Study finds new phytonutrients in avocados

Excerpts from an article in the 11/10/09 The Packer By Andy Nelson

A new study has found additional disease-fighting chemicals in avocados.
In research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists at the University of California-Los Angeles identified four additional carotenoids in avocados.

Carotenoids are phytonutrients, chemical compounds that are thought to help prevent many chronic diseases.

The UCLA researchers found them in the dark green fresh of the avocado closest to the peel.

Tests for the study, which was funded by the commission, were conducted on fruit grown in California.