking red grape juice or wine has the potential to help fight off breast cancer.