Why this matters: Antioxidants help protect your cells from damage and inflammation, and several foods provide as many (or more) antioxidants than green tea.
What you can do: Eat a variety of antioxidant-rich foods, such as berries, seeds, cocoa, and kale.
The payoff: An antioxidant-rich diet can help protect your cells as you age, supporting long-term health.
Green tea is full of antioxidants, compounds that help protect your cells from damage and lower inflammation. While it’s hard to know exactly how many antioxidants are in food, green tea’s antioxidant capacity is about 570 to 2,620 micromoles per 100 milliliters.
If you’re looking for more antioxidant-rich food and drinks to add to your diet, there are plenty of other options to include. Start with these seven.
1. Berries
Credit: rez-art / Getty Images
Berries are a great source of antioxidants. Most berries have an antioxidant capacity of about 2,100 to over 15,000 micromoles (μmol) per 100 grams (g). Berries with the highest antioxidant capacity include:
Berries are also rich in anthocyanins, a type of polyphenol and plant pigment. These compounds give berries red, purple, and blue colors.
2. Kale
Credit: janecocoa / Getty Images
Kale is one of the most antioxidant-rich vegetables. In one study measuring the antioxidant capacity of 303 vegetables, the average was about 800 micromoles per 100 grams. However, a few vegetables had much more, while some had less.
The study found that curly kale has an antioxidant capacity of about 2,800 micromoles per 100 grams. Kale is rich in vitamins A and C and contains polyphenols.
Other vegetables with high antioxidant capacity include artichokes, red chili peppers, and green chili peppers.
3. Cocoa 
Credit: HUIZENG HU / Getty Images
Cocoa powder has about 636 micromoles of antioxidant capacity per gram. So, chocolate made with more cocoa has higher antioxidant capacity.
A 2023 study found that eating 10 grams of cocoa high in polyphenols helped reduce inflammation linked to heart health. Another 2024 study found that people who ate cocoa regularly had lower blood cholesterol.
4. Spices
Credit: Liudmila Chernetska / Getty Images
Spices come from the seeds, bark, roots, or leaves of plants—which are naturally high in polyphenols.
A 2024 study looked at 425 spices and herbs. Clove had the highest antioxidant capacity, followed by peppermint, allspice, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, saffron, and tarragon. Their antioxidant capacity ranged from 440 to 2,770 micromoles per gram.
5. Seeds
Credit: Tatiana Sidorova / Getty Images
Seeds can contain antioxidant nutrients like vitamins A and E. They are also packed with polyphenols. A 2020 study looked at the antioxidant capacity of five different seeds. Here’s how they ranked:
Sunflower seed: 450 µmol/g
6. Nuts
Credit: FotografiaBasica / Getty Images
Nuts are rich in antioxidant nutrients and beneficial plant compounds. A 2025 study showed that eating 60 grams or more of almonds daily may reduce blood markers of oxidative stress, a state of cell damage that can lead to disease. It may also increase antioxidant enzyme activity, which helps protect cells.
Here are the antioxidant capacities of some nuts:
Some nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and Brazil nuts, are especially rich in vitamin E. Brazil nuts are also particularly high in selenium.
7. Coffee
Credit: HUIZENG HU / Getty Images
Coffee is one of the drinks with the most antioxidants. It has about 75 to 172 micromoles of antioxidant capacity per gram of ground coffee.
The amount of antioxidants in coffee can change depending on the type of coffee bean, how it is roasted, and how it is brewed. A 2020 study found that Aeropress coffee had the highest antioxidant capacity. Drip coffee came next, followed by pour-over, espresso, and French press.
Read the original article on Health