Note, 04-07-04: One comparative study on LDL has shown "whole fruit" puree' mangosteen to be many times more potent than "Vitamin E"  against free radical activity.  As well, recent awareness of fatty lipid activity in relation to Xanthones in mangosteen has given rise to a whole new evaluation of mangosteen being under way at this time, with results to be posted here as soon as available.


ORAC
Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity

ORAC – Gold Standard of ANTIOXIDANT Score
 

Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a standardized test adopted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to measure the Total Antioxidant Potency of foods and nutritional supplements. This standardized test was developed by Dr. Guohua Cao, a physician and chemist at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, Maryland. It provides us with a very precise way of determining the Free Radical destroying or neutralizing power of a particular food, supplement or compound.

Here's how it works! A sample of antioxidant in the form of food, drink, fruit, nutritional supplement, vitamin, or chemical substance (example, orange juice, carrot, or vitamin E) is put in a test tube to see how well and how long it takes to destroy or neutralize the free radicals. This test or substance is then given an ORAC SCORE that reflects the Power and Speed with which it does its job as an antioxidant. Dr. Cao and Dr. Prior of the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University have established that their Recommended 5000 ORAC Units Daily helps prevent certain age related diseases.

Dr. Ames, et al of University of California, Berkeley published in the National Academy of Science USA 1993, "Free Radical Oxidant by-products of normal metabolism cause extensive damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids." He argued that this damage is a major contributor to aging and to degenerative diseases of aging such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, immune system decline, brain dysfunction, and cataracts. Antioxidants defend against this damage. Low dietary intake of fruits and vegetables, (SEE "Shocking" at page bottom"), doubles the risk of most types of cancer, as compared to a high intake and also markedly increases the risk of heart disease and cataracts. Since only 9% of Americans eat the recommended 5 servings of fruits and 5 servings of vegetables per day, the opportunity for improving health by improving diet is great.

THE RULE OF 5 - ARE YOU GETTING YOUR DAILY 5 + 5?

You already know antioxidants are important to your overall health.

But just how much do you really need
and where do you find a good source?

 
 
 
Pure Wolf Berries
1oz.
 
8,433
Developed by Dr. Guohua Cao at USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, the ORAC test is one of the most sensitive and reliable methods for measuring the ability of antioxidants to absorb free radicals. It is the only test to combine both time and degree of inhibition of free radicals.

  Berry Young Juice™ 1oz.

4,214

Wolfberry Juice
1oz.

3,472

Vitamin C
per 1000 mg.
1,890

Tahitian NONI™
1oz.

1,506

Vitamin E
per 1000 IU/mg.

1,350

Pomegranates
1oz.

1,102

Blueberries
1oz.

800

Raspberries
1oz.

407




TOP ORAC FRUITS
[PER 100 GRAMS OR 3.5 OUNCES]
Wolf Berry---------25,300
Prunes--------------5,770
Pomegranates-----3,307
Raisins-------------2,830
Blueberries---------2,400
Blackberries--------2,036
Cranberries---------1,750
Strawberries--------1,540
Raspberries---------1,220
Plums-----------------949
Oranges---------------750
Grapes, Red-----------739
Cherries----------------670
Kiwi fruit---------------610
Grapefruit, pink-------495
Grapes, White---------460
Cantaloupe-------------250
Banana------------------210
Apple--------------------207
Apricot------------------175
Peach--------------------170
----------------------------------------
TOP ORAC VEGETABLES
[PER 100 GRAMS OR 3.5 OUNCES]
Kale-----------------1,770
Garlic clove---------1,662
Spinach--------------1,260
Yellow Squash------1,150
Brussels sprouts-----980
Alfalfa sprouts--------930
Steamed Spinach-----909
Broccoli Flowers-------890
Beets-------------------840
Avocando--------------782
Red bell pepper-------710
Beans, Baked---------503
Beans, Kidney--------460
Onion------------------450
Corn-------------------400
Eggplant--------------390
Cauliflower-----------385
Peas, Frozen---------375
Potato----------------300
Sweet Potato--------295
Cabbage--------------295
Leaf Lettuce----------265
Tofu-------------------205
Carrot-----------------200
String Beans---------200
Tomato---------------195
Zucchini--------------176
---------------------------------------------

End

References
[1]-Agricultural Research, November 1996, pp. 4-8. SEE ORAC CHART @ The Watsons approach to Optimal Health & Longevity @: http://optimalhealth.cia.com.au/OracLevels.htm
[2]-Ronald Prior, et al., Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts, Boston, Mass., in J. Agric. Food Chem. 1998;46: 2686­2693 & HortScience 1999.
[3]-J Agric Food Chem 2001 Nov;49(11):5165-70.
 

