At the Dining Room at Anthony David’s, the food is always the focus. What you may not know is that many of the ingredients Chef Pino uses in the recipes are packed with nutritional and health benefits. You already know what they can do to your taste buds - here’s a short list of some of the more popular ingredients being used at the restaurant, and what they’re doing for your body.

GARLIC
The garlic family, including onion-family members such as leeks, chives, shallots, and scallions, contains allylic sulfides and other compounds that may reduce the risk of cancerous tumors.

Benefits to the heart are also noted characteristics of garlic. Eating garlic can even help control blood pressure. Garlic also has been shown to effectively suppress harmful effects of low-density-lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol.
Studies have shown that garlic - especially aged garlic - can have a powerful antioxidant effect. Antioxidants help to protect the body against damaging "free radicals".

ONIONS
They may make you cry when you’re peeling them, but these vegetables are very good for you. They contain a healthy amount of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid).

Vitamin C, present in onions, as well as other fruits and vegetables, is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. This anti-inflammatory activity may influence the development of asthma symptoms.

A large preliminary study has shown that young children with asthma experience significantly less wheezing if they eat a diet high in fruits rich in vitamin C. Eating plenty of flavonoid- and vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables also helps to support the structure of capillaries.

PEPPERS
Peppers, especially red, yellow and orange peppers, are very good for the body. They carry much more vitamin C than onions, and are also packed with Niacin (vitamin B-3), as well as other B vitamins, and vitamin A.

Peppers, along with garlic and onions offer many significant health benefits. Top of the list has to be their healing effects on respiratory problems. Hot peppers have always played an important role in traditional Chinese medicine. They are recognized for their ability to tackle pulmonary and respiratory illnesses. Peppers contain "capsaicin" which helps the lungs function more effectively. In addition, a daily intake of peppers is highly recommended for smokers and even non-smokers.

The health benefits of a daily intake of peppers are well established. Eating peppers can reduce respiratory illnesses, help asthmatics breathe more easily, control and often cure sinus and nasal passage problems and even reduce headaches.

TOMATOES
There are many health benefits of eating tomatoes. Tomatoes contain compounds that have been proven to help prevent cancer, heart disease, cataracts and many others.

Starting with the basics, tomatoes contain large amounts of vitamin C, providing 40 percent of the daily value (DV). They also contain 15 percent DV of vitamin A, 8 percent DV of potassium, and 7 percent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iron for women and 10 percent RDA for men.

The red pigment contained in tomatoes is called lycopene. This compound appears to act as an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals that can damage cells in the body. Only recently, studies have revealed that lycopene may have twice the punch of another well-known antioxidant, betacarotene.

Researchers have found that lycopene is a powerful inhibitor of lung, breast, and endometrial cancer cells. Research has also indicated that the lycopene in tomatoes can help older people stay active longer.

New research is beginning to indicate that tomatoes may be used to help prevent lung cancer. Two powerful compounds found in tomatoes - coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid - are thought to block the effects of nitrosamines. These are compounds that not only are formed naturally in the body, but also are the strongest carcinogen in tobacco smoke. By blocking the effects of these nitrosamines, the chances of lung cancer are reduced significantly.

OLIVE OIL
The greatest exponent of monounsaturated fat is olive oil. It's a prime component of the Mediterranean Diet, and of course, many dishes at the Dining Room.

Olive oil is a natural juice which preserves the taste, aroma, vitamins and properties of the olive fruit. Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that can be consumed as it is - freshly pressed from the fruit.

The beneficial health effects of olive oil are due to both its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and its high content of antioxidative substances.
Studies have shown that olive oil offers protection against heart disease by controlling LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels while raising HDL (the "good" cholesterol) levels. No other naturally produced oil has as large an amount of monounsaturated fat as olive oil - mainly oleic acid.

Olive oil is very well tolerated by the stomach. In fact, olive oil's protective function has a beneficial effect on ulcers and gastritis. Olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones much more naturally than prescribed drugs.

Consequently, it lowers the incidence of gallstone formation.
Due to its fatty acid composition, olive oil has a beneficial impact on controlling cholesterol levels and thus can play a pivotal role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

It is also believed that antioxidant substances such as vitamins E, K and the polyphenols that are found in olive oil delay aging and prevent carcinogenesis, liver disorders and inflammations. It is very well tolerated by the stomach and is believed to lower the incidence of gallstone formation as well as promoting bone mineralization, and is therefore excellent for those who have bone calcification problems