LONDON, Ontario, Canada—Brushing on barbecue sauces and marinades may have healthful benefits because they are chock full of natural antioxidants, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Western Ontario.
“Herbs and spices are excellent sources of antioxidants, but estimating consumption rates can be difficult considering they are not generally consumed in large quantities, compared to fruits and vegetables,” said the lead researcher. “Instead, they are used in relatively small amounts as ingredients in recipes and formulations such as spice mixes and marinating sauces that enhance food flavor.”
Diverse processing methods during manufacture, length of marinating time and exposure to various modes of cooking can significantly alter the antioxidant status of the products and, consequently, the amount of antioxidants available to consumers.
Researchers were able to show the impact of marinating and cooking meat on the antioxidant status of seven different popular brands and flavors of marinade containing herbs and spices as primary ingredients. Each is readily available at local grocery stores and included jerk sauce, garlic and herb, honey garlic, roasted red pepper, lemon pepper garlic, sesame ginger teriyaki and green seasoning.
The research found very good quantities of antioxidants in all seven sauces, but that marinating meat prior to cooking reduced antioxidant levels by 45 percent to 70 percent. Both Grace Jerk Sauce and Renée’s Sesame Ginger Teriyaki outperformed the other five sauces tested before and after cooking because they contain substantial quantities of ingredients like hot peppers, allspice, sesame and ginger—all of which have high antioxidant properties.
Despite the high percentage of antioxidant loss following marinating and cooking, the sauces still provide benefits over cooking meat without them.
“Consumers can maximize their intake of the antioxidants available in these sauces by choosing those with the highest antioxidant levels prior to marinating and cooking,” the researcher wrote. “Alternatively, you can brush the sauce on just before serving the meat, or consume it without cooking—like as a salad dressing—where it is permissible to do so.”