Healthy Eating

Antioxidant Red Grapes

November 26, 2011 By davesummers Leave a Comment

A New Orleans study has revealed a new antioxidant that is believed to be more potent that vitamin C, E, and beta-carotene. This new disease-fighting substance is said to be found in red grapes, whose juice and skin may offer more than just wine.

The antioxidant red grapes are contained in the seeds of the fruit. Scientists say that these antioxidant red grapes may offer significant protection against certain types of cancer, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cataracts, and many other chronic and degenerative diseases.

The new study on antioxidant red grapes, released in April 9, was conducted by researchers at Creighton University in Omaha. The group of researchers who conducted the study say that a compound extracted from the seeds of red grapes called Activin ™ is that substance with powerful antioxidant red grapes properties. Because of its apparent powerful benefits, Activin was dubbed as the “super” antioxidant red grapes.

During the research, the group tested the ability of the antioxidant red grapes Activin in neutralizing and inhibiting the damage caused by fee radicals in the brains and livers of mice. Afterwards, they then compared the effects of the new antioxidant red grapes compound to the more popular antioxidants – vitamins E, C, and beta-carotene.

Lead researcher of the Creighton team, Dr. Debasis Bagchi, announced that Activin seemed to exhibit more powerful potential compared to the other antioxidants.

“Our studies show that Activin is a more potent antioxidant than vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene – up to seven times more potent,” Bagchi said when he reported the findings of their study at the Experimental Biology conference in New Orleans.

“Activin is a powerful inhibitor of free radical induced lipid peroxidation and DNA fragmentation,” Bagchi further explained. “This is significant because free radicals can destroy cell membranes and damage DNA, and may be a root cause of certain types of cancer, heart disease, and even the aging process itself.”

The findings of this study on antioxidant red grapes may also help explain the scientific logic behind the French paradox – why the French have less risk of heart disease even when they eat the richest types of food. Red wine has always been considered more beneficial compared to white wine in preventing heart disease. Apparently, the antioxidant red grapes are the reason for that since red wine is fermented with the seeds while white wine is not.

This most recent discovery of significant antioxidant red grapes adds to the growing reputation of the red grape as a healthful food. It also follows on the recent wave antioxidants are generally making in the scientific community these days.

Filed Under: Healthy Eating Tagged With: Aging Process, Antioxidant, Antioxidant Vitamins, Beta Carotene, Cataracts, Cell Membranes, Certain Types Of Cancer, Creighton University, Damage Dna, Debasis Bagchi, Degenerative Diseases, Dna Fragmentation, Experimental Biology Conference, Free Radicals, Grapes, Lipid Peroxidation, Livers, Potent Antioxidant, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Root Cause, Types Of Cancer, Wine Grapes

Antioxidant Flax Oil

November 25, 2011 By davesummers Leave a Comment

We’ve read about them, read about them, and perhaps even talked about them with our friends. Antioxidants, it seems, have created quite a huge wave in the scientific community that is devoting countless journals and magazine articles about their many benefits.

Antioxidants are substances that work on free radicals, or more particularly work to counteract the damaging effects of these harmful oxygen byproducts. Scientists have linked free radicals to the development of degenerative diseases, causing massive cell damage that ultimately results in various disorders, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and much, much more. By neutralizing free radicals, antioxidants actually prevent the onset of these diseases and at the same time keep the body healthy and strong.

Being natural substances, antioxidants are derived from various plants, including vegetables and fruits. Blueberries and cranberries are usually the fruits that are often touted by nutrition scientists as the top antioxidant rich foods. In the vegetable variety, russet potatoes, red beans, and red cabbage are topping the list as well. However, there are also other fruits and vegetables that may contain more essential benefits to our health. One such food product is flax seed where we get the beneficial flax oil.

What is Flax Oil?

Flax oil is the essential oil that is derived from flax seeds, which are a great source of fiber. Flax seed have been used long before as an herbal remedy that is good for digestion. But flax has certainly more benefits in store for us. Flax oil is said to contain a high amount of lignans, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Lignans especially is that substance in flax oil that has antioxidant properties.

The Benefits of Flax Oil Lignans

A natural plant chemical, lignans are antioxidant molecules with anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties. Flax oil is the richest source of lignans. Diets high in lignans can lead to a lower chance of getting colon, prostate, and breast cancer.

