Total Antioxidant Capacity and Phenolic Compounds of Selected Vinegars in the Greek Market

There has been growing interest in the beneficial health effects of certain fruits, wines and their by-products, like vinegars. Several studies have shown that consumption of red wine or fresh fruits is associated with lower incidence of degenerative disease, such as cardiovascular disease or cancer. Vinegars contain antioxidant compounds, such as polyphenols, which can scavenge free radicals in the body. In the present study, we evaluated the Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) of 27 different vinegars from the Greek market, using the BAP test, and we also checked their TAC stability after a three month period, under housekeeping conditions. Our results indicate that vinegars have a strong and stable antioxidant capacity, especially due to their phenolic content, and this capacity is not altered significantly during a three month period under ambient condition. The balsamic red vinegars presented a higher antioxidant capacity than the white, fruit ones. It appears that the consumption of vinegar in a Mediterranean diet would have beneficial effects on health.