Radicchio's Antioxidant Activity Rivals Spinach and Blueberries.SALINAS Salinas, city, United States Salinas (səlē`nəs), city (1990 pop. 108,777), seat of Monterey co., W Calif.; inc. 1874. It is the shipping and processing center of a fertile valley famous for its grain and lettuce. , Calif. -- Put some power in your salad! Deep royal purple-hued radicchio ra·dic·chi·o n. pl. ra·dic·chi·os Any of several varieties of chicory, having red or red-spotted leaves that form globose or elongated heads. rates a high score for fighting disease with its rich antioxidant content. A recently published report reveals that radicchio, with a powerful flavor and color profile, also provides an antioxidant content rivaling that of blueberries and spinach. "We suspected that radicchio is nutrient-rich, especially when you consider its deep color," said Dennis Donohue, president of European Vegetable Specialties, a leading grower of radicchio in Salinas, CA. Searching the published scientific literature to see if radicchio had been measured for this antioxidant activity, Donohue discovered the data in a paper prepared by a group of Italian scientists at the University of Urbino Organization The University is divided into 11 faculties:
The antioxidant score was reported as 3,537 per 100 grams, which is about 2 cups of raw, shredded radicchio like you'd enjoy in a salad. Dr. Paolino Ninfali, the lead investigator of the research team reports, "Our study revealed that radicchio is among some of the highest scoring vegetables for antioxidant activity." It's widely known that many produce itemsCoboth fruits and vegetablesCocan be rich dietary sources of antioxidants and other nutrients. Antioxidant activity is measured in terms of an ORAC ORAC Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity ORAC Orgone Accumulator ORAC Oracle 9i Real Application Clusters ORAC Osceola Resort Area Council ORAC Oracle Real Application Cluster score. ORACCoOxygen Radical Absorbance absorbance /ab·sor·bance/ (-sor´bans) 1. in analytical chemistry, a measure of the light that a solution does not transmit compared to a pure solution. Symbol . 2. CapacityCois a measure of the ability of foods to neutralize harmful oxygen free radicals that can damage our bodies. Free radicals, naturally produced by our bodies, attack and damage healthy cells. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI See Liberate. ), the most common free radical in humans is reactive oxygen molecules that cause cell damage to DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. and may lead to coronary heart disease coronary heart disease: see coronary artery disease. coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease Progressive reduction of blood supply to the heart muscle due to narrowing or blocking of a coronary artery (see atherosclerosis). , diabetes and cancer. Antioxidants (such as vitamins E and C, and polyphenols) which are found naturally in foods have the ability to neutralize some of these free radicals, effectively decreasing the amount of damage they can cause. A staple on Mediterranean and European tables, radicchio is now an American salad staple. That's why radicchio's antioxidant score is great news for fans of salads with lots of flavor and crunchCowhich radicchio delivers along with the power of antioxidants. Visit www.radicchio.com. (1) Ninfali, P., et al. (2005) Antioxidant capacity of vegetables, spices and dressings relevant to nutrition. British Journal of Nutrition 93, 257-266. |
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