As an antioxidant, the flax oil’s lignans can help boost the body’s immune system, keeping harmful, disease-causing germs from damaging the cells. These plant hormones are also believed to block the formation of hormone-based tumors. Lignans also boost the productions of a substance attached to estrogen and carries it out of the body.

Researchers have found that flax oil has 75 to 800 percent more lignans than other vegetables and grains. This makes flax oil the best source of antioxidant-acting lignans.

Filed Under: Healthy Eating Tagged With: Antioxidant, Antioxidant Properties, Benefits Of Flax Oil, Degenerative Diseases, Fiber Flax, Flax, Flax Seed, Flax Seeds, Free Radicals, Fruits And Vegetables, Herbal Remedy, Huge Wave, Natural Substances, Nutrition Scientists, Red Beans, Red Cabbage, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Russet Potatoes, Vegetable Variety, Vegetables And Fruits, Vitamins And Minerals

Antioxidant Supplements

November 24, 2011 By davesummers Leave a Comment

It’s a continuing puzzle even for scientists why people who eat lots of fruit and vegetables are less likely to develop diseases like cancer and heart disease. Sure, fresh fruits are generally low in fat and high in fiber, but it’s much more than that.

Recent studies have shown that part of the benefit from eating fresh produce everyday comes from antioxidants. These are substances that defend our body against the ravages brought on by free radicals. The first ever antioxidants to catch the attention of scientists and the vitamin supplement industry is beta-carotene or more commonly known as Vitamin A. Now, you can find antioxidant supplements in the form of Vitamin A capsules in almost any pharmacy or health food store.

Beta-carotene antioxidant supplements generally come from orange, yellow, and green leafy vegetables and fruit. It has been observed that people who eat a lot of foods rich in beta-carotene are not generally prone to cancer. However, the beta-carotene antioxidant supplements didn’t last that long in the industry. It seemed that in most major trials designed to see whether taking extra beta-carotene antioxidant supplements could ward off cancer, beta-carotene didn’t do a good job at it. Worse, beta-carotene antioxidant supplements and pills seemed to increase rates of cancer for smokers in two large trials.

And so, studies began to look towards other sources of antioxidants as possible antioxidant supplements. Vitamins C and E were the next contenders but again, studies showed mixed results. Although Vitamin C antioxidant supplements didn’t look as though it could reduce the risk of cancer or heart disease, it didn’t have any adverse effects either. In fact, Vitamin C might even provide some protection against loss of sight associated with cataracts in older people.

So far the most promising of all antioxidant supplements is Vitamin E, especially when it comes to working against heart disease. People who eat more foods rich in Vitamin E tend to have reduced risk of heart disease.

Antioxidant supplements have been available for years now and while they can’t substitute for a healthy diet and lifestyle, they do play a role in reinforcing your overall health and resilience. It is best to take antioxidant supplements in the form of combination products. Multiple antioxidants tend to work synergistically and far more effectively when they are taken together than when they are taken as a single antioxidant.

Most antioxidant supplements you find in health stores today contain a standard ingredient base. Antioxidant supplements generally contain vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and the mineral selenium. Other combinations include other antioxidants as well but typical antioxidant supplements include those already mentioned.

Filed Under: Healthy Eating Tagged With: Adverse Effects, Antioxidant, Antioxidant Supplements, Antioxidants, Beta Carotene, Cataracts, Contenders, Free Radicals, Fresh Fruits, Fruit And Vegetables, Good Job, Green Leafy Vegetables, Health Food Store, Heart Disease, Pills, Smokers, Supplement Industry, Supplements, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin Supplement, Vitamin Supplements

Antioxidant Food

November 23, 2011 By davesummers Leave a Comment

You’re probably already familiar with antioxidant foods. If not your doctor, then you’ve probably heard about them more than once from your mom. “Eat your veggies. An apple a day…” Sound familiar?

While it’s quite true that there’s nothing healthier than including fresh produce in your diet, there is actually another reason why doctors insist on a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables. The answer may lie in antioxidant foods.

Antioxidant foods are powerful scavengers of free radicals. The function of antioxidant foods is to hunt down free radicals and destroy them.

What are Free Radicals?

