Sweet potatoes are one of the oldest vegetables known to be consumed by humans and research dates this vegetable back to prehistoric times.
Archive for the ‘Ingredient Spotlights’ Category
Ingredient Spotlight – Sweet Potatoes
Monday, December 1st, 2008Ingredient spotlight: tomatoes
Saturday, November 1st, 2008The humble tomato has been at the centre of a whirlwind of scientific activity for several years, mainly because of its high lycopene content. Lycopene, a carotenoid compound which is found in relatively few foods, gives tomatoes their deep red colour and is a potent antioxidant which can protect cells and DNA from free-radical damage. Significantly, cooked tomato products are even higher in lycopene than the raw fruit – 100g of canned tomato paste, for example, contains an astonishing 28,764mcg, which is more than any other food tested so far.
Ingredient Spotlight: Leeks
Wednesday, October 1st, 2008A member of the allium family, leeks share many of the health benefits of their onion and garlic cousins, including an ability to lower levels of cholesterol, so helping to prevent atherosclerosis and heart disease. In one study, rabbits fed an extract of leek for three months had lower levels of both total fats in the blood and of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol at the end of the trial