OT: Everyday Apples Pack Antioxidant Punch

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Everyday Apples Pack Antioxidant Punch

06/05/05 20:58

 

By J.M. HIRSCH

 

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - America's most common apple also may be its most

potent. Just don't skimp on the skin. A Canadian government study that

measured the levels of antioxidants in eight varieties of apples found

that Red Delicious contain the highest concentrations of the health

enhancing chemicals.

 

And to get the most bang for your bite, be sure to eat the peel.

 

The skin of Red Delicious apples - the most common variety grown in the

United States - contains over six times more antioxidant activity than

the flesh, according to researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

 

But don't swear off other varieties just yet.

 

Though antioxidants are believed to help ward off certain diseases, more

research is needed to determine whether quantity alone counts. The study

did not consider whether antioxidants in some apples may be better

absorbed than others.

 

Until that is known, food scientist Rong Tsao says his study - which

also identified the chemicals responsible for antioxidant activity in

apples - probably is most useful to horticulturists breeding new,

antioxidant-rich varieties.

 

The information also could lead to the development of techniques for

harvesting antioxidants from the waste products of the apple processing

industry, the bulk of which is peel, Tsao said during a recent telephone

interview.

 

The study, to be published in the June 29 issue of Journal of

Agricultural and Food Chemistry, compared apple varieties popular in

Canada, some of which are available only regionally in the United States.

 

Red Delicious, which account for 27 percent of U.S. apple production,

has more than six times the antioxidants as the bottom-ranked Empire

variety. Northern Spy was No. 2, followed by Cortland, Ida Red, Golden

Delicious, McIntosh and Mutsu.

 

And in every variety tested, the skins of the apples contained

substantially higher levels of antioxidants than the flesh.

 

But if you simply can't bear to eat the peel, the sweet-tart Northern

Spy ranks No. 1 for antioxidants in flesh alone. Cortland was second,

followed by Red Delicious.

 

Tsao attributed the variations to differences in growing seasons,

geography and genetic predispositions.

 

Though apples have significantly lower concentrations of antioxidants

than other fruits, especially many berries, researchers say year-round

availability and greater popularity might make them a better source for

many people.

 

In the United States, apples are second only to bananas among popular

fruits. The average adult ate about 16 pounds of fresh apples in 2003,

according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

 

Jeffrey Blumberg, a professor of nutrition and antioxidant expert at the

Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts, praised the research, saying

analyzing and ranking foods in this manner is key to understanding disease.

 

" This is the tool that epidemiologists need to look at diet-health

relationships, " he said. " One can ask a question such as, 'How many

apples do you need to eat a day to prevent heart disease or keep the

doctor away? "

 

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