PEACH BENEFIT -THE BOMB OF
ANTIOXIDANTS
ANTIOXIDANTS
Peaches are one of the best-selling fruits in the United States.
Peaches are juicy, sweet and delicious. Peaches are best eaten
fresh, but they are also frozen, canned and used in a variety
of ways such as jam, jelly, brandy, juice and baby food. You
can add a slice of peach to a bowl of cereal to enhance the
flavor and nutritional value.
Peaches [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] belong to rosaceae
family. Same as other members in the family, peaches are rich
sources of minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates. Peaches
contain iron, potassium, niacin, phosphorus, calcium, thiamin
B1, riboflavin B2, and large amounts of vitamins C and A. [1]
In addition to the large amounts of “traditional” nutritional
values, peach is also a good source of various anti-oxidants.
The ranges of total ascorbic acid (vitamin C) (in mg/100 g of
fresh weight) were 6-9 (white-flesh peaches), 4-13 (yellow-
flesh peaches), and 3-10 (plums). Total carotenoids
concentrations (in microg/100 g of fresh weight) were 7-20
(white-flesh peaches), 71-210 (yellow-flesh peaches), and 70-
260 (plums). Total phenolics (in mg/100 g of fresh weight)
were 28-111 (white-flesh peaches), 21-61 (yellow-flesh
peaches), and 42-109 (plums). [2]
The contributions of phenolic compounds to antioxidant
activity were much greater than those of vitamin C and
carotenoids. There was a strong correlation (0.93-0.96)
between total phenolics and antioxidant activity of peaches,
and plums. [2]
Peach flesh extracts, peel extracts and whole peach extracts
may have benefits on various chronic diseases as they
demonstrated the ability to inhibit LDL oxidation. [3]
Inhibition of LDL oxidation varied from 17.0 to 37.1% in
peach flesh extract, from 15.2 to 49.8% in whole peach
extract, and from 18.2 to 48.1% in peel extract. Total
phenols were 432.8-768.1 mg/kg in flesh extract, 483.3-
803.0 mg/kg in whole extract, and 910.9-1922.9 mg/kg in
peel extract. The correlation coefficient between relative LDL
antioxidant activity and concentration of total phenols was
0.76. [3]
Go and order some fresh peaches or peach extracts.
Remember that peaches do not get any sweeter once they
are picked. Avoid the green ones, if you want a sweet peach.
ALL RIGHT RESERVED 2005 zhion inc.
REFERENCES
[1] Peach - Prunus persica , MarkÂ’s Fruit Crops, The University of Georgia,
Online Publication, September 19, 2005. [2] Gil MI et al, Antioxidant
capacities, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and vitamin C contents of
nectarine, peach, and plum cultivars from California. J Agric Food Chem. 2002
Aug 14;50(17):4976-82. [3] Chang S et al, Low-density lipoprotein
antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds and polyphenol oxidase activity in
selected clingstone peach cultivars. J Agric Food Chem. 2000 Feb;48(2):147-
51. [4] Locally Grown, Peaches, The Green Line, News on gardening, health &
nutritrion from University of Illinois Extension, Online Publication, September
19, 2005.
Peaches are juicy, sweet and delicious. Peaches are best eaten
fresh, but they are also frozen, canned and used in a variety
of ways such as jam, jelly, brandy, juice and baby food. You
can add a slice of peach to a bowl of cereal to enhance the
flavor and nutritional value.
Peaches [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] belong to rosaceae
family. Same as other members in the family, peaches are rich
sources of minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates. Peaches
contain iron, potassium, niacin, phosphorus, calcium, thiamin
B1, riboflavin B2, and large amounts of vitamins C and A. [1]
In addition to the large amounts of “traditional” nutritional
values, peach is also a good source of various anti-oxidants.
The ranges of total ascorbic acid (vitamin C) (in mg/100 g of
fresh weight) were 6-9 (white-flesh peaches), 4-13 (yellow-
flesh peaches), and 3-10 (plums). Total carotenoids
concentrations (in microg/100 g of fresh weight) were 7-20
(white-flesh peaches), 71-210 (yellow-flesh peaches), and 70-
260 (plums). Total phenolics (in mg/100 g of fresh weight)
were 28-111 (white-flesh peaches), 21-61 (yellow-flesh
peaches), and 42-109 (plums). [2]
The contributions of phenolic compounds to antioxidant
activity were much greater than those of vitamin C and
carotenoids. There was a strong correlation (0.93-0.96)
between total phenolics and antioxidant activity of peaches,
and plums. [2]
Peach flesh extracts, peel extracts and whole peach extracts
may have benefits on various chronic diseases as they
demonstrated the ability to inhibit LDL oxidation. [3]
Inhibition of LDL oxidation varied from 17.0 to 37.1% in
peach flesh extract, from 15.2 to 49.8% in whole peach
extract, and from 18.2 to 48.1% in peel extract. Total
phenols were 432.8-768.1 mg/kg in flesh extract, 483.3-
803.0 mg/kg in whole extract, and 910.9-1922.9 mg/kg in
peel extract. The correlation coefficient between relative LDL
antioxidant activity and concentration of total phenols was
0.76. [3]
Go and order some fresh peaches or peach extracts.
Remember that peaches do not get any sweeter once they
are picked. Avoid the green ones, if you want a sweet peach.
ALL RIGHT RESERVED 2005 zhion inc.
REFERENCES
[1] Peach - Prunus persica , MarkÂ’s Fruit Crops, The University of Georgia,
Online Publication, September 19, 2005. [2] Gil MI et al, Antioxidant
capacities, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and vitamin C contents of
nectarine, peach, and plum cultivars from California. J Agric Food Chem. 2002
Aug 14;50(17):4976-82. [3] Chang S et al, Low-density lipoprotein
antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds and polyphenol oxidase activity in
selected clingstone peach cultivars. J Agric Food Chem. 2000 Feb;48(2):147-
51. [4] Locally Grown, Peaches, The Green Line, News on gardening, health &
nutritrion from University of Illinois Extension, Online Publication, September
19, 2005.
