WineDineGuide

Napoli :: Repubblica Napoletana 1799

admin — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:43:58 GMT

Author: admin
Subject: Repubblica Napoletana 1799
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:43 am (GMT -4)

Healthy Food and Dining :: Largest USDA Study Of Food Antioxidants Reveals Best Sources

admin — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:07:47 GMT

Author: admin
Subject: Largest USDA Study Of Food Antioxidants Reveals Best Sources
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:07 pm (GMT -4)

Artichokes and beans may not be at the top of your list of favorite foods, but when it comes to antioxidants, these veggies earn a coveted place. They are among a growing variety of foods found to contain surprisingly high levels of these disease-fighting compounds, according to a new USDA study, which researchers say is the largest, most comprehensive analysis to date of the antioxidant content of commonly consumed foods.

In addition to confirming the well-publicized high antioxidant ranking of such foods as cranberries and blueberries, the researchers found that Russet potatoes, pecans and even cinnamon are all excellent, although lesser-known, sources of antioxidants, which are thought to fight cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's. The study appears in the June 9 print edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed publication of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

"The bottom line is the same: eat more fruits and veggies," says Ronald L. Prior, Ph.D., a chemist and nutritionist with the USDA's Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center in Little Rock, Ark., and lead author of the study. "This study confirms that those foods are full of benefits, particularly those with higher levels of antioxidants. Nuts and spices are also good sources."

The new study is more complete and accurate (thanks to updated technology) than previous USDA antioxidant data and includes more foods than the previous study, the researchers say. They analyzed antioxidant levels in over 100 different foods, including fruits and vegetables. In addition, the new study includes data on spices and nuts for the first time.

Among the fruits, vegetables and nuts analyzed, each food was measured for antioxidant concentration as well as antioxidant capacity per serving size. Cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries ranked highest among the fruits studied. Beans, artichokes and Russet potatoes were tops among the vegetables. Pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts ranked highest in the nut category.

Although spices are generally consumed in small amounts, many are high in antioxidants. On the basis of antioxidant concentration, ground cloves, ground cinnamon and oregano were the highest among the spices studied.

Prior says that the data should prove useful for consumers seeking to include more antioxidants in their diet. But he cautions that total antioxidant capacity of the foods does not necessarily reflect their potential health benefit, which depends on how they are absorbed and utilized in the body. Researchers are still trying to better understand this process, he adds.

Currently, there are no government guidelines for consumers on how many antioxidants to consume and what kind of antioxidants to consume in their daily diet, as is the case with vitamins and minerals. A major barrier to such guidelines is a lack of consensus among nutrition researchers on uniform antioxidant measurements. Scientists will soon attempt to develop such a consensus at the First International Congress on Antioxidant Methods, held June 16-18 at the Caribe Royale Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando, Fla., with the ultimate goal of developing better nutritional data for consumers. ACS is the principal sponsor of the meeting.

For now, USDA officials continue to encourage consumers to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables for better health.

Source: J Agric Food Chem. 4026-37

Pizza :: Boosting the antioxidant properties of the pizza

admin — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:43:21 GMT

Author: admin
Subject: Boosting the antioxidant properties of the pizza
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 11:43 am (GMT -4)

In an effort to improve health, many popular foods are undergoing a more nutritious make-over. Now, a team of food chemists at the University of Maryland has discovered how to boost the antioxidant content of pizza dough by optimizing baking and fermentation methods, a finding that could lead to healthier pizza, they say.

Pizza bakers have known for some time that longer-baking times and higher temperatures can enhance the flavor of pizza. The new study shows that these intense baking conditions also may boost antioxidant levels in dough, especially whole wheat varieties, the researchers say. Their findings were presented today at the 233rd national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

That�s good news for fans of deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza, whose longer baking time and thicker crust �may have the potential to deliver higher levels of antioxidants in comparison to other pizza styles,� says study co-author Jeffrey Moore, a doctoral student in food chemistry at the University of Maryland, College Park. Diets rich in antioxidants are thought to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

�We chose to investigate pizza dough because it�s one of the most popular wheat-based food products in the U.S.,� says Moore. �Making popular food more healthy using the tools of chemistry may have a larger impact on public health.�

The study is part of an ongoing effort by researchers at the university to discover and develop new technologies that enhance the levels of natural antioxidants in grain-based food ingredients such as whole wheat flour. That effort is lead by Liangli Lucy Yu, Ph.D., an associate professor of food chemistry at the school and Moore�s graduate advisor.

To demonstrate the effect of different baking conditions on the antioxidant levels in pizza dough, Moore exposed whole grain pizza dough from two different varieties of wheat to different baking temperatures, from 400 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit, and to different baking times, from 7 to 14 minutes. A number of tests were used to measure changes in antioxidant properties.

Longer baking times or higher temperatures generally corresponded to higher levels of antioxidants in comparison to less intense baking conditions, Moore found. Antioxidant levels increased by as much as 60 percent during longer baking times and by as much as 82 percent during higher baking temperatures, depending on the type of wheat flour and the antioxidant test used, the researcher says. The exact mechanisms involved are not yet fully understood, he says.

Both baking time and temperature can be increased together at the same without burning the pizza, according to Moore, if the process is monitored carefully.

As pizza dough is often allowed to ferment before baking, Moore tested the effect of different fermentation times, ranging from zero to 48 hours, on antioxidant properties. Longer fermentation times also boosted antioxidant levels, in some cases by as much as 100 percent, he says. The increase likely resulted from chemical reactions induced by yeasts, which had more time to release the antioxidant components that were bound in the dough, Moore says.

Although only whole wheat pizza was used in this study, it is possible that these same cooking factors � longer baking time, higher temperature and longer fermentation � also will have an antioxidant boosting effect on refined pizza dough, but the effect will likely be less obvious, Moore says. That�s because most of the antioxidants in wheat are found in the bran and endosperm components, which have been largely removed in refined flour, he says.

Funding for this study was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture�s National Research Initiative, along with grants from the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation, Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board, the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station and the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station. This research was not funded by the pizza industry, Moore says.

Source: American Chemical Society

Pizza :: Ordering Pizza in the Future

admin — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:30:39 GMT

Author: admin
Subject: Ordering Pizza in the Future
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 3:30 am (GMT -4)

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