How different foods can help the body fight Cancer
Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RD

Q: Have you ever heard the term ORAC? What is it? What does it mean for the foods I eat?

A: ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. This is just a fancy way of saying, "How well does a certain food help my body fight diseases like cancer and heart disease?"

Q: In the name ORAC are the words 'oxygen radical'. What are oxygen radicals? Why do we want to absorb them?

A: Oxygen radicals are chemicals that run around inside our bodies. They are a normal everyday part of living. But, even though we all have these oxygen radicals, they are bad for us. These oxygen radicals can damage our cells. They do this damage by a process called oxidation. If our bodies can absorb and stop these oxygen radicals before they do damage, then they won't hurt us.

Q: What is oxidation?

A: Oxidation is a natural process that occurs around us all the time. One example of oxidation is rusting. Think of a metal bridge that is rusting. Rusting is oxidation. What happens when metal rusts? It becomes weak and flaky. It doesn't serve its function anymore. It can't support the weight of the bridge. It doesn't do what it's supposed to do, because it is damaged by oxidation. It no longer does its job. THIS EXACT SAME PROCESS HAPPENS IN YOUR BODY! Just like a rusting bridge, the cells, organs, and other parts of your body can be made weak by oxidation. This can lead to diseases, like cancer and heart disease.

Q: Is there anything I can do to stop this oxidation damage from happening in my body?

A: YES!! One of the best ways to stop oxidation is by choosing the right foods to eat. This is where ORAC is important. ORAC is a way to measure how many oxygen radicals a specific food can absorb. The more oxygen radicals a food can absorb, the higher its ORAC score. The higher its ORAC score, the better it is at helping our bodies fight diseases like cancer and heart disease.

Q: Which foods are best at fighting disease? Which foods have high ORAC scores?

A: Here's the EASY part. Plant foods have the highest ORAC scores! Plant foods are best at fighting disease.

Q: What do you mean by plant foods?

A: Plant foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and many other things. Meat, milk, and other animal foods do not count as plant foods. The Best Plant Foods? Brightly colored foods are the ones with the highest ORAC scores. This means these are the foods that help fight disease the best by stopping oxygen radicals from causing damage in our bodies. Think bright reds, greens, oranges, blues, purples, yellows, and oranges. What foods do these words describe? Strawberries, spinach, blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, yellow peppers, carrots, and oranges. Any brightly colored fruits and vegetables that you can think of are good for you to include in your diet EVERY DAY! As a matter of fact, research shows that people who eat more of these plant foods have lower risk of cancer!

 

ORAC+ Benefits

What is ORAC?

According to Jean Carper, the best-selling author of Miracle Cures, Stop the Aging Now! and Food - Your Miracle Medicine, "Loads of oxygen free radical thugs can get out of control, corrupting cells' genetic DNA, ripping their membranes, eroding their normal functioning, and sometimes destroying them." She further states, "In general, they (oxygen free radicals) are the dark forces that attack fatty cell membranes, creating permanent cellular damage that accumulates over time, leading to accelerated aging and virtually every chronic disease imaginable, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and degenerative brain problems."

What do these oxygen free radicals attack?

Every cell in the body is subject to attack. Oxygen free radicals cannot be avoided altogether. "Every instance of your existence is an elegant dance of life and death between free radicals and antioxidants." They are generated when you breathe, or burn calories and glucose during normal metabolism. They get into your body through cigarette smoke, air pollution, and toxic chemicals in the air and water. They are carried into your cells in food, notably fatty foods. "Our brain generates more free radicals than other bodily tissue, because it uses so much oxygen and is the fattest organ in the body."

Oxygen reacts with fat molecules in ways that generate free radicals, a process called oxidation which leaves fat oxidized or rancid. Even worse, oxidized fat cripples the functions of the mitochondria (energy factors of cells), prompting a cascade of events that can cause cell death.

