Alcohol may make fruit more fruitful
A splash of ethanol boosts antioxidant levels, researchers say
Updated: 8:29 p.m. ET April 19, 2007
A fruity cocktail may not only be fun to drink but may count as health food, U.S. and Thai researchers said on Thursday.
Adding ethanol — the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila and other spirits — boosted the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries, the researchers found.
Any colored fruit might be made even more healthful with the addition of a splash of alcohol, they report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Dr. Korakot Chanjirakul and colleagues at Kasetsart University in Thailand and scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture stumbled upon their finding unexpectedly.
They were exploring ways to help keep strawberries fresh during storage. Treating the berries with alcohol increased in antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging activity, they found.
Any colored fruit or vegetable is rich in antioxidants, which are chemicals that can cancel out the cell-damaging effects of compounds called free radicals.
Berries, for instance, contain compounds known as polyphenols and anthocyanins. People who eat more of these fruits and vegetables have a documented lower risk of cancer, heart disease and some neurological diseases.
The study did not address whether adding a little cocktail umbrella enhanced the effects.
Yeah "unexpectedly" - bunch of boozing parrotheads most likely.
For example, will my lime be better off if I stick it in a Corona, or if I mix it with tequila and triple sec? Although the extra ingredients in both may have a negative effect. Perhaps I should just squeeze it into a nice aged rum.
More studies must be done! I will selflessly volunteer to collect data.
Who do I apply to for a grant to cover my bar tab?
Rum&aLime wrote:Now, does the type of alcohol matter?
For example, will my lime be better off if I stick it in a Corona, or if I mix it with tequila and triple sec? Although the extra ingredients in both may have a negative effect. Perhaps I should just squeeze it into a nice aged rum.
More studies must be done! I will selflessly volunteer to collect data.
Who do I apply to for a grant to cover my bar tab?
-Paul
Must be a Far Side cartoon in all of this:
Jenkins knew his colleagues had finally crossed the line when he discovered that they had spiked his mid-morning fruit snack with rum . . .
Proof..I have had proof the whiole time. One is about 80 proof and one is about 151. The only problem is that after our indepth studies, we forget to write it down.
