With all the talk about vitamins, iron, protein and calories these days it is common for people to forget just how important antioxidants are for our bodies.

Antioxidants are nutrients and immunity boosting vitamins found in foods that are important for our health and in the fight against diseases.

Antioxidants are actually defined as naturally occurring chemicals in food that help to counter the detrimental effects of oxygen free radicals that we encounter in every day life through pollution and normal metabolism.

These antioxidants can be largely found in leafy plants and fruit and vegetables, cereals, and teas.

Fruits like strawberries, kiwi fruit, and passion fruit are the major fruits that carry antioxidants.

In terms of vegetables, carrots and vegetable oils are great sources of antioxidants, as too are leafy plats like spinach and broccoli.

Great Tea is the leader when it comes to fluids, although chamomile is also highly rated, but normal black tea is believed to have too much caffeine to be that good for you.

Some of the best antioxidants include vitamins A, C and E, minerals and other naturally occurring chemicals.

It is believed that eating five to seven servings of antioxidants ach day will help protect us form heart disease and certain cancers.

There is also plenty of research and studies that have looked into just how beneficial these nutrients can be. It also found that asking them daily would also reduce the likelihood of picking up other age related degenerative diseases such as high cholesterol.

More research still needs to done into the effects of antioxidants for more concrete knowledge, but so far the evidence points to positive signs form intakes of these vitamins.

In addition to helping fight major illnesses and diseases, antioxidants also ensure we have a strong immune system, and with winter upon us, it is essential in keeping ourselves healthy and virus free.