Why must we be concerned?

When oxygen free radicals get the upper hand over antioxidant activity, the result is an imbalance known in scientific jargon as "oxidative stress." This simply means that the free radical thugs can overpower our antioxidant potential and beat up in the cells of our body. Unfortunately, as we age, our body tends to produce more free radicals and fewer antioxidants, potentially leading toward mental and physical decline. According to some experts, this antioxidant production slowdown begins around the age of twenty five. This has lead many to believe that it is especially imperative to take in more antioxidants as you get older in order to maintain a more youthful balance.

Are all antioxidants the same?

Absolutely not! Antioxidants vary in their ability to combat free radicals. The stronger and more efficient they are, the greater their so called "antioxidant capacity of power." However, it was not until researchers at Tufts University in Boston developed a method of analyzing each food for its antioxidant capacity that anyone knew the real benefit of taking antioxidants. Then another USDA scientist, Dr. Guohau (Howard) Cao, blended some samples of specified foods and used the pulp and extract to reveal the food's "total antioxidant capacity or power." The procedure is now referred to as ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity).

After testing each food, an ORAC source or value is assigned that signifies how well nature endowed that food with overall power to neutralize cell-damaging free radicals.

Not surprising, this testing procedure has revealed that the highest antioxidant sources are fruits, followed by vegetables. Yet most people are not consuming the recommended five daily servings.

No longer do we just consider the individual components a food has, such as how much beta-carotene or lycopene or anthocyanins they contain. What really counts is the "total antioxidant capacity."

What are the top "antioxidant powerhouses" inspired by nature?

One group of these powerhouses are the so-called carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, alpha carotene, lycopenes, lutein, and zeaxanthin. There is another family of antioxidants known as flavonoids. Both of these families seem to be concentrated in deeply colored fruits and vegetables. Also, teas and red wine contain a group of phyto-chemicals called proanthrocyanidins and polyphenois like resveratrol.

We now know that the total antioxidant capacity of food is far greater than the sum of these individual components. Certain fruits and vegetables contain a complex assortment of countless antioxidants that interact and potentate each other, pushing their "antioxidant power" far above their mere additive value.

How do we know the ORAC value of these "powerhouse" fruits and vegetables?

If you ask people in general, 'What do you think is the most powerful food in free radical absorbency capacity," you will get all kinds of answers. Some will say broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and possibly spinach. That is because we have heard they are good for us, and while this is true in many respects, it is not necessarily true in terms of "total antioxidant capacity or power."

Also surprising, it is not always fresh foods that have the greatest "antioxidant power." For example, the new ORAC test shows that a fresh plum has an ORAC value of 9.49 (per gram), compared to a dried plum (prune) with an ORAC value of 57.7 (per gram). Another surprising example is the antioxidant power of grapes. Fresh grapes have an ORAC value of 4.46 (per gram) versus dried grapes (raisins) that have an ORAC value of 28.3 (per gram). Why? Drying removes the water and concentrates their antioxidants.

Does this mean we are only to eat dried foods?

Of course this is not true. We consume foods not only for their antioxidant value, but for their nutritive value as well, which makes our bodies function properly. At the same time, we must not ignore the other values of food such as its "free radical absorbency capacity" or "antioxidant power." Most of us do not want to just feel good for the moment; we want the moment to last. We are all interested in anti-aging, like extension and quality of life. By learning of a foods ORAC value we may be one step closer to the fountain of youth.

How Much ORAC Value Do We Need?

According to research conducted by Drs. Ronald Prior and Guahau Cao, we need about 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC units per day to have a significant impact on plasma and tissue antioxidant capacity. What is shocking is that most Americans are taking in about 1200 ORAC units daily. According to the USDA estimate, these units come primarily from an average consumption of three fruit and vegetables per day. This means the average person is short between 1800 and 3800 ORAC units each day.

What about those people who are not eating their fruits and vegetables daily?

Of course the ORAC value also depends on which fruits and vegetables you choose. Maybe you are eating five servings, but they could be fruits and vegetables with a low ORAC value.

How can you be sure you are getting 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC units every day in your food?

We have provided tables above showing the ORAC value of over fifty foods.