The Food Standards Agency's antioxidants in food programme - a summary (original) (raw)
Related papers
Antioxidant evaluation protocols: Food quality or health effects
European Food Research and Technology, 2004
Increasing research on natural antioxidants in foods and development of new assays has prompted critical reflection on the field. It has been common practice to identify health benefits from antioxidant activity on the cellular level with antioxidant capacity of food measured in vitro. The use of antioxidants and their positive effects on food quality has been demonstrated in a large variety of foods and beverages using various methods for detection of lipid and protein oxidation or various assays based on electron transfer or hydrogen-atom transfer. A direct positive effect on markers of oxidative status after dietary intervention has, however, been difficult to confirm and much has still to be learnt about antioxidant action in vivo including synergistic or inhibitory roles, the uptake, biotransformation, and tissue distribution of potential antioxidants. This review critically evaluates various types of assays for antioxidative capacity, i.e. the stoichiometry, and antioxidative activity, i.e. the kinetics of the antioxidant action, with focus on the antioxidant mechanism of natural dietary antioxidants, particularly phenolic compounds, on lipid oxidation. It is concluded that it is difficult to transfer antioxidant mechanisms established in model systems and in foods to the in vivo situation and that no simple relationship has been recognized so far between antioxidant capacity determined for various foods and beverages and health benefits for humans. Screening of antioxidant capacity using simple assays in order to predict positive health effects of food are not scientifically justified. Different protocols will have to be used for evaluation of the protection of food by antioxidants and for evaluation of the health effect of antioxidants.
Nutrition Journal, 2010
Background: A plant-based diet protects against chronic oxidative stress-related diseases. Dietary plants contain variable chemical families and amounts of antioxidants. It has been hypothesized that plant antioxidants may contribute to the beneficial health effects of dietary plants. Our objective was to develop a comprehensive food database consisting of the total antioxidant content of typical foods as well as other dietary items such as traditional medicine plants, herbs and spices and dietary supplements. This database is intended for use in a wide range of nutritional research, from in vitro and cell and animal studies, to clinical trials and nutritional epidemiological studies. Methods: We procured samples from countries worldwide and assayed the samples for their total antioxidant content using a modified version of the FRAP assay. Results and sample information (such as country of origin, product and/or brand name) were registered for each individual food sample and constitute the Antioxidant Food Results: The results demonstrate that there are several thousand-fold differences in antioxidant content of foods. Spices, herbs and supplements include the most antioxidant rich products in our study, some exceptionally high. Berries, fruits, nuts, chocolate, vegetables and products thereof constitute common foods and beverages with high antioxidant values.
Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables - the millennium's health
International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2001
Some of the most exciting research in the last decade has been the discovery of a group of nutrients, which have protective eects against cell oxidation. These naturally occurring compounds impart bright colour to fruits and vegetables and act as antioxidants in the body by scavenging harmful free radicals, which are implicated in most degenerative diseases. Epidemiological studies have established a positive correlation between the intake of fruits and vegetables and prevention of diseases like atheroscelerosis, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and also ageing. So pronounced has been their eect on ageing that they have been called`fountains of youth'. Fruits and vegetables have thus had conferred on them the status of`functional foods', capable of promoting good health and preventing or alleviating diseases. Phenolic¯avonoids, lycopene, carotenoids and glucosinolates are among the most thoroughly studied antioxidants. The present review highlights the potential of fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants, their health bene®ts and the eect of processing on the bioavailability of these nutrients. The paper also reviews some of the important methods used to determine the antioxidant activity.
Nutrition & Food Measurement of Antioxidant Activity in Selected Food Products and Nutraceuticals
Measurement of antioxidant activity using in vitro assays is paramount in the evaluation of various food products and nutraceuticals for determining antioxidant benefits. This relates to the fact that increased antioxidant levels can protect the human body from free radical damage. The objective of this study was to quantify the antioxidant activity of selected food products and nutraceuticals using a spectrophotometric assay. Using Efferdent tablets and isotonic saline diluent, antioxidant levels could be determined by the amount of FD & C Blue No. 2 remaining after incubation at 37°C for 25 minutes. The antioxidant activity of a 500 mg quantity of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) was used as standard. The results obtained indicated that agave nectar syrup and xylitol sweetener (in descending order) exhibited higher antioxidant properties than all the other commercial sweeteners tested. Grapefruit was found to have the highest antioxidant activity of those common citrus fruits tested. Popular contemporary antioxidant beverages, such as strawberry-kiwi blend tend to have very high antioxidant activity since they contain d-alpha tocopheryl acetate (a form of vitamin E). Among the herbal nutraceuticals tested, spirulina and red yeast rice exhibited abundant antioxidant activities, whereas graviola was found to have absolutely no antioxidant properties. Thieves' oil was observed to have high antioxidant properties due to the synergism of the five oils in the preparation. Test results indicated a variable degree of antioxidant activity in foods and nutraceuticals compared to a standard antioxidant of 500 mg of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Citrus fruits occupy the highest level of antioxidant activity overall, followed by antioxidant containing beverages and selected herbal products.
