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Superfoods For Your Antioxidant

Antioxidant Superfoods are highest in either direct or indirect antioxidants. Direct antioxidants are measured by the ORAC test, indirect antioxidants such as the glucosinolates are found in the cruciferous vegetables.

Researchers have found direct antioxidants can neutralize free radicals (unstable oxygen molecules) on the spot rendering them harmless. Indirect antioxidants have the ability to stimulate the body's own detoxification systems which chemically alter these damaging molecules allowing them to be flushed from our systems. Both kinds combat the oxidation – the rust, if you will – of our cells and protect against the negative effects of aging and DNA degradation.

Meets Superfood Antioxidant Criteria

To be labeled an Antioxidant Superfood, a food must have an ORAC score of greater than or equal to 3,400 per serving.*

OR

Contain indirect antioxidants in the form of glucosinolates.

• ORAC Value  Describes the antioxidant power of a food by measuring the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC).  The ORAC score is usually expressed as the value per gram or per serving of a fruit or vegetable. A score of 3,400 or greater per serving would be equivalent to being ranked in the top 15 highest antioxidant containing fruits and vegetables according to the USDA’s published ORAC values.

• Glucosinolates can indirectly neutralize free radicals by stimulating the body's own natural detoxification systems. This cascade of antioxidant activity -- unlike the one-shot, finite amount you get from most direct antioxidants -- actually cycles over and over within the physiology, continuing to protect your system for as many as 3-4 days after the glucosinolate-containing food was consumed.

EXAMPLES

Included: Fresh cultivated blueberries have an ORAC score of 9,012 per serving (1 cup - 145g), ranking them #1 in fruits and vegetables tested by the USDA.

Excluded: A yellow bell pepper has an ORAC score of 758 per serving (1 medium pepper - 74g).

*Serving size needs to comply with published NLEA serving sizes or USDA reference amounts for particular food types.