Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities of different foods. It was developed by the scientists at the
National Institute on Aging in the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A wide variety of foods have been tested
using this methodology, with certain spices, berries and legumes rated very highly. Correlation between the
high antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables, and the positive impact of diets high in fruits and
vegetables, is believed to play an important role in the free radical theory of aging.
The original idea of the ORAC is based on the oxidative degradation of the fluorescent molecule after being mixed with free radical generators. Antioxidants are able to protect the fluorescent molecule from the oxidative degeneration.
One benefit of using the ORAC method to evaluate substance's antioxidant capacity is that it takes into account samples with and without lag phases of their
antioxidant capacities. This is especially beneficial when measuring foods and supplements that contain complex ingredients with various slow and fast acting
antioxidants, as well as ingredients with combined effects that cannot be pre-calculated.
ORAC Score Of Common Fruits And Vegetables
Fruits
Vegetables
ORAC Score per 100 grams (about 3 _ ounces)
Raisins
2830
Spinach
1260
Blueberries
2400
Brussels sprouts
980
Blackberries
2036
Alfalfa sprouts
930
Strawberries
1540
Broccoli flowers
890
Raspberries
1220
Beets
840
Plums
949
Red bell pepper
710
Oranges
750
Onion
450
Red grapes
739
Corn
400
Cherries
670
Eggplant
390
Kiwi fruit
602
Cauliflower
350
Grapefruit, pink
483
Red Pepper
800
Stop Aging Now Dietary Supplements With High ORAC Scores:
