Fresh fruits and vegetables are full of great antioxidants, which are phytochemicals—vitamins and other nutrients—that help protect our cells from free radical damage. For more information on antioxidants, consider reading The Super Anti-Oxidants: Why They Will Change the Face of Healthcare in the 21st Century, by James F. Balch; The Antioxidant Miracle, by Lester Packer, PhD and Carol Colman; The Antioxidants and The New Superantioxidant-Plus: The Amazing Story of Pycnogenol, Free-Radical Antagonist and Vitamin C Potentiator, by Richard A. Passwater.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Fresh fruits and vegetables are full of great nutrition and helpful antioxidants, so check the following information and consider adding some servings to your healthy-nutrition plan!

1. Fresh fruits and vegetables are well-known for containing antioxidants, a group of compounds that are produced by the body and are found in many natural foods. Antioxidants are important to our health and vitality because they help protect us from:

a. rabies.
b. snake venom.
c. damage from free radicals.
d. allicin.


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2. Lester Packer, PhD, co-author of The Antioxidant Miracle, recommends eating __________ servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily to help keep your “antioxidant network” strong.

a. two to five
b. seven to ten
c. three or four
d. five to seven


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3. Good sources of selenium, an important trace mineral having antioxidant properties and the ability to help reduce the incidence of certain cancers, include:

a. wheat germ.
b. broccoli.
c. garlic and onions.
d. All of the above.


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4. A nice fresh apple is a powerful protector of health due to its combination of __________ and the __________ that enhance the activity of vitamin C.

a. fiber; flavonoids
b. seeds; juices
c. flavonoids; free radicals
d. juice; vitamins


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5. The intestinal gas that people sometimes notice when they eat fresh vegetables can be greatly reduced by:

a. chewing them less.
b. drinking a glass of water with them.
c. chewing them very well, to make sure the cellulose layer has been broken down adequately.
d. eating them later in the day.


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6. True or False: While taking nutritional supplements can help at times, the importance of including an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables in the daily diet is well known and should not be replaced with the use of supplements.

a. True
b. False


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7. Garlic, a natural cancer fighter, also has antifungal and antibiotic properties that come from its __________ compounds

a. carotenoid
b. sulphur
c. citrus
d. nitric oxide


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8. Fresh or lightly steamed greens are high in fiber, low in calories, and contain antioxidant flavonoids, which can help lower __________—an added “plus!”

a. phenolic compounds
b. hydrochloric acid
c. CoQ10
d. cholesterol


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9. Fresh raw spinach is not just a good food source of lipoic acid and folic acid; it also contains large amounts of lutein, which has been proven as strong protection against:

a. multiple sclerosis.
b. schizophrenia.
c. macular degeneration.
d. Down’s syndrome.


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10. Squash is a wonderful food, and there are many varieties—but the ones with the most carotenoid “punch” include __________: they contain beta-carotene, calcium, and potassium.

a. summer squash
b. butternut squash
c. acorn squash
d. B and C


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