Free radicals are highly reactive chemical substances that are produced when the body undergoes the process of oxidation. The reason that free radicals are highly reactive is that they lack electrons, which cause them to be highly unstable. To achieve maximum stability, free radicals therefore steal electrons from other molecules around them and in so doing, destroy the cell membranes and weaken the cell.

Free radicals cause a chain reaction of “electron stealing” because the minute they start taking away electrons from other molecules, those molecules become free radicals themselves. Massive destruction ensues, leading to such disorders as Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, cancer, senility, and more.

How Antioxidant Foods Work

Oxidation is a naturally occurring process in the body so there is really no way for us to avoid or prevent it from happening. Even the mere act of breathing causes oxidation to take place. That being said, free radicals, as by-products of oxidation, will always be present in our body.

But what if there is a way for us to retard the development of free radicals? What if there is a way to break the free radical chain reaction? What if there is a way to prevent those diseases caused by harmful free radicals from developing?

Yes, indeed, there is a way. Antioxidant foods are powerful substances that can neutralize free radicals before they damage your body’s cells. This is the major reason why scientists are continuing to conduct studies on antioxidant foods and the benefits that the body can incur from them.

Antioxidant Foods: Which Foods?

As mentioned earlier, many foods with high antioxidant levels are vegetables and fruits. Tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers – these are but a few of the many antioxidant foods out there. However, you should note that not all vegetables are high sources of antioxidant foods. Some vegetables or fruits may have lesser amount or concentration of antioxidant foods as other vegetables. For instance, white grapes don’t have the same amount of antioxidant foods as the grapes used in making red wine.

Filed Under: Healthy Eating Tagged With: Antioxidant, Antioxidant Foods, Apple A Day, Cardiovascular Disease, Cell Membranes, Chain Reaction, Chemical Substances, Electrons, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fresh Produce, Fruits And Vegetables, Harmful Free Radicals, Healthy Diet, Massive Destruction, Maximum Stability, Molecules, Oxidation, Scavengers, Senility, Veggies, What Are Free Radicals

Antioxidant Antiaging

November 22, 2011 By davesummers Leave a Comment

You have probably heard about antioxidant antiaging before. And if you have, then you probably know about free radicals as well. But do you understand what they do? If not, then read on.

What is antioxidant antiaging therapy?

Modern theories of aging are generally looked at in two theoretical ways – the damaged theories and the programmed theories.

The damage theories of antiaging primarily look at the damage that our cells incur over time. Hence, this aspect of antioxidant antiaging therapy focuses more on extrinsic aging, which is the aging process compounded by externally caused factors.

On the other hand, the programmed theories are primarily concerned with the genetics of how long and how efficient our cells can maintain optimum health. This antioxidant antiaging therapy looks at intrinsic aging which is aging due to the rate of passing time.

What are the benefits of antioxidant antiaging?

According to scientific studies, one of the most significant factors contributing to the aging process is chronic inflammation. These are the identifiable inflammatory diseases which the body develops as we age. Chronic inflammation leads to damage in the cells of our brain, heart, arterial walls, and other body structures which are attributed as the cause of such illnesses as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, senility, Parkinson’s, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, prostatitis, stroke, and a few other diseases brought by aging.

Antioxidant antiaging therapy is actually a combination of different therapies used to slow and/or reverse human aging. With the possible exception of longevity medicine, antioxidant antiaging is one of the fastest growing segments of medicine.

How antioxidant antiaging works

As you process food for energy, your body produces substances that are highly unstable. The process is called oxidation and the substance produced is called “free radicals.” Because of their highly unstable nature, free radicals increase damage to cells of the body, thus contributing to the aging process. In order to neutralize these free radicals, your body uses certain vitamins, minerals, and enzymes – collectively known as antioxidant antiaging. All these nutrients come from the food you eat, but they may also be available as supplements in the form of pills or capsules.

Some antioxidant antiaging you might have heard of include:

• Vitamin A

• Vitamin B-6

• Vitamin B-12

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin E

• Beta carotene

• Folic acid

• Selenium

All these antioxidant antiaging can be found in the food that you eat everyday. The best sources are usually fresh fruits and vegetables. If you can’t obtain all the antioxidant antiaging nutrients that you need from food, your doctor may recommend using supplements to make up for any deficiencies.

