Antioxidant Foods  

A group at Tufts University in Boston, working with whole foods instead of trying to isolate individual components, has ranked a number of fruits and vegetables according to their overall antioxidant activity. The researchers used an oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) test to gauge the amount of free radicals that can be neutralized by a given sample of blood. They compared the ORAC test of persons consuming standard diets to those same individuals after making dietary adjustments. They discovered that prunes create by far the highest antioxidant activity, followed (in order) by raisins, blueberries, blackberries, kale, strawberries and spinach. In one female test group, a 10-ounce serving of fresh, raw spinach scored better than a 1,250 milligram dose of vitamin C. An eight ounce serving of strawberries did better than three glasses of red wine. In a related study by the same group, researchers observed that rats given daily servings of spinach seemed to retain their memory better as they aged.⁶

6. Reuters, February 8, 1999, reporting on the work of Ronald Prior, et al. in studies performed for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Chilean Wine

Scottish scientists have measured the flavonol content of what we eat and drink. Chilean red wines top the list. The scientists found marked differences in flavonol content while researching 65 wines from around the world. Chilean wines have such a high flavonol content because of that country's altitude. Flavonols develop in response to ultraviolet radiation, which is stronger in high-elevation sunshine. Some other interesting findings: cherry tomatoes tend to have 10 times the flavonol content of regular tomatoes; flavonols are also abundant in red lettuce and red and yellow onions.¹¹

11. Reuters, February 4, 1999, in an interview with Dr. Alan Crozier of the University of Glasgow.