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The symposium presented evidence that high antioxidant foods should beconsumed with each meal to prevent periods of post-meal oxidative stress.Oxidative stress is linked to aging and the onset of chronic diseases.Antioxidants are known for their ability to neutralize free radicals that aregenerated by an array of environmental stresses on the body -- from naturalprocesses to external assaults such as smoking and pollution.
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Among the fruits specifically highlighted as beneficial were grapes,which, after consumption resulted in almost double the amount of recommendedtotal antioxidant capacity needed to counteract the deficit associated withconsuming 1000 calories of food.
Dr. Ronald L. Prior of the USDA's Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center,widely recognized as a pioneer of the ORAC (Oxygen Radical AbsorbanceCapacity) technique for measuring antioxidant capacity in foods, shared hisfindings regarding the natural state of oxidative stress in the body thatresults from eating a meal and the ability to counteract it in humansfollowing consumption of certain fruits.
Prior showed that the metabolic process of digesting a meal with noantioxidants -- just fat, carbohydrate and protein -- causes a decline inantioxidant capacity of the blood which creates a temporary state of oxidativestress. This deficit can be prevented by consuming high antioxidant fruitssuch as grapes, which in this study provided almost double the amount neededto bring the body back in balance following the meal. His work also showedthat some fruits that typically score high in antioxidant content, may notsignificantly impact oxidative status in the body. The key is"bioavailability," the body's ability to process and use the antioxidants.
"This research reinforced the fact that grapes are a great source ofbeneficial antioxidants that are bioavailable and able to improve antioxidantstatus in humans," said Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table GrapeCommission. "Based on this research, one easy, proactive step that people cantake to help safeguard their health is to eat high antioxidant fruit -- likegrapes -- with their meals."
The International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruit andVegetables is a scientific forum in which approximately 300 scientists,nutrition and medical professionals, industry representatives, commoditygroups, and legislators from 38 countries gather to exchange information onthe latest advances in science relating to the health-maintaining propertiesof fruits and vegetables. The goal of the conference is to facilitatediscussion between the agricultural, nutrition and health sciences, and toadvance the science related to foods for health. The conference is hosted bythe Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center of the Texas A&M Agriculture inHouston, Texas.
SOURCE California Table Grape Commission
