| An Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity, or | | | | only has about 60. By eating a diet with a |
| ORAC, score is derived from an analysis of any | | | | minimum of 5000 ORAC units per day, you can |
| given food and reflects the level of antioxidants in | | | | increase your blood plasma level of antioxidants |
| that food. The higher the score, the more | | | | by more than 25%. (Because this area of nutrition |
| powerful the food is as an antioxidant. High ORAC | | | | is a developing science, the most ORAC you |
| foods are critical for your health, as they help | | | | should eat daily is not yet known - but because |
| eliminate free radicals that contribute to or cause | | | | you do need some free radicals in your body, it |
| cancer, aging, heart disease, and other diseases | | | | may be possible to overdose. Use good |
| and conditions. | | | | judgment.) |
| Free radicals, or oxygen radicals, are chemicals | | | | Some foods with high ORAC scores include dark |
| formed by natural cellular energy processing, and | | | | colored fruits and vegetables like eggplant and |
| most are carried away as waste by your body | | | | blueberry, and other foods like ground cinnamon, |
| and either excreted or recycled. Exercise creates | | | | pecans, and black beans. Dark chocolate is also |
| free radicals; sunlight, pollution, and even digestion | | | | extremely good; baking cocoa has an ORAC of |
| also create free radicals. These chemicals are | | | | 1032 units. |
| highly reactive, and recent studies indicate that | | | | Possibly the highest ORAC found in nature is the |
| they can damage DNA or cellular structures, | | | | acai berry, which grows wild in Brazil. This berry |
| causing disease as well as the sort of damage | | | | has an ORAC of 3800 per gram, which is many |
| that results in cancer. Normally, these free radicals | | | | times as high as a blueberry. But the acai is only |
| are eliminated by normal processes in the body. | | | | grown in Brazil, which limits the quantity and |
| But if you've had a lot of free radical activity, | | | | availability of the berry. |
| your body may not be able to eliminate all of | | | | Manufacturers of many supplements have found |
| them. In cases like this, it's a good idea to ramp | | | | that the acai pulp, when processed immediately |
| up your consumption of high ORAC foods. | | | | after picking, will form a powder that retains most |
| For most people, eating a diet that adheres to the | | | | of the ORAC value, and they've been using these |
| USDA food pyramid will get you an adequate | | | | berries in high ORAC health supplements. This is a |
| supply of high ORAC foods, especially if you focus | | | | good idea when it is carried out properly. To |
| on eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables and | | | | properly take advantage of the acai's properties, |
| especially the dark-colored ones. But if you work | | | | you'll need to find a supplement with at least a |
| out a lot, or if you've had a lot of sun or have | | | | gram of acai per dose. |
| been sick, boosting your ORAC is probably a good | | | | Because the ORAC value is a new concept in |
| idea. | | | | health, foods advertising high ORAC are not |
| Ideally, you should have a minimum of 1,750 | | | | monitored or independently tested. Organizations |
| ORAC units daily. | | | | and government agencies are working on ways |
| A big handful of blueberries will give you about | | | | to create a seal of approval for claimed high |
| 6000 ORAC units, while a serving of watermelon | | | | ORAC content, but so far this is still in process. |