Antioxidants: The fruit juice that packs the biggest punch

There’s a fruit juice that has more antioxidants than any other drink, including other juices, green or black tea, and red wine.
The wonder drink is pomegranate juice, which has around 20 per cent more antioxidants than other beverages tested by researchers from the University of California.

The research team says that consumers are often misled by the manufacturer’s claims that its fruit juice is rich in antioxidants and can reduce levels of free radicals when there have been only limited tests.

So they decided to analyse the claims for themselves, and subjected a range of fruit juices, along with other beverages such as tea and red wine, to tests for their antioxidant levels and abilities to scavenge for free radicals.

The pomegranate juice was a clear winner on all counts, they conclude.

(Source:  Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, 2008; 56(4); 1415-22).