Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables - the millennium's health

Some of the most exciting research in the last decade has been the discover y of a group of nutrients, which have protective effects against cell oxida tion. These naturally occurring compounds impart bright colour to fruits an d vegetables and act as antioxidants in the body by scavenging harmful free radicals, which are implicated in most degenerative diseases. Epidemiologi cal studies have established a positive correlation between the intake of f ruits and vegetables and prevention of diseases like atheroscelerosis, canc er, diabetes, arthritis and also ageing. So pronounced has been their effec t on ageing that they have been called 'fountains of youth'. Fruits and veg etables have thus had conferred on them the status of 'functional foods', c apable of promoting good health and preventing or alleviating diseases. Phe nolic flavonoids, lycopene, carotenoids and glucosinolates are among the mo st thoroughly studied antioxidants. The present review highlights the poten tial of fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants, their health benefits a nd the effect of processing on the bioavailability of these nutrients. The paper also reviews some of the important methods used to determine the anti oxidant activity.