Anti Oxidants
Artichokes and beans may not be at the top of some people's list of favourite foods, but when it comes to antioxidants, these veggies earn a coveted place.
They are among a growing variety of foods found to contain high levels of these disease-fighting compounds, suggests a new study, which researchers say is the largest, most comprehensive analysis to date of the antioxidant content of commonly consumed foods.
Free radicals are a byproduct of burning oxygen for energy. Your body produces them naturally. Left on their own, these guys can damage your cells, resulting in cancer and other diseases. The same process is what causes peeled apples to turn brown and iron to rust. Imagine what they are doing inside you! Antioxidants, on the other hand, are powerful nutrients, vitamins and minerals and certain proteins that play an important housekeeping role in your body. They help clean up free radicals before they can do any harm.
In addition to confirming the well-publicized high antioxidant ranking of such foods as cranberries and blueberries, the researchers found that Russet potatoes, pecans and even cinnamon are all excellent, although lesser-known, sources of antioxidants, which are thought to fight cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
The study appears in the Journal Of Agricultural And Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed publication of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
"The bottom line is the same: eat more fruits and veggies," says nutritional researcher Ronald L. Prior. "This study confirms that those foods are full of benefits, particularly those with higher levels of antioxidants. Nuts and spices are also good sources."
Researchers analyzed antioxidant levels in more than 100 different foods, including fruits and vegetables. In addition, the new study includes data on nuts and spices for the first time.
Among the nuts, fruits and vegetables analyzed, each food was measured for antioxidant concentration as well as antioxidant capacity per serving size. Cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries ranked highest among the fruits studied. Beans, artichokes and Russet potatoes were tops among the vegetables. Pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts ranked highest in the nut category.
Although spices are generally consumed in small amounts, many are high in antioxidants. On the basis of antioxidant concentration, ground cloves, ground cinnamon and oregano were the highest among the spices studied.
Prior says the results of the study should prove useful for consumers who want to include more antioxidants in their diet. But he cautions that total antioxidant capacity of the foods does not necessarily reflect their potential health benefit, which depends on how they are absorbed and utilized in the body. Researchers are still trying to better understand this process, he adds.
There are no government guidelines for consumers on how many antioxidants to consume and what kind of antioxidants to consume in their daily diet, as is the case with vitamins and minerals.
"At the end of the day," says dietitian Liz Pearson, "all recommendations should come down to food and yes, simply telling people to eat more fruit and vegetables, as much as people may find this advice repetitive and boring, is still among the best advice we can give."
Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends five to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables each day. But market researchers have discovered that only 30 per cent of Canadians actually go that far, allowing those "free radicals" to ravage their bodies without the added protection of powerful antioxidants. Artichoke, anyone?
For more information, visit www.healthyontario.com.
For Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Medicines and high quality Herbal Supplements visit www.ayurvediccure.com
Amla Vegicaps - natural Anti Oxidant . Rich in Vitamin C http://www.ayurvediccure.com/amla.htm
They are among a growing variety of foods found to contain high levels of these disease-fighting compounds, suggests a new study, which researchers say is the largest, most comprehensive analysis to date of the antioxidant content of commonly consumed foods.
Free radicals are a byproduct of burning oxygen for energy. Your body produces them naturally. Left on their own, these guys can damage your cells, resulting in cancer and other diseases. The same process is what causes peeled apples to turn brown and iron to rust. Imagine what they are doing inside you! Antioxidants, on the other hand, are powerful nutrients, vitamins and minerals and certain proteins that play an important housekeeping role in your body. They help clean up free radicals before they can do any harm.
In addition to confirming the well-publicized high antioxidant ranking of such foods as cranberries and blueberries, the researchers found that Russet potatoes, pecans and even cinnamon are all excellent, although lesser-known, sources of antioxidants, which are thought to fight cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
The study appears in the Journal Of Agricultural And Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed publication of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
"The bottom line is the same: eat more fruits and veggies," says nutritional researcher Ronald L. Prior. "This study confirms that those foods are full of benefits, particularly those with higher levels of antioxidants. Nuts and spices are also good sources."
Researchers analyzed antioxidant levels in more than 100 different foods, including fruits and vegetables. In addition, the new study includes data on nuts and spices for the first time.
Among the nuts, fruits and vegetables analyzed, each food was measured for antioxidant concentration as well as antioxidant capacity per serving size. Cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries ranked highest among the fruits studied. Beans, artichokes and Russet potatoes were tops among the vegetables. Pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts ranked highest in the nut category.
Although spices are generally consumed in small amounts, many are high in antioxidants. On the basis of antioxidant concentration, ground cloves, ground cinnamon and oregano were the highest among the spices studied.
Prior says the results of the study should prove useful for consumers who want to include more antioxidants in their diet. But he cautions that total antioxidant capacity of the foods does not necessarily reflect their potential health benefit, which depends on how they are absorbed and utilized in the body. Researchers are still trying to better understand this process, he adds.
There are no government guidelines for consumers on how many antioxidants to consume and what kind of antioxidants to consume in their daily diet, as is the case with vitamins and minerals.
"At the end of the day," says dietitian Liz Pearson, "all recommendations should come down to food and yes, simply telling people to eat more fruit and vegetables, as much as people may find this advice repetitive and boring, is still among the best advice we can give."
Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends five to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables each day. But market researchers have discovered that only 30 per cent of Canadians actually go that far, allowing those "free radicals" to ravage their bodies without the added protection of powerful antioxidants. Artichoke, anyone?
For more information, visit www.healthyontario.com.
For Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Medicines and high quality Herbal Supplements visit www.ayurvediccure.com
Amla Vegicaps - natural Anti Oxidant . Rich in Vitamin C http://www.ayurvediccure.com/amla.htm
posted by Health Blog @ 11:32 PM
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