When it comes to antioxidants, there's a certain fruit group that may be giving blueberries a run for their money. And you'd be "plum" foolish not to eat 'em.
Stone fruits -- specifically, certain varieties of plums and peaches -- may have antioxidant levels on par with those of the nutrient-packed berries.
Red Means More Greenbacks
That's particularly good news in these tough economic times, because stone fruits tend to be much less expensive than antioxidant-superstar blueberries. A recent study showed that red-fleshed plums and red-fleshed peaches generally contained equal-to-blueberry levels of phenolics and anthocyanins, two major disease-fighting antioxidants. (Yellow and white peaches and nectarines, on the other hand, did not quite match up.) Ask your grocer about antioxidant-rich red-flesh plum and peach varieties next time you're shopping. Here's another food that packs a bigger antioxidant punch when it comes in red.
The Disease-Fighting Connection
Antioxidants in certain peach and plum varieties also inhibited a certain type of breast cancer cell in a lab setting, and certain varieties of plums, peaches, and nectarines reduced LDL (bad cholesterol) oxidation, too. More good reasons to seek out pits. Check out another fruit loaded with cholesterol-lowering, cancer-fighting antioxidants.
Ever thought of adding fruit to a skewer? Give it a shot with this Shrimp & Plum Kebab recipe from EatingWell.
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