What is the ORAC Scale for Antioxidants?

What is an ORAC scale anyways? 

ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity.  ORAC is a method once used by the USDA for measuring antioxidant properties in foods such as beans, berries, spices, fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants protect the fluorescent molecule from oxidative degeneration or stress, which is considered to be like rust in the body. In other words, the fewer the antioxidants your body takes in, the quicker you age and disease sets in.  Antioxidants can give powerful protection against oxidative stress done by the bad free-radicals. Foods higher on the ORAC scale may neutralize the free radicals which again slow down the damage of oxidation.

The USDA explains the ORAC Scale system of measurement developed by the National Institute of Health’s National Institute for Aging and has charts that you can download here.

Interesting to know….

The clove spice has a value of 314,446 umoles! Cinnamon and oregano rank right up there as well.  So you may want to consider any one of them when you get sick.  The Moringa Tree’s (Moringa oleifera) leaf powder measured over 157,000 umoles using the ORAC system.   Read more about the Amazing Moringa Tree.

There is a lot of science to consider when understanding the ORAC scale, but to simplify it below are three additional charts giving the ORAC value for fruits and vegetables, spices and essential oils. Remember essential oils are condensed oils so they can carry even higher values. Eating antioxidants is always a good idea for sound health, especially eating a variety and a combination of them for a synergistic effect, not just one.

Spice ORAC Values