Results from a new study has shown that wild blueberries outperformed two dozen other commonly consumed fruits such as apples, bananas, red grapes and strawberries in an expanded test using the Cellular Antioxidant Activity (CAA) assay.
New research published in the current issue of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry (Journal Agricultural and Food Chemistry 56 (18): 8418-8426, 2008) shows that wild blueberries have the highest cellular antioxidant activity of the 25 fruits tested, as well as the highest total phenolic content and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC).
Lead scientist Dr Rui Hai Liu, used the cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) assay - a new assay developed by the Cornell University Department of Food Science to determine antioxidant activity of antioxidants, foods and dietary supplements.
According to Dr Liu, the CAA assay was developed to investigate how antioxidant compounds found in fruits react inside cells, using human liver cancer cells as the testing model. The CAA takes antioxidant measurement to a new level moving beyond test tube to bioactivity inside cells.
The CAA assay is a more biological relevant activity assays as it accounts for uptake, metabolism, distribution and activity of antioxidant compounds within cells versus solely looking at antioxidant activity assay.
"In expanding the test to include more fruits, we found that wild blueberries had the highest antioxidant activity, with other berries and pomegranates also showing strong performance. While further testing is needed to confirm how dietary antioxidants are absorbed by and go to work in the human body to prevent cancer and other chronic diseases, we are encouraged by the response in this initial screening measure," said Dr Liu. - HealthNewsDigest.
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