Posted on 03/16/2010 2:35:54 PM PDT by decimon
Using spices eaten in the Mediterranean diet as natural antioxidants is a good way forward for the food industry, given the beneficial health effects of these products. This has been shown by researchers from the Miguel Hernández University (UMH), who have put the clove in first place.
Researchers from the Miguel Hernández University have identified cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) as the best antioxidant spice, due to the fact they contain high levels of phenolic compounds, as well as having other properties.
"Out of the five antioxidant properties tested, cloves had the highest capacity to give off hydrogen, reduced lipid peroxidation well, and was the best iron reducer", Juana Fernández-López, one of the authors of the study and a researcher at the UMH, tells SINC.
As a result, the research study published in the latest issue of the Flavour and Fragrance Journal ranks this spice as the best natural antioxidant.
"The results show that use of the natural oxidants occurring in spices used in the Mediterranean diet, or their extracts, is a viable option for the food industry, as long as the organoleptic characteristics of the food product are not affected", adds the researcher.
"These substances exhibit high antioxidant capacity, and could have beneficial effects for health", says the researcher
The team also evaluated the antioxidant effect of the essential oils from other spices used in the Mediterranean diet – oregano (Origanum vulgare), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), rosemary, (Rosmarinus funcionarios cinalis) and sage (Salvia funcionarios cinalis).
The objective of the study is to enable these spices to be incorporated into food products (above all meat products) as natural antioxidants.
Changing the food industry
"Lipid oxidation is one of the main reasons for foods deteriorating, and causes a significant reduction in their nutritional value, as well as loss of taste", says Fernández-López.
These alterations lead to a reduction in the useful lifespan of the food product. To avoid such deterioration, the food industry uses synthetic antioxidants in its products. However, as these are chemical compounds, questions have been raised about their potential toxicity and side-effects.
As a result, there is a growing interest in using plant-based products (spices, aromatic and medicinal plants) with potential antioxidant activity, in order to replace the synthetic antioxidants with "natural" substances.
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References: Manuel Viuda-Martos, Yolanda Ruiz Navajas, Elena Sánchez Zapata, Juana Fernández-López y José A. Pérez-Álvarez. "Antioxidant activity of essential oils of five spice plants widely used in a Mediterranean diet". Flavour and Fragrance Journal 25, 13-19, enero - febrero de 2010.
Preservative ping.
clove oil on the gum helps numb a tooth ache until you can get to a dentist.
smells great simmering with an orange slice too =)
Just had my afternoon chai with fresh ground cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardomom.
Ok uncle...got the recipe handy? Homemade chai?
Cloves are used to put Fish to sleep
BTTT
Grind into a powder the following from a fresh whole state:
50% Cinnamon
25% Cloves
15% Nutmeg
10% Cardomom
Approximately, by Volume.
For a small pot of tea (2-3 cups), I use the following:
1 heaping teaspoon of Ceylon Black or Darjeeling tea
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of the ground spices from above
1 French Vanilla single-serving thingie
Sweetener to taste (being sugar averse, I use 1 Sweet-n-Low + 1 Equal)
2 Tablespoons powdered Coffeemate or equivalent (I like the cheap stuff)
This comes out very much like a good chia (Nepali version of Chai). Probably because all our Foreign Aid shipped as powdered milk ends up on the black market and into Nepali’s chia, tasting much like Coffeemate.
Eugenol, the tooth drug of champions (extract of cloves).
Marathon Man.
They're a few thousand years behind the curve on that one aren't they? lol
If you put a drop on something you don’t want your puppy to chew on, it will deter the dog. It worked great with our collie. I don’t like the smell of cloves and I was glad when he outgrew chewing on shoes, books and whatever else struck his fancy.
Thanks for the tip, we have a new pup!
I think I need to wear clove oil, it’s hades tryin’ to keep her from chewin my hand!
It’s been 11 years since I’ve done this, forgot what work it was!
My old girls don’t know what to think of this tasmanian devil... =)
They're a few thousand years behind the curve on that one aren't they? lol
Everything old is new again.
lol Very true.
I put clove oil on everyone’s hands and shoes. My collie was very nippy and we needed the protection.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I can tell it must be DELICIOUS! Now I get to do some interesting shopping and cannot WAIT TO TRY IT!!!!
When oxygen sees you coming, it’s going to walk the other way.
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