Anti-Oxidants and Apples - link

[Guest guest]

Okay, this link says *twice* as much anti-oxidant in red delicious as opposed

to empire apples. It's an interesting study, worth a look.

 

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-05/acs-rdn052005.php

 

Best, Pat

[Guest guest]

Here's another:

 

Red Delicious apples packed with disease fighting antioxidants

25/05/2005

 

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=60208 & m=1fnu525 & c=qdrhrvoeraoqydo

 

Consumers and food makers looking to pack an antioxidant punch should

plump for specific varieties of apples, say scientists, reports

Lindsey Partos.

 

 

Apples, and especially apple peels, have been found to have a potent

antioxidant activity (scavenges free radicals) that can inhibit the

growth of cancer cells, with the antioxidant activity of one apple

equivalent to about 1500 mg of vitamin C.

 

And recent animal and cell culture studies suggest there is an

association between polyphenolic compounds found in apples and a wide

variety of effects that may help prevent chronic disease. This

supports the hypothesis that it is the phytochemicals found in

fruits, especially apples, that impart healthy benefits.

 

Red Delicious, Northern Spy and Ida Red have more potent

disease-fighting antioxidants reflected in higher levels of

polyphenol activity, claim researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food

Canada that tested a variety of different species.

 

Polyphenols - phytochemicals that act like astringents - are major

sources of antioxidants in apples, but which polyphenols are most

active in the fruit has perplexed scientists.

 

Study leader Rong Tsao and colleagues used three different laboratory

measures to evaluate polyphenol activity in apples that are popular

in Canada: Red Delicious, McIntosh, Cortland, Northern Spy, Ida Red,

Golden Delicious, Mutsu and Empire apples.

 

All of the apples used in the study were grown on the same farm under

similar conditions.

 

They found that polyphenols were five times more prevalent in the

skin than the flesh of the apples and that two polyphenols,

epicatechin and procyanidin B2, were the greatest contributors to

total antioxidant activity of the apples.

 

Procyanidins accounted for about 60 per cent of the antioxidant

activity in the peel and 56 per cent in the flesh.

 

Red Delicious apples had two times more antioxidant activity than

Empire apples, which had the least activity of any of the apples

studied.

 

" When taste and texture do not matter, choosing an apple with a high

proportion of polyphenols in the flesh and skin can potentially

produce more health benefits, " Tsao said, publishing the findings in

the 29 June issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

 

This latest research joins a growing body of evidence to suggest

populations looking to improve health should consume more apples.

 

Researchers at Cornell University in New York, for example, recently

suggested apples could fight the neurodegenerative disease

Alzheimer's disease.

 

In rats, quercetin - another potent antioxidant abundant in apples -

appears to protect brain cells against oxidative stress, a

tissue-damaging process associated with Alzheimer's.

 

Apples still remain one of the most popular fruits for European

consumers that crunch their way through about 20 kilos of apples a

year, about 1.5 apples a day, compared to the US counterpart who eats

about 9 kilos a year, one every four days.

 

In terms of production, China has emerged in the last few years as

the single largest processor of apples in the world.

 

Industry observers attribute the success of the Chinese sector to a

huge apple crop that now exists there, which at some 20 million

tonnes per annum dwarfs all other producers, and makes the Chinese

apple sector around five times the size of the US industry and ten

times bigger than the largest EU based producers, such as France and

Italy.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I heard this on the news this morning. Wouldn't you know....I LOVE

Empires. Not too keen on the red delicious. I guess any apple is

better

than none at all. And a good filler-upper with only a few calories.

Great slimming snack.

 

An apple a day...sometimes two or three,

Carrie

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the additional info about Red Delicious apples and anti-oxidants!

Now I'm in agreement with others who have written in - Red Delicious are far

from my favourites. Buuuuuut, I am going to give them another try when I buy

apples this afternoon (we just split the last of the Golden Delicious!). After

all,

if they're good for you they're worth more than my casual 'I don't like them as

much as . . . ' We'll see. LOL

 

Best, Pat