Antioxidants and Bioactive Compounds in Food: Critical Review of Issues and Prospects
Antioxidants
This review paper gives an insight into the effective delivery mechanisms for health-promoting substances and highlights the challenges of using antioxidants and bioactives in foods. The selection criteria for choosing bioactives and their extraction in bioavailable form with their adequate incorporation techniques and delivery mechanisms are covered. Moreover, an overview of existing methods for determination of bioactivity is given. The importance of scientifically evaluating the effects of foods or food components on consumer health before making claims about the healthiness is aligned. Finally, a scientific perspective on how to respond to the booming demand for health-promoting products is given, and we acknowledge that despite the work done, there are still many challenges that need to be overcome.
Antioxidant-rich natural fruit and vegetable products and human health
International Journal of Food Properties
Antioxidants are important ingredients that are present in fruits and vegetables (FAV). With increased consumption of FAV in its raw and processed form, a predominantly plant-based diet rich in FAV could reduce the risk of the development of chronic human diseases. This review highlights the potentials of the various types of antioxidants containing FAV; their impact on human health as nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and phytoceuticals; as well as prospects in tackling some chronic human diseases. The structures and activity relationship of the antioxidant compounds, as well as their mechanism of action, are examined from current scientific investigations. Information provided herein will give more insight into the roles of antioxidant ingredients present in FAV.
The Total Phenolics and Antioxidants from Fruit and Vegetables: An Evaluation of Daily Intake
Given the importance of antioxidant-rich food in the promotion of health and the prevention against damages caused by reactive species, this paper presents insights into the antioxidant activity of phenolics, total phenolics and antioxidants in fruits and vegetables. It also comprises the daily intake of phenolics and antioxidants from foods in the American and French diets, and the evaluation of Montenegro by using literature data.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Background: Supplements containing ascorbic acid, ␣-tocopherol, or -carotene do not protect against oxidative stress-related diseases in most randomized intervention trials. We suggest that other redoxactive phytochemicals may be more effective and that a combination of different redox-active compounds (ie, antioxidants or reductants) may be needed for proper protection against oxidative damage. Objective: We aimed to generate a ranked food table with values for total content of redox-active compounds to test this alternative antioxidant hypothesis. Design: An assay that measures the total concentration of redoxactive compounds above a certain cutoff reduction potential was used to analyze 1113 food samples obtained from the US Department of Agriculture National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program. Results: Large variations in the content of antioxidants were observed in different foods and food categories. The food groups spices and herbs, nuts and seeds, berries, and fruit and vegetables all contained foods with very high antioxidant contents. Most food categories also contained products almost devoid of antioxidants. Of the 50 food products highest in antioxidant concentrations, 13 were spices, 8 were in the fruit and vegetables category, 5 were berries, 5 were chocolate-based, 5 were breakfast cereals, and 4 were nuts or seeds. On the basis of typical serving sizes, , and unsweetened baking chocolate were at the top of the ranked list. Conclusion: This ranked antioxidant food table provides a useful tool for investigations into the possible health benefit of dietary antioxidants.
Nutrition, 2013
Attempts have been made to use non-compositional parameters, such as total antioxidant capacity (TAC), determined by assays such as oxygen radical absorbance capacity, ferric-reducing ability of plasma, and trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity, as surrogate markers for food quality and for monitoring food-related changes in human plasma in dietary intervention studies. Increased TAC of plasma is often indiscriminately, and therefore incorrectly, interpreted as being favorable to human health. Whether or not dietary compounds may indeed exert health effects depends on factors other than mere presence in food or body fluids. Many phytochemicals, for example, are poorly absorbed and rapidly metabolized into molecules with altered physicochemical, and therefore biological, properties. Consequently, the use of TAC assays for the in vitro assessment of antioxidant quality of food, which often is employed as a marketing argument or for the assessment of the "wholesomeness" of food, is to be discouraged.
Fundamentals of antioxidant capacity in food
Peer review, 2024
This paper aims to discuss the basic concepts of antioxidant capacity/activity in food and the oxidative balance needed for health. The language in this paper is kept basic enough for the general public to understand. The paper provides condensed information on this area as part of a broader effort to popularize science. The paper begins by discussing the basic concepts of antioxidants and free radicals since general chemistry concepts. Oxidation-reduction reactions being essential for life, but also producing harmful free radicals is the basic dichotomy to be discussed. The paper then presents the importance of food in the oxidative balance of human metabolism and how this balance is necessary for the maintenance and promotion of health, mainly reducing the risk of non-transmissible chronic diseases. Finally, the paper discusses the role of antioxidants in anti-aging and DNA protection.