Green tea is touted for its many health benefits as a powerful antioxidant, but experiments in a laboratory mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease suggest that consuming green tea along with dietary iron may actually lessen green tea’s benefits. “If you drink green tea after an iron-rich meal, the main compound in the tea will […]
Natural Painkillers And Strong Antioxidants Found In Tart Cherries
The chemicals that give tart cherries their red color may relieve pain better than aspirin and may provide antioxidant protection comparable to commercially available supplements like vitamin E, according to Michigan State University researchers. The new findings “suggest that the consumption of cherries may have the potential to reduce cardiovascular or chronic diseases in humans […]
Strawberries boost red blood cells, study finds
A group of volunteers ate half a kilo of strawberries every day for two weeks to demonstrate that eating this fruit improves the antioxidant capacity of blood. The study, carried out by Italian and Spanish researchers, showed that strawberries boost red blood cells’ response to oxidative stress, an imbalance that is associated with various diseases. […]
Green tea compound aids p53, ‘guardian of the genome’ and tumor suppressor
An antioxidant found in green tea may increase levels of p53, a natural anti-cancer protein, known as the “guardian of the genome” for its ability to repair DNA damage or destroy cancerous cells. Published today in Nature Communications, a study of the direct interaction between p53 and the green tea compound, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), points to […]
Organic conditions boost flavonoids and antioxidant activity in onions
Five years ago, a highly publicized meta-analysis of more than 200 studies concluded that organic food was no more nutritious than conventionally grown food. Since then, however, additional work has suggested the organic foods contain more health-benefiting phytochemicals. Now, researchers have found that flavonoid levels and antioxidant activity in organic onions are higher than in […]
Phytochemicals In Apples Are Found To Provide Anticancer And Anti-Oxidant Benefits
Time to adjust an old adage: It’s the phytochemicals in the apple each day that keep the doctor away. A combination of plant chemicals, such as flavanoids and polyphenols — collectively known as phytochemicals — found both within the flesh of apple and particularly in the skin — provide the fruit’s anti-oxidant and anti-cancer benefits, […]
Cooking Tomatoes Boosts Disease-Fighting Power
Cooking tomatoes — such as in spaghetti sauce — makes the fruit heart-healthier and boosts its cancer-fighting ability. All this, despite a loss of vitamin C during the cooking process, say Cornell food scientists. The reason: cooking substantially raises the levels of beneficial compounds called phytochemicals. Writing in the latest issue of the Journal of Agriculture […]
Don’t Throw Out Old, Sprouting Garlic — It Has Heart-Healthy Antioxidants
“Sprouted” garlic — old garlic bulbs with bright green shoots emerging from the cloves — is considered to be past its prime and usually ends up in the garbage can. But scientists are reporting in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that this type of garlic has even more heart-healthy antioxidant activity than its […]
Freezing Blueberries Improves Antioxidant Availability
Blueberries pack a powerful antioxidant punch, whether eaten fresh or from the freezer, according to South Dakota State University graduate Marin Plumb. Anthocyanins, a group of antioxidant compounds, are responsible for the color in blueberries, she explains. Since most of the color is in the skin, freezing the blueberries actually improves the availability of the […]
‘Musical Fruit’ Rich Source Of Healthy Antioxidants; Black Beans Highest
Although researchers haven’t come up with a foolproof way to avoid the indelicate side effect of beans, they have found yet another reason why you should eat more of them. In addition to their high fiber and protein content, a new study finds that beans, particularly black ones, are a rich but overlooked source of […]