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What does a diet "rich in antioxidants" really mean?
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"Rich in antioxidants" is now an established marketing slogan used by many food and beverage manufacturers, but for many consumers there is puzzlement as to how an antioxidant value is measured, what amount of antioxidants are most effective for the body, and what are its best sources.
Why are ORAC antioxidant values not telling the whole story? ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity, which measures the amount of time it takes for an antioxidant to react with a free radical. Sometimes, free radicals are produced by the body's immune system to neutralize viruses and bacteria. However, free radicals also are produced as a result of environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides. Too many free radicals in the body that are not deactivated by antioxidants can damage healthy cells and potentially lead to chronic disease and cancer. It would be logical to think that those antioxidant food sources high on the ORAC list would be the best for the body. Check out the USDA report on ORAC values. However, within the scientific community, there are questions about the proper method for measuring an antioxidant's effectiveness. For example, just because an antioxidant combines quickly with a free radical does not necessarily mean that it is the best for neutralizing that free radical. Check out where ORAC value measurement breaks down.
Is there ever too much of a good thing with antioxidants? Diets that contain a balance of foods rich in antioxidants - Vitamins C and E, the element selenium and beta carotene - will allow one to maintain overall good health and could even impact series diseases. "(But), excessive levels of antioxidants can be toxic," according to Dr. K. Sandeep Prabhu, of the Pennsylvania State University. He stresses, "we don't yet fully understand the mechanisms by which selenium and other antioxidants work, and so we must be cautious about prescribing diets (too) high in these elements."
What are the best known food sources of antioxidants? The American Cancer Society encourages people to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and emphasizes the benefits of getting your antioxidants through foods rather than supplements.
- Vitamin C - Citrus fruits and their juices, acai berries, dark green vegetables (spinach, asparagus, green peppers, brussel sprouts, broccoli, watercress, other greens), red and yellow peppers, tomatoes and tomato juice, pineapple, cantaloupe, mangoes, papaya, raw cacao and guava.
- Vitamin E - Spinach, swiss chard, mustard and turnip greens, sunflower seeds, almonds, collard greens, papaya, kale, olives, bell peppers, brussel sprouts, kiwi, tomatoes, blueberries, and broccoli.
- Selenium - Brazil nuts, brewer's yeast, oatmeal, brown rice, chicken, eggs, dairy products, garlic, molasses, onions, salmon, seafood, tuna, wheat germ, whole grains, mushrooms and most vegetables.
- Beta Carotene - Variety of dark orange, red, yellow and green vegetables and fruits such as broccoli, kale, spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots, red and yellow peppers, apricots, cantaloupe and mangoes.
In the end, make sure to include a variety of healthy foods in your balanced diet not only for their antioxidant levels, but for their other nutritional properties as well.
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