Radicchio gets an "A+" for antioxidant activity

Salinas, CA -- Put some power in your salad! Color radicchio a power player in the nutrient lineup of the produce section. The deep royal purple-hued chicory rates a high score for fighting disease with its rich antioxidant content.

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."

How does radicchio now compare to other fruits and vegetables that have been touted for their antioxidant powers?

"Radicchio, or red chicory, as reported by the Italian researchers, stood out among the other vegetables they investigated. Measured in 100-gram units, beets, broccoli, leeks and radishes had high scores with radicchio," said Robin Kline, registered dietitian and food writer who has written widely about vegetables on the everyday American menu.

It’s widely known that many produce items—both fruits and vegetables—can be rich dietary sources of antioxidants and other nutrients.

"These researchers were looking at vegetables, herbs, spices and oils—for a view of the 'salad scene.' To compare with fruits, we have to look at data reported by USDA (2). A serving (one-quarter cup) of raisins has a score of 1,026, a serving (one-half cup) of blueberries 1,740, a serving (one-half cup) of strawberries 1,170, a serving (one medium) plum 626. USDA reports that 1 cup of spinach has a score of 1290, one medium red bell pepper 740. Using the Italian data, a one cup serving of radicchio (half of the 100 gram portion studied) appears to provide 1,768 ORAC units--a powerful punch of antioxidant activity."

ORAC scores and antioxidant activity
Antioxidant activity is measured in terms of an ORAC score. "ORAC--Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity--is a measure of the ability of foods to neutralize harmful oxygen free radicals that can damage our bodies," Kline said.

Free radicals, naturally produced by our bodies, attack and damage healthy cells. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the most common free radical in humans is reactive oxygen molecules that cause cell damage to DNA and may lead to coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Antioxidants (such as vitamins E and C, and polyphenols) which are found naturally in foods have the ability to neutralize some of these free radicals, effectively decreasing the amount of damage they can cause.

Color your diet with abundance
"Eat your colors!" we're told by nutrition scientists. And that means lots of fruits and vegetables, in a wide range of color (reds, purples, blues, golden yellows, oranges) that when added to the diet provide not only essential nutrients, but also powerful antioxidants which help prevent and repair oxidative stress.

“Fruits and veggies come in terrific colors and flavors, but their real beauty lies in what’s inside. Colorful produce isn’t just a feast for the eyes, it’s also really medicine,” said Kline. “For more variety, try new fruits and vegetables regularly.”

How much is enough? NCI recommends that adults eat between 7 and 11 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. A serving can be _ cup (dried fruit), _ cup (fresh fruit or vegetable) or 1 cup (leafy salad greens).

“Some people are daunted by the number of recommended servings,” said Kline. “But a serving is smaller than most people think. We frequently eat more than one serving at a time.”

“For example, a large salad with 2 cups of leafy veggies, some onion, bell pepper and tomato can offer up to 5 or 6 servings. My usual breakfast includes a piece of fresh fruit and also raisins in my oatmeal, so I’ve started the day with at least 2 servings.”


Antioxidants and anti-aging
"Antioxidants found in foods are a natural defense against aging," asserts
Cheryl Forberg, registered dietitian, chef and author of Stop the Clock! Cooking and two forthcoming books on antiaging.

"If you think of rust—which is oxidation—that's the type of damage occurring in our bodies at a cellular level. "When the amount of damaging free radicals exceeds the amount of antioxidants available, you have what's called oxidative stress. We're striving for oxidative balance, meaning we should be getting an abundance of antioxidants from our diet to effectively neutralize the free radicals which are going to be present."

"Eating more antioxidant-rich foods helps us achieve this balance. Dietary antioxidants provide a naturally delicious defense to fight aging," said Forberg.

Though it might seem like a recent trend, eating for long life by following an antiaging diet has been a model for centuries. It's just that today we have scientific evidence showing why and how certain foods are better at fighting disease and the effects of aging, according to Forberg.


“Super” foods?
We hear a lot today about the "top 10, 15 or 20" foods to eat for better health. Often called 'superfoods' or 'powerfoods', these foods---from salmon to blueberries to almonds to garlic—all play a role in a healthful diet. However, no single food—even 10 foods—contains everything we need. Diversity and variety are the smart approaches for a good, health-promoting diet.

"An eating style with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains is a smart approach to good health. It helps to know which foods are rich sources of antioxidants," said Kline, "so we can choose very healthful choices from the array available."

That's why radicchio's antioxidant score is great news for fans of salads with lots of flavor and crunch—which radicchio delivers along with the power of antioxidants.

(1) Ninfali, P., et al. (2005) Antioxidant capacity of vegetables, spices and dressings relevant to nutrition. British Journal of Nutrition 93, 257-266.

(2) Data from USDA Agricultural Research Service, Food and Nutrition Research Briefs (April 1999).