The Mediterranean sofrito has ingredients with cardiovascular health-promoting effects
The Mediterranean sofrito, the typical tomato-based sauce that seasons many dishes, has a high concentration of polyphenols which are associated with a low incidence of cardiovascular effects. This is the conclusion of a study published on the journal Food Chemistry and led by Rosa M. Lamuela, head of the Research Group on Natural Antioxidants of the UB and member of the Biomedical Research Networking Centres on Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn). The research is also signed by Anna Vallverdú-Queralt, from the Faculty of Pharmacy of the UB, Ramon Estruch, from the Department of Medicine of the UB and Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS, and José Fernando Rinaldi de Alvarenga, from São Paulo State University (UNESP), in Brazil.
The Mediterranean sofrito, the typical tomato-based sauce that seasons many dishes, has a high concentration of polyphenols which are associated with a low incidence of cardiovascular effects. This is the conclusion of a study published on the journal Food Chemistry and led by Rosa M. Lamuela, head of the Research Group on Natural Antioxidants of the UB and member of the Biomedical Research Networking Centres on Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn). The research is also signed by Anna Vallverdú-Queralt, from the Faculty of Pharmacy of the UB, Ramon Estruch, from the Department of Medicine of the UB and Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS, and José Fernando Rinaldi de Alvarenga, from São Paulo State University (UNESP), in Brazil.
Scientific literature strongly associates polyphenol rich diets with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events. Polyphenols are natural antioxidant molecules of vegetal origin. Research authors analysed the main ingredients of the Mediterranean sofrito: tomato, the main one, onion, oil, corn flour and, in some cases, garlic. Researchers applied high-resolution mass spectrometry techniques which enabled to analyse the different components of some commercial trademarks which are distributed national and internationally. All samples were elaborated using products of traditional agriculture, so they were all cultivated in a similar way.