ORAC values and superfoods ... what does it all mean?

A measurement of free radical absorption found in certain foods has been measured.  Us ordinary folk normally get to hear that this fruit or that vegetable is a powerful antioxidant promptly followed by a barrage of advertising.  So here at Enzo's Place, we thought we would do some research of our own and we found out a few basic things we thought you should know before you spend the family budget on suppliments and a crate of acai berries.

There are many forms in which a list of antioxidants have been presented to the public. Most of us are used to seeing articles listing the top 10 superfoods, but....

• 'The top 10 edible items that you can incorporate into your diet with spending a small fortune?' are HERE.

Here at Enzo's Place, we believe that much of what has been presented to us by way of what is good or bad for our health, has led to confusion. For example, yes green tea has fabulous antioxidant properties. Great news don’t you think, especially for a tea drinker like me. However, I drink 'black tea' which is not as powerful an antioxidant as 'green tea', so in order to reap any health benefits from drinking my good old English cup of black tea, I would need to take it intravenously. And, black tea doesn't mean 'without milk'.  There are three types of teas; black, oolong and green. Green is the least processed of the three.

 The most powerful herbs and spices  HERE

Now I don't know about you, but for me there doesn’t appear to be enough hours in the day to get the recommended 3500 - 4000 orac units from drinking tea alone.  This is because 100 grams (4 oz) of 'brewed' green tea will provide your body with 1253 ORAC units.  This is not to say that we should all give up drinking tea for it’s antioxidant properties, what it does suggest is that if we were to approach the list of antioxidant foods as if part of a recipe, we would develop a clearer understanding of what the possibilities for anti-aging and cancer prevention actually were relative to a human beings normal daily schedule and eating habits.

Eating foods high on the ORAC scale should be a powerful step forward in reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease and age related diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.  Ultimately shopping for antioxidant foods for many of us is going to appear rather expensive and challenging. It's probably the reason why we are drawn to dietary suppliments. However we need to be sensible and integrate these 'superfoods' into our diet and eventually into our supermarkets for the sake of ourselves and our children. There can be no greater gift than that of  happiness and good health the possibility of which is in your own hands - exactly where it should be.

Discover the ORAC VALUES in everyday food		Artichokes ORAC vaue = 2,632 per ounce
Find delicious recipes full of antioxidants enough to satify your dietary requirements		Artichoke and Mushroom Tagliatelle
		Enzo's Stuffed Artichoke

What's the score?

We know that our bodies produce their own antioxidants, however we are becoming more aware that our diet may not be sufficient.  ORAC scores are used by scientists to measure the ability of foods, blood plasma and just about anything that has the capacity to subdue oxygen free radicals under test conditions. The higher the score the better. The value itself covers all presently known antioxidants available in foods and can be used to identify which foods offer a higher potiential for antioxidant capability.

"If we can show some relationship between ORAC intake and health outcome in humans, I think we may reach a point where the ORAC value will become a new standard for good antioxidant protection"

Nutritionist Ronald L Prior

Selecting your food using the ORAC scale could be really important. For example, choosing 6 foods with lower values could actually provide less antioxidant capacity than a single food with a high score. It is significant that studies have demonstrated the benefits of diets rich in foods with a high ORAC score.  We must stress however that dietary variety remains highly recommended.

The average daily ORAC score for a normal diet is suggested to be 2000 units. It has therefore been recommended that to achieve a high ORAC daily intake you would aim to consume 3,500 or more units.  For example here are a few everyday foods and their ORAC values per ounce:

It is very important for you to know that choosing a diet rich in just one food or another in the belief that this will provide you with all the good stuff you need to live forever, is a mistake. Each food brings with it it's own beneficial powers and nutritional requirements. So mix it up and the best rule of thumb is:

What about dietary supplements? 
It is always sensible to consider supplements. For example Vegan foods are low in many vitamins and minerals that would be essential for healthy brain and body function.  However if you are unsure, consult your doctor for further advice.