Coffee 'gives more antioxidants than fruit and veg' :

Coffee is likely to contribute far more antioxidants to the British diet than fruit and vegetables.

The evidence comes from the United States where scientists measured the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and beverages. The information was combined with US Department of Agriculture data on the contribution of each item to the average American's diet.

Coffee - caffeinated and decaffeinated - emerged as easily the biggest source of antioxidants, taking account of the amount per serving and level of consumption.

Black tea came second, followed by bananas.

"Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source - nothing else comes close," said study leader Professor Joe Vinson, from Scranton University in Pennsylvania.

He was presenting his findings at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in Washington DC.

The findings in the US probably reflect a similar trend in the UK, where people drink about 70 million cups of coffee each day.

Antioxidants help to rid the body of harmful free radicals, destructive molecules that damage cells and DNA. They have been linked to health benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer.

Studies have associated coffee drinking with a reduced risk of liver and colon cancer, type two diabetes, and Parkinson's disease.

But Prof Vinson recommended that people drink only one or two cups a day. He said it was important not to ignore the benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables. "Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables,

which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fibre," said Prof Vinson.

Dates were found to be the richest source of antioxidants, but since so few were eaten by Americans, they only contributed a small amount of antioxidants to the average diet.