ORAC Score Measures the Antioxidant Capacity of Foods

ORAC is an acronym for “Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity“, and is a way to measure different foods antioxidants. Foods with high ORAC values are more desirable for their ability to neutralize Free Radicals, so will greatly inhibit the cell damage that is done by Free Radicals.

The ORAC Score is a Valuable Tool in Nutritional Science

The ORAC measurement was first developed by a scientist at the National Institute of Ageing in 1992 and has been a valuable tool in evaluating the health benefits associated with eating fruits, vegetables, and other antioxidant rich supplements and foods, these foods that have high ORAC levels are also known as “Superfoods“.

Scientists suggest that a diet rich in the ORAC listed foods may slow the down the ageing process in the body and brain, thus preventing some of the age related degenerative diseases, plus we will look younger and feel healthier. The wisdom is to try and eat at least 3000 ORAC units a day, and this isn’t difficult as you can see from the list of foods above (you can search for longer lists for more variety).

Don’t just concentrate on one food high in ORAC units, we need to have a combination of different foods, as this has found to give us greater protection from Free Radical Damage. So mix it up, have a variety of the fruits and vegetables high in ORAC units, as variety is the spice of life!