Filed Under: Healthy Eating Tagged With: Aging Process, Antiaging, Antiaging Therapy, Antioxidant, Antioxidant Antiaging, Arterial Walls, Body Structures, Cells Of The Body, Chronic Inflammation, Disease Alzheimer, Fastest Growing Segments, Free Radicals, Heart Disease, Inflammatory Diseases, Longevity Medicine, Optimum Health, Oxidation, Passing Time, Prostatitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Senility, Unstable Nature

Antioxidant Juice

November 21, 2011 By davesummers Leave a Comment

They are mostly found in fresh fruits and vegetables. We’ve been eating them for centuries and it’s only now that scientists are beginning to discover exactly what makes them healthy for the body.

Antioxidants. What exactly are they?

The term is familiar to us. We hear them mentioned all the time whenever there’s a new scientific study being released in the American Health Journal or some such explaining how antioxidant juice from berries can aid in liver function or how antioxidant juice from red wine is the scientific reason behind the French paradox.

Antioxidants, it seems, have far more benefits than we realize.

A new study shows that antioxidant juice from pomegranate fruits may help fight the hardening of the arteries. Researchers have found that the antioxidant juice does this by reducing the damage in blood vessels caused by free radicals.

Free Radicals – What are they?

Now, I’m sure you know what free radicals are. This is probably not the first time you’ve heard about it. But for the sake of those who have only just stumbled on the term, free radicals are those unstable chemical substances that are highly reactive and are by-products of the process of oxidation in the body. Free radicals at a minimum can be good for the body since their function is to steal electrons from atoms of other molecules, but only if the molecule they’re stealing the electrons from are foreign molecules in the first place. If they are healthy molecules, well that’s a different story all together.

When free radicals start stealing electrons from healthy cells, that process causes many disorders to occur in the body. The cells will grow weak until they are eventually destroyed. Hence, diseases such as cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, senility, and cancer are often attributed to the contributing factor of free radicals.

The Effects of Antioxidant Juice

The only way for the body to defend itself from free radicals is through antioxidants. Unfortunately, human beings are one of the few animal species that do not produce their own antioxidants. That is why we depend so much on our diet for our source of antioxidants.

In the study about antioxidant juice from pomegranates, researchers have found that the substance can effectively reverse the progression of atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis causes decreased blood flow that can lead to heart attacks or strokes.

The tests showed that antioxidant juice from pomegranates reduced the effects of stress on human blood vessel cells by stimulating the production of nitric oxide. This chemical is thought to help keep arteries open and keep blood flowing.

Filed Under: Healthy Eating Tagged With: American Health, Antioxidant, Antioxidants, Blood Vessels, Cardiovascular Disease, Chemical Substances, Different Story, Electrons, Free Radicals, French Paradox, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits And Vegetables, Hardening Of The Arteries, Health Journal, Human Beings, Juice, Liver Function, Molecule, Molecules, Oxidation, Red Wine, Senility

Antioxidant Dietary Supplement

November 20, 2011 By davesummers Leave a Comment

Aging? Sure, it’s a fact of life. But what if there was a way to slow down the process, perhaps even cure it, what would you say?

The aging process brings with it not only wrinkly skin or tired joints and muscles. Those can be tolerated. After all, they are part of the natural cycle of life. But what isn’t natural is disease. They are disorders – unnatural conditions of the body.

Aging is caused by harmful molecules called “free radicals.” This was according to Denham Harman, M.D., Ph.D., who first proposed the theory in the 1950s. Since then, scientists and researchers have sought to understand the body’s oxidation process and free radicals contribute in its acceleration. It seemed that these so-called free radicals are rogue oxygen molecules that are highly unstable and which have harmful effects to the body.

There is growing evidence that the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including free radicals, is behind the aging process and initiation of age-related disease. The reason free radicals are highly unstable is that they have an unpaired electron which they try to recompense by stealing an electron from a stable molecule. This actually sets off a chain reaction that can damage the body’s proteins and cell membranes, weaken the cell’s natural defenses, and disrupt the cell’s DNA. Such damage, when accumulated, could lead to degenerative conditions.

Fortunately, nature has provided us with a system to help control free radicals. Antioxidants are natural enemies of free radicals because one of their functions is to break the chain reaction and destroy free radicals.

