Antioxidants are beneficial for a number of reasons. They protect against illness, slow the aging process within your cells, and even prevent against life-threatening diseases like heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants are found in vitamins A, C, and E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, and polyphenols. Here are a few foods that are packed full of these items that offer naturally occurring antioxidants.

1. Berries. Fresh berries contain many of the vitamins that antioxidants are found in, and they taste great as well. Have a handful of blueberries for breakfast to help boost your cognitive function and strengthen your immune system first thing in the morning.
2. Beans. Not only are beans filled with fiber, they’re also packed with antioxidants. Red beans have the highest amount of any type of bean, but it doesn’t hurt to incorporate black beans, lima beans, or navy beans into your diet as well.
3. Dark chocolate. This one may seem too good to be true, but delicious dark chocolate is full of antioxidants. Having a few squares for dessert can help to lower your blood pressure, but only if you opt for something with higher than 70 percent cocoa. Chocolate is still fairly high in calories and sugar, however, so be careful not to overindulge.

10 Antioxidant-Rich Foods [Food Network]
8 Foods Rich in Antioxidants [FitDay]
Best Antioxidant-Rich Foods [Reader’s Digest]
20 Common Foods With the Most Antioxidants [WebMD]

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