Striving4Zen

Cranberries are in the peak of their season and are our food of the week.

Did you know that cranberries contain one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of any fruit?

Studies conducted at the University of Scranton, PA, found cranberries to contain the highest level of phenol antioxidants when compared to 19 other common fruits! (Some of the other fruits found to be rich in phenols, in descending order after cranberries, were apples, red grapes, strawberries, pineapples, bananas, peaches, lemons, oranges, pears and grapefruit).

Antioxidants are premier disease-fighters and anti-aging agents. Cranberry phenols have been found to help protect against certain types of cancers, the brain cell damage that usually occurs in the early stages after a stroke, and urinary tract infections. They protect against the free radical activity that is thought to be responsible for making cholesterol harmful to arteries and the heart, memory impairment, difficulty in mobility, cataracts and macular degeneration of the eyes. So, as the holiday season approaches, you can enjoy your cranberry sauce, not only because it tastes great, but because you know you will be getting an extra big dose of health-promoting antioxidants.

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Labels: antioxidant, cranberries, food of the week, fruits, healthy food, phenols

Apples are in the peak of their season!

Did you know that, compared to other fruits and vegetables, apples have been found to be most consistently associated with a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, asthma and type 2 diabetes?

Apples, which contain significant amounts of phenols and other flavonoids that act as powerful antioxidants and help protect against cell-damaging free radicals, were also associated with increased lung function and weight loss. These findings are from a recent review of 85 different studies.

The total antioxidant activity of 100 grams of whole apple (with peel) was found to be equivalent to the antioxidant effect of about 1,500 mg of vitamin C! Most of apples' antioxidant protection, however, does not come not from vitamin C (100 g of apples contains only about 5.7 mg of vitamin C), but from their rich supply of phytonutrients.

Labels: apples, flavonoids, fruits, healthy diet, healthy snacks, phenols

Herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants, and they are also potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar.

When researchers tested extracts from 24 common herbs and spices, they found a direct correlation between antioxidant phenol content and the ability of the extracts to block the formation of compounds that contribute to damage caused by diabetes and aging.

Spices such as cloves and cinnamon have phenol levels that are 30% and 18% of dry weight, respectively, while herbs such as oregano and sage are 8 and 6% phenol by dry weight. Blueberries, which are widely touted for their antioxidant capabilities, contain roughly 5% phenol by dry weight.

Source

Labels: antioxidant, cinnamon, cloves, healing with food, healthy diet, phenols, spices

Creamed, whole kernel, or on the cob, corn’s got something that can really sweeten your health.

It's a potent phytochemical called ferulic acid. And new research shows the compound could help you skirt a host of chronic conditions, from Alzheimer’s disease to cancer.

Substance Superpowers

You’ll also find the super phenol in tomatoes and rice bran, and it does a ton of good things for your body, like scavenging cell-damaging free radicals, preventing inflammation, and diminishing plaque buildup in artery walls. And if all of that isn’t enough -- it may help fight aging, too.

Source

Labels: corn, ferulic acid, free radicals, phenols

Fruits and vegetables contain polyphenols, compounds that reduce oxidative stress and prevent chronic diseases. The antioxidant properties of polyphenols are responsible for their anticancer, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties and can prevent capillary fragility and platelet aggregation. The authors report the phenolic, flavonoid, and flavanol content as well as the antioxidant capacity of a number of fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices consumed in Central Italy. The authors also studied these same parameters in cooked vegetables, salads, and common Italian salad dressings.
The authors obtained and tested 27 different types of vegetables, 15 different types of herbs, six spices, and 10 dressings. Phenolic compounds were assayed according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and total phenolic content was expressed as caffeic acid equivalents in mg/g fresh vegetable. Flavonoids were determined by the method of Eberhardt et al1 and flavanols according to that of Arnous.2 Antioxidant capacity was measured using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method. Using a multiple linear regression model, the authors provided significant evidence that ORAC values are strictly dependent on the total phenols (P = 0.048) and flavanols (P = 0.001), and that the contribution to ORAC of the flavonoids is not significant (P = 0.156).
Among the vegetables showing the highest phenolic content were the artichoke, beetroot, cabbage, broccoli, red chicory, red chili, and yellow pepper. The authors report that different cultivars cause vegetables of the same family to possess significant different phenolic, flavanol, and ORAC values.
The authors measured the loss of phenolics and antioxidant capacity in vegetables that need to be cooked. Steamed vegetables retained about 80% of the phenolic and ORAC values of raw vegetables; boiled vegetables retained only 30% of antioxidants. The preferred cooking process for vegetables should be steaming at the mildest temperature and for the least possible time to protect phenolics and vitamins.
Among the aromatic herbs receiving high ORAC values were garden sage, marjoram, rosemary, and garden thyme. Their values are many times greater than those of the vegetables studied. The authors showed that introducing aromatic herbs into salads markedly increases the phenolic and ORAC values of the whole salad. Lemon balm and marjoram at a concentration of 1.5% w/w increased by 150% and 200%, respectively, the antioxidant capacity of a salad portion.
Among the selected spices, cumin revealed the highest ORAC value, although its phenolic and flavonoid content were not the highest. Fresh ginger also made a significant contribution to the antioxidant capacity.
Noting the importance of the use of salad seasonings, the authors state that extra-virgin olive oils, carefully produced using freshly gathered olives at the right degree of maturation, should be the principal condiment for their content of phenolic compounds, which, because of their marked antioxidant capacity, protect the cardiovascular system.The authors stress the importance of educating consumers on the benefits of varying vegetable consumption, choosing those that have the highest antioxidant capacity to promote a healthy diet, and the need to introduce aromatic herbs as a seasoning supplement in the diet of every age group. Results of this analysis provide "a simple and compelling tool for nutrition professionals to guide family vegetable consumption" and "can be used in public health campaigns to stimulate the consumption of vegetables able to provide significant health protection in order to prevent chronic diseases."
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Labels: Anti-oxidant, health food, phenols, salad, study