Substances in sofrito which reduce risks to cardiovascular disease

Sofrito which consists of a combination of onion, garlic, olive oil and tomato is considered to lower risks to cardiovascular disease and cancer. This is the discovery of a new research from the University of Barcelona and the CIBERobn network, situated in Spain. This network considers sofrito as one of the key elements of Mediterranean diet. This study proves the existing link between Mediterranean diet and decreased risks to cardiovascular disease. People involved in the study were asked how often they consume dishes which contain sofrito. However, the beneficial compounds of sofrito were not analyzed before. There were two healthy antioxidant substances identified in sofrito: carotenoids and polyphenols. The results of this study are published in the Food Chemistry magazine. According to Rosa María Lamuela, researcher at the UB and the person responsible for the project, these compounds are responsible for decreased risks to cardiovascular disease. “Eating a daily amount of 120 g of sofrito, added to pasta for example, the total intake of polyphenols is 16 to 24 mg per portion and 6 to 10 mg in the case of carotenoids”, explains Lamuela.