Increases in human plasma antioxidant capacity after consumption of controlled diets high in fruit and vegetables.

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Here are direct results that eating high ORAC foods will increase anti-oxidant

defences in the body.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=9\

808226 & dopt=Abstract

Am J Clin Nutr 1998 Nov;68(5):1081-7

Increases in human plasma antioxidant capacity after consumption of controlled

diets high in fruit and vegetables.

Cao G, Booth SL, Sadowski JA, Prior RL.

US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Mayer Human

Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts

University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.

BACKGROUND:

The putative beneficial effects of an increased consumption of fruit and

vegetables have been associated with

antioxidant nutrients. However, the effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on

the overall antioxidant status in

humans is unclear.

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of this study was to investigate whether a diet rich in fruit and

vegetables would affect the antioxidant

capacity of human plasma.

DESIGN:

Thirty-six healthy nonsmokers resided in a metabolic research unit and consumed

2 sets of controlled diets. Diet A

contained 10 servings of fruit and vegetables each day for 15 d. Diet B was the

same as diet A, except diet B also

provided 2 servings of broccoli each day on days 6-10. There was a free-living

period of a minimum of 6 wk between the 2

experiments using either diet A or diet B. Fasting plasma antioxidant capacity,

measured as oxygen radical absorbance

capacity (ORAC), and alpha-tocopherol concentrations were determined on days 1,

6, 11, and 16.

RESULTS:

The fasting baseline plasma ORAC of these subjects was significantly correlated

with their estimated daily intake of

total antioxidants from fruit and vegetables during the previous year. Plasma

ORAC of these subjects was significantly

increased by both diets A and B. This increase in ORAC could not be explained by

the increase in the plasma

alpha-tocopherol concentration.

CONCLUSION:

Increased consumption of fruit and vegetables can increase the plasma

antioxidant capacity in humans.

PMID: 9808226 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Here is the full text PDF:

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/68/5/1081.pdf

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Good health & long life,

Greg ,

http://optimalhealth.cia.com.au