About Antioxidants
From seeing various advertisements, we know certain foods are good for us because they contain antioxidants. But do you really know what antioxidants are, and why our bodies need them? Below is an overview of antioxidants, free-radicals and ORAC scores.
Our body is made up of atoms, which are protected by a layer of electrons. When an atom loses its electrons, it becomes an oxygen free-radical. In small amounts, oxygen free-radicals aren't too bad, but when the number grows, it poses a health threat and makes you more prone to illness and terminal diseases. They are created by many natural (breathing, exercising) and unnatural (air pollution, smoking) activities.
The only way to turn oxygen free-radicals into healthy atoms is to give them electrons. Antioxidants are important because they are filled with the electrons our atoms need, and can turn a damaged atom (free-radical) into a normal healthy atom. They are most commonly found in fruits and vegetables. The way to measure the level of antioxidants in a food item is called its Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score.
When a food has tons of antioxidants, they are often referred to as a "super-food" or "super-fruit". The ORAC score for an apple is 218, whereas blueberries (2,400), blackberries (2,036) and raisins (2,830) all score pretty high. Even more impressive are acai berries (5,500) and prunes (5,700). The USDA recommends 5,000 ORAC units per day, while some leading doctors, like naturopathic Dr. Peter Glidden recommend 20,000 ORAC units per day, to prevent terminal illnesses.
If you don't have easy access to acai berries or prunes, fear not, as there are many other ways to get antioxidants into your diet. My favorite way to get antioxidants is by eating dark chocolate! There's one kind of dark chocolate that has a whooping 16,936 ORAC per piece (Triple Treat Chocolate by Youngevity).
If you don't like chocolate or fruit, then you can also get antioxidants in green tea (1,500 per cup), kale (1,770), spinach (1,260), and the newest super-food, KonaRed! KonaRed is a natural highly-concentrated beverage that originates from raw cherry coffee beans and boasts an impressive 7,900 ORAC units per serving.
What is your favorite antioxidant rich food?
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