Shocked spuds deliver more antioxidants

Relaxnews
Tuesday 24 August 2010 00:00 BST
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(AFP PHOTO HO/ BASF)

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Japanese scientists have discovered two cheap ways to increase antioxidants in potatoes and presented their new findings at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) on August 22 in Boston.

Kazunori Hironaka, PhD, from the Obihiro University in Hokkaido, Japan led the study and explained, "We found that treating the potatoes with ultrasound or electricity for 5-30 minutes increased the amounts of antioxidants - including phenols and chlorogenic acid - by as much as 50 percent.  

"Antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables are considered to be of nutritional importance in the prevention of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, various cancers, diabetes, and neurological diseases," continued Hironka.

By shocking vegetables Hironaka et al have developed a commercially viable option for expanding the "functional foods" market which interestingly was first introduced in the 1980s by Japan according to a report published in 1998 by Claire M. Hasler, PhD, the executive director of the Functional Foods for Health Program, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition in Illinois.

Until shocked spuds hit the shelves you may want to take a look at the 20 Best Foods High in Antioxidants list created from 2009 ACS meeting findings: http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/nutrition/antioxidant-foods.html 

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