PDA

View Full Version : Antioxidant properties of fruit and vegetable juices: more to the story than ascorbic


Rich66
02-01-2010, 11:12 PM
Ann Clin Lab Sci. (javascript:AL_get(this,%20'jour',%20'Ann%20Clin%2 0Lab%20Sci.');) 2002 Spring;32(2):193-200.
Antioxidant properties of fruit and vegetable juices: more to the story than ascorbic acid.

Leonard SS (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=%22Leonard%20SS%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVAbstract), Cutler D (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=%22Cutler%20D%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVAbstract), Ding M (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=%22Ding%20M%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVAbstract), Vallyathan V (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=%22Vallyathan%20V%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVAbstract), Castranova V (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=%22Castranova%20V%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVAbstract), Shi X (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=%22Shi%20X%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVAbstract).
Pathology and Physiology Research Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, USA.
Dietary supplements such as vitamin C have become popular for their perceived ability to enhance the body's antioxidant defenses. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been shown to cause a broad spectrum of damage to biological systems. Scavenging of ROS is part of a healthy, well-balanced, antioxidant defense system. The present study used the Fenton reaction as a source of hydroxyl radicals and xanthine/xanthine oxidase as a source of superoxide radicals to investigate the scavenging capabilities of various fruit and vegetable juices against these radicals. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spin trapping was used for free radical detection and measurement. Using a colormetric assay, the present study also investigated the protective effects of fruit and vegetable juices against lipid peroxidation induced in cell membranes by hydroxyl radicals. The present study showed that the free radical scavenging capability of each individual juice, but not its ascorbic acid content, is correlated with its protective effect on free radical induced lipid peroxidation. The results indicate that ascorbic acid is only one facet of the protective effect of fruit and vegetable juices. It appears that consumption of whole fruits and vegetables would be superior to an ascorbic acid supplement for antioxidant effectiveness.

PMID: 12017203 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

TanyaRD
02-02-2010, 09:23 AM
Are you familiar with ORAC values? If you haven't seen the information before you might like it. It is difficult to apply from a practicality standpoint because it is not labeled but kind of fun information and makes you think about getting a good variety of colors.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=15866

ElaineM
02-02-2010, 12:09 PM
I always try to eat a variety of colors in my fruits and vegetables every day rather than worrying about the amounts that I eat. I never measure. I just make sure I get all the colors everyday, which probably means I am getting the amounts I need too.

Jackie07
02-23-2010, 04:01 PM
Blueberries are packed with antioxidants and have long been recommended as a good-for-you food. Now there's evidence that this delicious fruit can also help you stay sharp longer.

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Canadian Department of Agriculture recently published a study showing improved memory in people who drank blueberry juice every day for two months. Control subjects drank a beverage without blueberry juice. The blueberry juice group showed improvements in tests of learning and memory, while no such benefits were seen in the control group.
Eating blueberries or drinking blueberry juice is an easy - and tasty - way to stay sharp!

[e-mail received from Luminocity]