OPEN THE DOOR TO SALAD SEASON THIS MAY WITH NATIONAL SALAD MONTH

Many finding as healthy links to foods and benefits of Vitamin C, Vitamin E

(May 2007) ATLANTA, GA – The Association for Dressings & Sauces (ADS), the Atlanta-based trade association of salad dressing and sauce manufacturers and suppliers to the industry, is proud to welcome May as National Salad Month. ADS recommends salads with dressing as an easy way to help reach the American Heart Association’s recommended five or more servings of vegetables and fruits per day to maintain nutritional health.

So, just how good are salads in the quest for optimal health? Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles and Louisiana State University published a study in the September 2006 Journal of the American Dietetic Association that found that those who eat salads, raw vegetables and salad dressing have considerably higher levels of vitamins C, E, B6 and folic acid, all key nutrients in promoting a healthy immune system.

Salad dressings are a delicious accompaniment to the naturally healthy vegetables and fruits we consume in salads, and many salad dressings provide an essential fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, which helps protect women against fatal heart attacks, as well as the ever-important Vitamin E, which offers a wealth of benefits to any salad eater. Researchers from Iowa State University and Ohio State University published a study in the August 2004 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that showed eating salad vegetables with some added fat, such as full-fat salad dressings, promotes the absorption of lycopene, alpha- and beta-carotenes, all of which aid in the fight against cancer and heart disease. You also can be assured that salad dressings are and have always been trans fat free.

What vegetables does one include to make the healthiest salad? According to Adam Drewnowski, Ph.D., director of the nutritional sciences program at the University of Washington, the following five vegetables provide the most nutritional bang for the fewest calories, and don’t forget to add your favorite salad dressing for added benefits.

• Romaine
  These are full of potassium, which can help lower blood pressure. Additional nutrients include folic acid, beta-carotene and Vitamin C.
  
  
• Bell Peppers
  Loaded with Vitamins A and C, and folic acid, a B vitamin that helps the body make healthy new cells.
  
  
• Spinach
  This leafy green is rich in Vitamin K, which promotes bone health. It also includes Vitamins A, B6, C and E, beta-carotene fiber, calcium and iron.
  
  
• Tomatoes
  Contain lycopene, a cancer-fighting antioxidant, as well as Vitamin C and some B vitamins. Try any of the various colors in your supermarket.
  
  
• Broccoli
  Broccoli contains phytochemicals, substances found in produce that can help prevent heart disease and certain types of cancer. Added nutrients include Vitamins A, C and K, calcium, folic acid and fiber.
  
  
  
• The Association for Dressings & Sauces is an international trade association representing the manufacturers of salad dressings and condiment sauces and the suppliers to the industry. Visit us on the web at www.saladaday.org and www.dressings-sauces.org to learn more about the nutritional benefits of salads and salad dressings, and to obtain tasty recipes as well as a copy of the brochure, “The Good News About Salad Dressings and Sauces.”