A study in Spain has shown that cloves are the among the best natural antioxidants, due to the number of phenolic compounds contained in this increasingly popular spice.

In addition to the potential health benefits, the study has illustrated that cloves can offer a very real and natural alternative to synthetic antioxidants, in order to prolong the shelf-life of food.

The research was carried out at the Miguel Hernández University with, Prof Fernandez-Lopez commenting: “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 characteristics of the food product are not affected. These substances exhibit high antioxidant capacity and could have beneficial effects for health.”

Antioxidants help to keep food fresh by delaying lipid oxidation, which is one of the primary mechanisms by which food “goes off” as it ages. The oxidation process also compromises the nutritional value of food as time passes.

The rapidly increasing focus on organic products that is evident across the food industry, fuelled by consumer demand for products devoid of artificial ingredients, suggests that this can only be good news.

Numerous herbs and spices were studied, yet it was the clove which came out on top. It may well be the case that if the concerns surrounding the side-effects of synthetic antioxidants continue to grow, food companies will turn to cloves in providing an organic and reassuringly additive-free alternative.

Posted by Matt on the 22nd March 2010