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Thursday, August 16, 2007

How are ORAC Values and Antioxidants Related?

Until recently I was not aware of the meaning of ORAC values. According to Wilkepedia it is "Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities of different foods. It was developed at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, Maryland. High scoring foods include Acai, Cerasus (Montmorency tart cherries) prunes, raisins, blueberries, kale, spinach, spices and cocoa. Foods with moderately high ORAC values include wild blueberries, pomegranates and black raspberries." You can find out more by going to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_radical_absorbance_capacity.

Radicals have to do with the atoms in the body, usually with bodies we think of them as having cells as their basic building blocks and not generally do we view them as actually having atoms, electrons, neutrons and protons, but they do. When we are talking about free radical we are actually talking about electrons that have broken away from their atom and are floating around. Because they are floating around, they can attach to other atoms and cause changes to the atom and thereby the cell. This is what can start the process of disease, especially if too many of these free radicals attach to other atoms. Foods that contain high antioxidants slow or even stop these free radicals from occurring, maintaining the integrity of the atoms. For that reason foods with high ORAC values are being linked to better health, disease control and longevity by scientists.

So what can you do to maintain better health for you and your family? Consume produce, all kinds which are either organically grown or as naturally as possible. The latest recommendations by the government is for us to eat 5-9 fruits and vegetables a day.

I know that can be hard to eat all those servings a day so I would recommend The Feast(tm) by Uri International. Go to www.urilife.net/lbeattie to find out more about a delicious alternative that is convenient for any lifestyle.

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