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The combination of tomato, olive oil, garlic and onion in a sofrito
increases the amount of polyphenols and carotenoids. These bioactive
compounds respectively help to prevent cardiovascular diseases and
cancer. This is contained in a study carried out by the University of
Barcelona and the CIBERobn network, Spain, which confirms sofrito as an
essential part of the Mediterranean diet.
The study, PREvention
with a MEDiterranean Diet (PREDIMED) has recently shown the link between
the Mediterranean diet and low levels of cardiovascular disease. The
questionnaire used as a reference asked consumers how often they ate
vegetables, pasta, rice and other dishes made with sofrito, but the
beneficial compounds of this product had never been analysed.
Now
researchers from the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Biomedical
Research Centres Network - Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition
(CIBERobn) of the Carlos III Health Institute, have for the first time
identified polyphenols and carotenoids -healthy antioxidant substances-
in sofrito, by using a high resolution mass spectrometry technique.
The
results have been published in the 'Food Chemistry' magazine and they
show the presence of at least 40 types of polyphenols. "These compounds
produced by plants and which we eat are related to reduced
cardiovascular diseases", Rosa María Lamuela, researcher at the UB and
the person responsible for the project, told SINC.
Other
bioactive compounds found in the sofrito are carotenoids and vitamin C.
Various studies have shown that the intake of carotenoids such as
lycopene prevents prostate cancer and the consumption of foods rich in
beta-carotene help to reduce the incidence of lung cancer.
"Eating
a daily amount of 120 grams of sofrito, added to pasta for example, the
total intake of polyphenols is 16 to 24 milligrams per portion and 6 to
10 milligrams in the case of carotenoids", explains Lamuela.
The
team analysed ten types of commercial sofritos, "although the results
do apply to homemade sofrito, given that they generally include the same
ingredients, without taking into account thickeners: tomatoes, onions,
garlic and oil". The combination of these foods equals the bio-health
compounds of each one separately.
With regard to oil, scientists
recommend using virgin olive oil instead of sunflower oil. In fact, they
are now looking for the ideal proportion of the four ingredients and it
would seem that the inclusion of 10% extra virgin olive oil gives very
good results in the sofrito properties.
Researchers have also
performed a statistical analysis with the levels of phenolic and
carotenoid compounds present in each sofrito, which has enabled them to
identify markers that differentiate the components of each brand.
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