Not all food and drinks are equal in antioxidants

MANILA, Philippines - Scientific studies through the years have identified fruits and vegetables — as well as food pro­ducts and beverages derived from them — as sources of health-giving antioxidants.

Antioxidants are substances that have been found to protect living things against diseases and slow down the signs of aging — no wonder medical scientists and researchers are very interested in them.

But is one fruit or vegetable equal to another when it comes to the antioxidants it contains? Not according to a study sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture.

That study, conducted in 2005, is the largest ever made by the USDA on food antioxidants. The study revealed a Top 20 list of foods that are the best sources of antioxidants in the diet.

Top 20 antioxidant foods

In the study “Lipophilic and Hydrophilic Antioxidant Capacities of Common Foods in the United States” (The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, published on the Web in May 2004), there were 20 top sources of food antioxidants identified.

Nutritionist and USDA research chemist Ronald Prior used advanced technology to measure antioxidant content in more than 100 different foods, including fruits, vegetables, berries, nuts and even spices.

Prior and his colleagues used the most advanced technologies available to tabulate antioxidant levels in more than 100 different types of fruits, vegetables, berries, nuts and spices. From these 100 foods, Prior and his team identified 20 that had the most antioxidants.

These Top 20 sources include: 1) dried small red beans; 2) wild blueberries; 3) red kidney beans; 4) pinto beans; 5) blueberries (cultivated); 6) cranberries; 7) cooked artichokes; 8) blackberries; 9) prunes; 10) raspberries; 11) strawberries; 12) Red Delicious apples; 13) Granny Smith apples; 14) pecans; 15) sweet cherries; 16) black plums; 17) cooked russet potatoes; 18) dried black beans; 19) plums; and 20) Gala apples.

Antioxidants in beverages

It’s logical to think that beverages made from rich antioxidant sources would also be rich sources of antioxidants. Beverages that have been studied for their antioxidant content include red wine, green tea, chocolate and coffee.

Coffee? Yes. Not many people usually think of coffee as an antioxidant source. But it’s not surprising since coffee is made from berries, too.

The coffee that we take for granted, and simply enjoy as a morning pick-me-up, or use to restore our mental alertness during the drowsy after-lunch hours or as a mood enhancer when we have coffee with friends after work — this same coffee is only recently being studied for the antioxidants found in the coffee berry.

Studies have already shown that coffee is rich in antioxidants. Some studies rank both coffee and tea as the richest sources of antioxidants while at least one study has identified coffee as having more total antioxidant properties than green tea (“Comparison of the Antioxidant Activity of Commonly Consumed Polyphenolic Beverages [Coffee, Cocoa, and Tea] Prepared per Cup Serving,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, published on the Web on June 15, 2001)

Researchers are still trying to find out how exactly antioxidants act on our bodies to protect us from disease and the signs of aging. However, studies have so far indicated that antioxidants protect our cells from a process called “oxidation.”

Oxidation occurs when oxygen mixes with other atoms in our cells and creates molecules called “free radicals.” These free radicals tend to damage healthy cells.

The oxidation process is a natural process that occurs in the body. The body has also naturally developed defenses against free radicals — but the body’s defenses may be weakened by stress and poor nutrition. Antioxidants help our body by increasing its ability to resist free radicals.

So the next time you do your groceries, it’s a good idea to have your own “food-and-beverage antioxidants list” so you could choose items that boost your defenses and keep yourself and your loved ones in good health. Nescafé Classic is made from 100 percent pure coffee and is rich in health-giving antioxidants. It’s good to know that a delicious and energizing cup of coffee contributes to our health as well.