Therefore, while antioxidants can be found in many fresh fruits and vegetables, it still pays to take antioxidant dietary supplement along with your food. Vitamin C antioxidant dietary supplement is perhaps the most famous form of antioxidant available. Also known as ascorbic acid, bottles of this antioxidant dietary supplement can be found in any pharmacy or health food store. Research show that this particular form of antioxidant dietary supplement greatly helps in boosting the immune system and thus aid in preventing the onset of degenerative diseases.

Another popular form of antioxidant dietary supplement is Vitamin E. This antioxidant dietary supplement works best when taken with Vitamin C as it seems that both vitamins have synergistic effect when taken in combination.

Besides vitamins, antioxidant dietary supplements may be in the form of botanicals. Green tea, for example, is a rich source of the flavonoid derivatives (polyphenols) epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). All these contribute to what makes green tea a good antioxidant dietary supplement.

Filed Under: Healthy Eating Tagged With: Aging Process, Antioxidant, Chain Reaction, Cycle Of Life, Degenerative Conditions, Denham Harman, Dietary, Dietary Supplement, Fact Of Life, Food Vitamin, Free Radicals, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits And Vegetables, Harmful Molecules, Health Food Store, Natural Defenses, Natural Enemies, Oxidation Process, Oxygen Molecules, Oxygen Species, Recompense, Supplement, Vitamin C

Natural Antioxidant

November 19, 2011 By davesummers Leave a Comment

For years now, man has been dependent on nature for his source of nutrients essential for his health. Plants are where we get most of our foods and our medicines, relying on them almost entirely for developing our bodies to their full potential and at the same time reducing the causes of degenerative diseases.

Recently, scientists have discovered the substance responsible for many of the health benefits we’ve been receiving from plants. Fruits and vegetables it seemed contain chemical substances that act on specific, harmful molecules inside our bodies to stop them from damaging our cells. Because these substances work on oxygen by-products called free radicals, they have since come to be known as natural antioxidants.

A natural antioxidant protects the body against free radicals. One of the many functions of natural antioxidants is to work against the formation of cellular damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive chemical substances which are produced whenever our body undergoes the process of oxidation, e.g. breathing.

When free radicals are released, they immediately latch unto other molecules, stealing their electrons and in so doing, turning them into unstable molecules like themselves. The result is a rapid chain reaction which when left unattended can lead to various degenerative diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, memory loss, etc.

Natural antioxidants are primarily derived from plants. The human body cannot produce its own supply of natural antioxidants; that is why we have to depend solely on our diet to get the amount of antioxidants our body needs.

Groups of well-known natural antioxidants include catechins, coumarins, indoles, and carotenoids. All these are complex compounds found in almost every plant. Carotenoids are the largest group of naturally occurring antioxidants, followed closely by indoles and coumarins. Catechins are the natural antioxidants found in the Camellia sinensis plant where we get our green tea, oolong tea, and black tea.

In the carotenoid group, beta-carotene is the most common natural antioxidant. Another name for beta-carotene is vitamin A, that essential vitamin that helps prevent eye damage. This natural antioxidant supports the immune system, might reduce the skin’s risk to sun damage and DNA damage, supports healthy cholesterol levels and increases lung capacity. Some studies show that this natural antioxidant supports a healthy heart.

Catechins on the other hand are great weight loss inducers. But more than that, the natural antioxidants they contain help promote health by boosting the immune system in order to reduce the risk of infection.

Filed Under: Healthy Eating Tagged With: Antioxidant, Camellia, Cellular Damage, Chain Reaction, Chemical Substances, Degenerative Diseases, Electrons, Free Radicals, Fruits And Vegetables, Harmful Molecules, Health Benefits, Heart Disease, Indoles, Largest Group, Memory Loss, Natural, Natural Antioxidant, Natural Antioxidants, Oxidation, Parkinson S Disease, Source Of Nutrients, Unstable Molecules

Antioxidant Vitamins

November 18, 2011 By davesummers Leave a Comment

Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for African-American men and women? The disease claims the lives of over 100,000 annually. Perhaps due to this alarming number, much of scientific researches conducted in the US today have recently been focused on how antioxidant vitamins may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Previous studies have shown that antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta carotene (a from of vitamin A), have potential health-promoting properties. The data on antioxidant vitamins is incomplete for the most part but up to 30 percent of Americans are already taking some form of antioxidant vitamin supplement along with their diet.

