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What are Orac Values?The ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) unit, ORAC values, or "ORAC score" is a method of measuring the antioxidant capacity of different foods and supplements. It was developed by scientists at the National Institutes of Health. While the exact relationship between the ORAC value of a food and its health benefit has not been established, it is believed that foods higher on the ORAC scale will more effectively neutralize free radicals. According to the free-radical theory of aging, this will slow the oxidative processes and free radical damage that can contribute to age-related degeneration and disease.
ORAC Values of FoodsThe USDA recommends an ORAC unit ingestion of about 3000 to 5000 units daily. The ORAC scale values of a certain food can differ due to growing conditions, processing conditions, analytical procedure and variety.
Why is the ORAC unit important?The ORAC unit indicates the ability of a food to mop up and "quench" free radicals. Free radicals lead to oxidation. Therefore the greater the ORAC scale value the greater the ability of this food to destroy free radicals. High ORAC foods are high in antioxidants. Recent research has shown that over 200 diseases are caused by oxidation. As stated above, antioxidants have been shown to stop destructive oxidative damage by neutralizing excessive free-radicals. Studies have shown that free-radicals have been found to cause most of the chronic illnesses human’s face by damaging the cells in which the entire human body is comprised. Illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and many others, as well as the aging process, are the results of excessfree-radicals to. As we age, antioxidant production within the body diminishes and cannot regenerate adequate amounts of antioxidants to keep pace with the production of free-radicals. Thus, antioxidants must be supplemented through an alternate means. Antioxidants are known to be present in phytonutrients and flavonoids (both compounds produced from naturally occurring plant foods). Logic dictates that the body uses these nutrients to stop the damage and antioxidants could possibly repair the damage that has already occurred. Therefore, daily doses of antioxidants are necessary to maintain basic health. The body assimilates antioxidants found in food sources much more efficiently than artificially produced supplements. It is a fact that the body assimilates no more than 20%-50% of nutrients from even the best vitamin supplements. Functional natural food sources are by far the best vehicle to introduce antioxidants into our systems.
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