Antioxidant intake from fruits, vegetables, and beverages consumed in Lebanon.

Abstract

Background: Antioxidants are compounds that are capable of substantially inhibiting or retarding the oxidation of compounds of biological importance including lipids, proteins and DNA in addition to preventing the formation of free radicals (atoms and-or molecules with unpaired electrons). Excessive free radical formation has been linked to premature aging and an increase in the incidence of chronic diseases. Diets rich in antioxidants protect against chronic degenerative diseases and improve longevity. Plant foods including fruits, berries, vegetables, spices, coffee and tea are the major sources of dietary antioxidants. Scant information exists on the dietary intake of antioxidants in developing countries including Lebanon. Objectives: The study aimed to quantify the phenolic content of fruits, vegetables and beverages frequently consumed in Lebanon for estimating their contribution to the dietary antioxidant intake of the Lebanese population. Another objective of the study is to identify food items whose consumption should be encouraged to promote better quality of life in Lebanon. Methods: Food consumption data was derived from a National survey conducted in Lebanon between May 2008 and April 2009. The beverages, fruits and vegetables selected for analysis account for at least 85percent of the total consumption. Both extractable and non-extractable phenolic antioxidants were assayed for their polyphenol contents by the Folin-Ciocalteu procedure and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) by the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and the ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assays. Results: Olives exhibited the highest total phenol (TP) content at 957.9 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)-100g fresh weight (FW) followed by instant coffee (375 mg GAE-100 ml), Turkish coffee (369.8 mg GAE-100 ml) and apples (226.8mg GAE-100g FW). The other analyzed foods had lower TP contents ranging in 4.39- 217.8 mg GAE-100g FW. The total dietary phenol intake from the analyzed beverages, fruits and vegetables was 613 mg (GA