Antioxidants and ORAC

“…whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are, in fact, more effective at fighting free radical damage than one specific antioxidant on its own.”

The term “antioxidants” has been in the public eye since the 1990s when scientists began to discover that free radical damage was a precursor to the early stages of heart disease and other chronic health conditions. Free radicals are molecules that are formed from normal oxidative processes that our bodies undergo. However, they can also be formed in excess by other exogenous or outside influences such as poor diet, insufficient or excessive exercise, alcohol consumption, smoking, EMF exposure, stress, pollution, and lack of sleep. The good news though, is that free radical damage can be limited if we have a sufficient supply of antioxidants.

Many people are familiar with several vitamin supplements containing antioxidants. Vitamins A, C, and E are all well-known, and though supplements high in these vitamins may serve a useful purpose, there is stronger evidence that whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are, in fact, more effective at fighting free radical damage than one specific antioxidant on its own. This is where the concept of ORAC values comes into play.

ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, and the ORAC values provide a better understanding of the antioxidant properties in certain foods. First created by the National Institute of Aging in 1991, its purpose is to measure antioxidant properties in foods that help address age-related diseases and degeneration. The higher the ORAC value, the greater the antioxidant potency. Although the United States Department of Agriculture retracted the database in 2012 due to the fact that antioxidants have many functions that are not merely restricted to free radical control, I believe that it is still a useful way to recognize the healing power of natural foods. In the coming weeks, I will discuss one potent superfood at a time to give us an appreciation of the natural wonders surrounding us.

Up next week is one of my personal favorites, dark chocolate!

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Zain Yamani

Zain Yamani is a classic homeopath and holistic physical therapist based out of California. To learn more about him and his services visit: www.forwardtohealth.com/zain