"Making popular food more healthy using the tools of chemistry may have a larger impact on public health." 

-Jeffrey Moore

Many people all over the world do not meet the recommended amount of calorie intake, or do not receive nutritious benefits from the foods they consume. This is a major concern in third world countries, considering that poor diets may reflect upon the poor country. Research companies and universities are searching for ways to amplify the amount of antioxidants into different foods and plants to maintain a healthy life or even extend it. These successful discoveries and improvements including the process of genetic modification will be beneficial to the lives of not only people living in poor countries, but consumers all over the planet. Several potential new sources are listed below along with a brief description of the augmentation of the food and its health benefits.

Tomatoes                                                        

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have discovered that organic tomatoes have nearly double the concentration of flavonoids, which are quercetin and kaempferol. These flavonoids are healthful plant compounds that contain powerful antioxidant activity (Citation 23). Research has also found that genetically modified tomatoes both produce higher levels of flavonols as well as more biofavorable forms of antioxidants (Citation 24).

Soybeans                                                         

Monsanto has developed Omega-3 soybeans to produce oil that has healthy Omega-3 fatty acid content. The benefits of this content are usually found in fish. The oil produced from Omega-3 soybeans can be used as an ingredient in various foods such as granola bars, yogurt, etc. This offers new sources of antioxidants and can prevent overfishing in oceans. (Citation 21)

Pizza                                                                

Research studies show that intense baking pizza in intense conditions may amplify antioxidant levels in the though, especially whole wheat varieties. Higher temperatures and longer baking times were experimentally proven to increase the concentration of antioxidants in the pizza dough. In addition, longer fermentation times for the yeast in the dough boosted antioxidant levels in several cases nearly 100% as much. (Citation 27)

Berries                                                             

Colored berries contain compounds that have been linked to the prevention of many diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Research shows that treating berries with alcohol will increase the antioxidant capacity and lead to free radical scavenger activity with the fruit. "The researchers, from Kasetsart University in Thailand and the United States Department of Agriculture, tested the berries with ethanol and found that the treatment improved the physiology of the fruit as measured by several different laboratory tests for antioxidant activity." (Citation 25)

Carrots                                                             

According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, published by the American Chemical Society, cooked carrots contain a higher concentration of antioxidants than fresh carrots. Research shows that "antioxidant levels increased immediately after heat processing by 34.3% and continued to increase for the first week of storage." Also, processed carrots appear to have greater protection from oxidative damage than raw carrots. (Citation 26)

Rice                                                                  

Rice is a primary food for over three billion people around the world. Studies reveal that "rice genetically modified to have high flavonoid content has a 22 percent higher antioxidant activity than untransformed rice". (Citation 9)
 
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