Ever wonder how anti-oxidants are assessed?
The Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture to quantify the anti-oxidant values in food. This effort was undertaken after establishing, through research studies, that oxidative stress is prevalent in chronic diseases.
However, the USDA has taken down their list because there are too many variables from which to draw air-tight conclusions about the ability of each item to fight free-radicals. You can read their statement here. Even so, I think there is value in looking at these numbers to get an idea of their richness in anti-oxidants.
Here are a few items the USDA listed to get you started and give you an idea of anti-oxidants (ORAC) values. Of course a few have incredibly high values, such as the berries group, but a balance of spices, herbs, beans, nuts, fruits, and vegetables should provide a steady daily dose of anti-oxidants that you can readily digest, absorb, and assimilate for maximum anti-oxidant nutrition as medicine.
Note: the symbol “~” to indicate more or less and assuming average portion sizes.
Apple: ~2500
Banana: ~700
Blueberries: ~5000
Orange: 2000
Beets: ~2000
Broccoli: ~1700
Cabbage, red: ~2000
Cauliflower: ~800
Carrots, raw: ~650
Red peppers: ~800
Spinach: ~1500
Chick peas: ~850
Lentils: ~7000
Kidney beans: ~9000
Cinammon: ~3000
Basil, 1 tsp: ~550
Marjoram, 1 tsp: ~275
Cashews, ¼ cup: ~375
Walnuts, ¼ cup: ~3300
Eat ample anti-oxidants to fight free radicals, get regular exercise, enjoy healthy lifestyle habits, and take a little “me-time” to counteract stress. We review these elements of your life as part of your ongoing acupuncture treatment.
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