Fighting Free Radicals

In the past, I’ve discussed free radicals.  In the chemistry world these are molecules in the body with unpaired electrons that will attack nearby cells hoping to steal an electron thereby damaging healthy cells.  In your body, the damage of free radicals can be related to numerous diseases from arthritis to cardiovascular disease to cancer or any other form of degeneration.  Antioxidants are molecules that will neutralize free radicals by giving them the extra electron they so desperately desire. 

A new laboratory test known as ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is one of the most accurate ways to measure the ability of antioxidant to absorb free radicals. The higher the ORAC score, the better the food is for the body.  Researchers have found that consuming a combination of foods that provide a daily ORAC score of 50,000 or greater will provide the antioxidants necessary to prevent disease and reduce aging.  But what foods will deliver the most bang for your buck?  I thought it might be helpful to give you a list of the most powerful antioxidant foods based on this ORAC score.

Oddly enough, 60 grams or unprocessed and unsweetened Cacao (for dark chocolate) yields a score of 16,800.  A cup of blueberries provides 9700.  A half cup of black beans, kidney beans, lentils or pinto beans all yield an average of around 7500.  Broccoli, artichokes, or a Granny Smith apple are around the 7000 mark as well.  A cup of raspberries or strawberries both score around 6000.  And pomegranate juice is near 3000.  Obviously the key is various raw fruits and vegetables and plenty of them to get 50,000 ORAC points each day.  This is one of the many reasons why I’ve always stressed the importance of committing to 5-8 serving of raw fruits and vegetables as a staple of your daily diet.