Looks like bacteria can’t handle their alcohol. Lab tests by researchers at the University of Missouri at Columbia show that red wine may be a potent weapon against foodborne bugs like Salmonella and Listeria bacteria. “Grape skins contain bacteriainhibiting compounds that are removed during the manufacturing of white wine,” says the study author, Azlin Mustapha, Ph.D.
FLAVOR SAVER
Rosemary could be a key ingredient in the recipe for a disease-free brain. When Japanese scientists supplemented the diets of mice with a chemical extract of rosemary, they observed less brain damage from free radicals. Free radicals may heighten the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. Preventive drugs are still several years off.
A STEAK TOPPING THAT SAVES
A handful of capers can make your next steak healthier. Italian researchers recently discovered that adding capers to meat significantly reduces lipid oxidation, a process that can degrade the food’s nutritional quality and turn cholesterol into artery-clogging plaque. One factor behind the mechanism: Capers have more than 10 times as much of the powerful antioxidant rutin as the next best source, cooked onions. Scatter a tablespoon of capers over a grilled steak before topping it with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
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