Snatch Up Those Marked Down Figs

Is your local store clearing its shelves of holiday figs? Here's why you can't afford to skip the bargain.

They're packed with fiber, potassium, calcium, and so many antioxidants that they practically cancel out the effects of less nutritious foods in your diet.

Oxidative Stress Begone
That's right. And here's the proof in the figgy pudding. Unhealthy foods -- like those high in sugar or saturated fat -- increase oxidative stress in your body (think of free radicals running wild, damaging healthy cells). But when researchers measured the oxidative stress caused by drinking a sugary soda, the impact was less when the soda was consumed along with a serving of dried figs. (Here's another treat that helps fight oxidative stress.)

Be a Moderate Mouse
Of course, you don't want to load up on naughty treats and follow them with a fig chaser. That's a fast path to fat pants, because figs are high in calories. But in a world where extra sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or saturated fat sometimes seem to be added to everything, it's good to know what foods help protect your body. (Try this yummy Curried Pineapple and Dried Fig Salsa recipe over your favorite broiled fish.)

Here are more tips on undoing an overindulgence.

Dried fruits: excellent in vitro and in vivo antioxidants. Vinson, J. A., Zubik, L., Bose, P., Samman, N., Proch, J., Journal of the American College of Nutrition 2005 Feb;24(1):44-50.