Laurel on Health Food

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that olive oil increases the antioxidant power of other vegetables (Self Magazine, Aug. 2008, p.133). If you’re having a salad, drizzle olive oil on top to make sure you get the most out of it. The RealAge® docs, Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz, say olive oil is the best way to “increase the antioxidant quotient of your salad.” They also recommend apple or wine vinegar for a healthy and low fat alternative to pre-bottled dressings. I bet a mixture of olive oil and one of these vinegars would make for a really tasty dressing that you can make ahead of time.

Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz also stress that “fresh herbs add extra cell-protecting phenols to salads.” According to a recent study, sage, rosemary, marjoram, and thyme add the most antioxidants to a salad. My favorite fresh herb for salads is basil, but I’ll definitely have to try some of their recommendations. A good idea is to infuse some olive oil with your herbs. Rosemary is a good choice because it’s easy to slide the long stems and skinny leaves into a bottle. As for spices, the RealAge® docs say cumin and fresh ginger have the most antioxidants.

What about the actual vegetables? They say artichokes, beetroot, garlic, broccoli, radishes, leeks, onions, and spinach top the list. Just go for variety and don’t be afraid to try something colorful or unfamiliar.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 at 8:41 am and is filed under Antioxidants, Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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