Cranberries and cranberry products: powerful in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo sources of antioxidants.

Cranberry products and especially cranberry juice (CJ) have been consumed for health reasons primarily due to their effect on urinary tract infections. We investigated the quantity of both free and total (after hydrolysis) phenolic antioxidants in cranberry products using the Folin assay. The order of amount of total polyphenols in cranberry foods on a fresh weight basis was as follows: dried > frozen > sauce > jellied sauce.

Chocolate is a powerful ex vivo and in vivo antioxidant, an antiatherosclerotic agent in an animal model, and a significant contributor to antioxidants in the European and American Diets.

Chocolate today is often viewed as a food or snack with little nutritional value. The high saturated fat content of chocolate has also contributed to the belief that its consumption increases the risk of heart disease. However, recent human studies have proven that chocolate has beneficial effects on some pathogenic mechanisms of heart disease such as endothelial function and blood pressure.

Dried fruits: excellent in vitro and in vivo antioxidants.

Objective: The goal of this work is to determine the amount and quality of phenol antioxidants in dried fruits and compare them with the corresponding fresh fruits; to compare the nutrients in fresh and dried fruits; to determine if figs are a source of in vivo antioxidants when eaten.

Methods: Commercial samples of dried fruits and fresh fruits were compared in the in vitro studies using a colorimetric method to measure phenolic antioxidants. The quality of the antioxidants was measured by inhibition of lower density lipoprotein oxidation.

MegaNatural((R)) Gold Grapeseed Extract: In Vitro Antioxidant and In Vivo Human Supplementation Studies.

Epidemiological studies have produced solid evidence that consumption of fruits results in a reduction of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Red wine has been hypothesized to reduce the risk of heart disease as a result of its antioxidant, endothelial relaxation, and antiplatelet aggregation mechanisms. We investigated a commercial California wine grapeseed extract, MegaNatural((R)) Gold, and compared it to grapes, grape juice, red wine, other grapeseed extracts, and commercial extracts with respect to antioxidant activity, using an oxidation-reduction colorimetric assay.

Polyphenol antioxidants in citrus juices: in vitro and in vivo studies relevant to heart disease.

It is well known that eating fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. The question of what is/are the active ingredient(s) is still unresolved. The initial hypothesis was that the antioxidant vitamins were responsible.