Minerals are substances that can be obtained from most fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and other foods.
Anything that is grown in a mineral rich soil will contain minerals.
Antioxidants are substances that help to offset and prevent damage from free radicals within the body.
Therefore, antioxidant minerals are minerals that have an antioxidant effect on the body.
Some of the most common and most powerful antioxidant minerals are selenium, copper, zinc, manganese and iron.
These need to be combined with other vitamins and minerals for maximum health benefits.
Most minerals, although they might not have a direct effect on hunting down free radicals, can help the antioxidant minerals be more effective in doing their job.
The same goes for vitamins and other nutrients.
Therefore, they need to be taken as part of a balanced diet.
Free radicals can occur in the body due to toxic pollutions, and can set off chain reactions, which when not stopped by antioxidants, can contribute to many age related diseases and common ailments.
As a matter of fact, studies show that most degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart disease, asthma and many others are a direct result of free radical damage.
Thus, antioxidants are very important in helping to ward off these negative health conditions.
Antioxidant minerals are commonly found in many fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, as well as in other foods that are grown in mineral rich soils.
They can also be obtained from animal sources and supplements; however, it is best to obtain them from a natural diet that consists of plenty of fruits and vegetables.
This helps to ensure that all nutrients are consumed in a healthy balance.
Supplements on the other hand, are often not balanced, and thus can lead to an overdose of a certain mineral.
And the problem with animal proteins is that they can potentially interfere with the action of the antioxidants by increasing the levels of toxins in the body.
A wide variety of foods are necessary in order to obtain all the nutrients in the correct proportion.
A good way to ensure this, is to consume all the different colored foods such as greens, reds, oranges, yellow and purple.
Good food sources of antioxidant minerals are avocados, pomegranate, banana, raspberries, mango, kale, Spirulina, pumpkin and Swiss Chard.
Most nuts and seeds also are good sources of antioxidant minerals.
The best way to consume these foods is in their raw state, for optimum nutrition.
The can be combined in fruit smoothies or in leafy green salads.