Radicchio Gets an A+ For Antioxidant Activity

A recently published report reveals that radicchio, with a powerful flavor and color profile, also provides an antioxidant content rivaling that of blueberries and spinach."We suspected that radicchio is nutrient-rich, especially when you consider its deep color," said Dennis Donohue, president of European Vegetable Specialties, a leading grower of radicchio in Salinas, CA, "but we frankly were amazed at how high its score was reported to be."

Searching the published scientific literature to see if radicchio had been measured for this antioxidant activity, Donohue discovered the data in a paper prepared by a group of Italian scientists at the University of Urbino in The Marches region of central Italy, published in the British Journal of Nutrition (1) last year.

"The researchers were investigating the antioxidant capacity of vegetables, spices and salad dressings, and radicchio was naturally in their lineup," said Donohue, who explained that radicchio is native to the hills of Italy, and has been commonly eaten in Western Europe for centuries. "The antioxidant score was reported as 3,537 per 100 grams, which is about 2 cups of raw, shredded radicchio like you'd enjoy in a salad."

A staple on Mediterranean and European tables, radicchio has taken the American salad scene by storm in the last ten years, appearing everywhere from McDonald's to fine dining restaurants, so this is an important finding to report to the American public. "It's not a surprise that radicchio contributes healthful nutrients, but the antioxidant levels of radicchio haven't yet been investigated nor reported by US Department of Agriculture (USDA) studies," said Donohue.

Dr. Paolino Ninfali, the lead investigator of the research team that studied vegetables, spices and dressings, said that it's critical for consumers to know which vegetables are particularly antioxidant-rich. "Although vegetables and fruits, in general, are the most important sources of antioxidants in the Mediterranean diet, it's important to educate consumers on the benefits of eating a wide variety or fruits and vegetables --choosing those that have the highest antioxidant capacity in order to promote a healthy diet. Our study revealed that radicchio is among some of the highest scoring vegetables for antioxidant activity."