Resveratrol is an antioxidant found in red wine that is associated with the prevention of diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. Some foods like grape juice or grapes have high amounts of resveratrol because they are grown in environments where sun exposure and plant exposure are high. For others, you can find it in peanuts, cocoa butter, tomatoes, cherries, and dark chocolate.
Which Foods contain resveratrol
1. Grapes
This is the primary food that contains resveratrol. The grapes are grown in areas where the temperature gets higher than 104 degrees which leads to a high rate of sun exposure and a warm climate.
2. Cocoa butter
This is a vegetable fat extracted from cocoa beans that comes under the category of chocolate. It can be used as a margarine or butter substitute in some recipes. Cocoa butter is slightly bitter but it is mainly used for its texture, color, and stability benefits to certain foods like chocolate or ice cream. Resveratrol levels are high in cocoa butter because of the way cocoa beans are grown.
3. Peanuts
This is the most preferred choice of vegans as an alternative to meat. It contains large amounts of resveratrol which is associated with preventing cancer and heart disease. However, peanuts are not grown under high exposure to the sun to get high resveratrol levels. The levels are still high compared to other foods that contain resveratrol.
4. Dark Chocolate
Chocolate has been part of our diet for a long time because of its taste and benefits. Dark chocolate has a more bitter taste than its counterparts such as milk chocolates or white chocolates but it contains more healthy ingredients like resveratrol which is beneficial for our cardiovascular system and brain health.
5. Cherries
The fruits of the cherry tree are harvested in full sun and they are eaten as snacks or added to salads and desserts. A lot of people prefer to eat cherries because of their sweetness, color, and taste but you will have to be extra careful when you eat them because they are also quite bitter which can lead to kidney stones or dehydration.
This fruit is rich in resveratrol and flavonoids which are dietary antioxidants that are associated with cardiovascular disease prevention.