Due to the lack of sufficient data to support the success of antioxidant vitamins supplement against cardiovascular diseases and other such degenerative illnesses, the American Heart Association does not recommend using antioxidant vitamins supplements. However, they do not want to put a stop to our continued taking of antioxidant vitamins, the ones found in nature and in the foods that we eat.

Some of the basic food groups that prove to be rich sources of antioxidant vitamins are the following:

• Breads, cereals, pasta, and starchy vegetables (such as potatoes, yam, squash, etc.)

• Fruits and vegetables

• Fat-free milk and low-fat dairy products

• Lean meat, fish, and poultry

Incidentally, if you pattern your diet after this basic food group, you not only ingest a high level of natural antioxidant vitamins, but you also keep fat buildup in your body. Eating a variety of foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol will provide a rich natural source of antioxidant vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

But what exactly do antioxidant vitamins do?

Oxygen radicals are everywhere because we live in an atmosphere that contains oxygen. Oxidation is a process that naturally occurs in the body and a natural consequence of it are the radical particles that have since been dubbed as “free radicals.”

Scientists point to these so-called free radicals as the culprits when it comes to most degenerative diseases. Free radicals are blamed for even the simplest of illnesses, such as colds. There is an increasing body of evidence that oxidative stress is linked to many diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders, cataracts, and arthritis. Our strongest defenses against these harmful free radicals are antioxidant vitamins which are contained in the foods that we eat.

Filed Under: Healthy Eating Tagged With: African American Men, Alarming Number, American Heart Association, Antioxidant, Antioxidant Vitamins, Basic Food Group, Basic Food Groups, Beta Carotene, Cardiovascular Diseases, Degenerative Illnesses, E Vitamin, Free Milk, Fruits And Vegetables, Lean Meat, Natural Consequence, Oxygen Radicals, Rich Natural Source, Rich Sources, Scientific Researches, Starchy Vegetables, Vitamins, Vitamins Minerals

Dietary Antioxidant

November 17, 2011 By davesummers Leave a Comment

Sweet news to honey lovers. Two new studies by researchers of the University of Illinois show the dietary antioxidant benefits of honey. One of the studies shows that part of the dietary antioxidant qualities of honey has preservative properties that work on meat without compromising the taste. Based on a work done on human blood in the lab, a recently published study says that the dietary antioxidants present in honey slow the oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDL). Too much LDL in the blood leads to atherosclerotic plaque deposition.

Like a previous University of Illinois study in 1999, researchers found in both studies that dark-colored honey, especially buckwheat, provide more protective dietary antioxidant punch than lighter-colored honeys. This proves that while it is still early to say that honey can be a dietary antioxidant, it does point out its vast potential in terms of antioxidant properties. Principal researcher Nicki Engeseth, a professor of food chemistry in the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmenal Sciences, agrees with this.

Published online on April 6 in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the newest study on dietary antioxidants was the first to look at honey’s effect on human blood. With the use of a much more precise method than the one used in 1999, the study found that the dietary antioxidants found in honey are equal to those in many fruits and vegetables in their ability to counter the degenerating activity of highly reactive molecules known as free radicals.

“It’s still too early to say definitely, but honey seems to have potential to serve as a dietary antioxidant,” Engeseth said.

In January, Engeseth and Jason McKibben, a researcher with Anheuser Busch in Santa Monica, CA, reported in the same journal that the dietary antioxidants in honey were more effective compared to traditional preservatives, such as butylated hydroxytoluene and tocopherol in slowing oxidation in cooked, refrigerated ground turkey. It was observed in both studies that while the meat browned during cooking more extensively than traditionally preserved products, taste was not negatively affected.

For the other study, Engeseth worked with yet another colleague, Nele Gheldof, a doctoral student in the department of food science and human nutrition. They measured the dietary antioxidant and phenolic contents in honey taken from sevel floral sources, such as acacia, buckwheat, clover, firewood, Hawaiian Christmas berry, soybean, and tupelo. Using the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or ORAC assay, they discovered that darker honeys have the highest values of dietary antioxidants. ORAC is a tool that has been used for the past decade as a way to analyze the same components in fruits and vegetables.