The ORAC rating of Antioxidant foods

There are many Antioxidant foods that we consume that are richer in antioxidants than other food types due to the fact that they have an ORAC (oxygen rating absorbance capacity) rating of around 1000 per 100 grams. A typical apple or pear weighs around 200 grams and we could generally accept that to be an average serving size. Spices, herbs and essential oils are very rich in antioxidant properties but as the serving size is generally small, they usually don’t supply enough antioxidants in their own right; but exceptions such as cocoa in the diet can be very rich; if consumed as a drink or in dark chocolate.

Spices

Typical spices that add that zing to Antioxidant foods are: Clove, cinnamon, oregano, turmeric, cumin, parsley, basil, curry powder, mustard seed, ginger, pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic, coriander and cardamom.

Herbs

Typical herbs can be sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, tarragon, peppermint, oregano, savory, parsley, basil, fennel and dill.

Dried fruits

Dried fruits are a good source of antioxidants by weight/serving size, as most of the water has been removed which helps to make the ratio/levels of antioxidants much higher. Typical dried fruits are pears, apples, plums, peaches, raisins, sultanas, prunes, figs, dates, raisins and black currants. Deeply pigmented fruits like cranberries, blueberries, plums, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants and cherries are very rich in antioxidants as well as their juices and also red wines.

Nuts

Nuts are a very good source of polyphenol antioxidants and typical nuts are those such as brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachio, almonds, cashews and macadamia nuts with crushed nuts and peanut butter being very antioxidant rich as well.

Juices

Juices from guava, oranges, lemons, mandarins, mango, grape and pomegranate juice also have significant ORAC scores and can be quite high in their polyphenol count; but they are beaten to the winning post by Tomato, Gac and Vegetable juices which generally have the highest levels of antioxidants of any foods..

Brassica and other vegetables

Most vegetables are rich in antioxidants but the best are the Brassica family vegetables such as brussels sprouts, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and kale and other greens such as asparagus, avocados, beetroot and spinach are also excellent sources.

Top 20 Food sources for Antioxidant capacity

 

 

Rank	Food	Serving Size	Antioxidant capacity per serving size
1	Small Red Bean	½ cup dried beans	13727
2	Wild blueberry	1 cup	13427
3	Red kidney bean	½ cup dried beans	13259
4	Pinto bean	½ cup	11864
5	Blueberry	1 cup berries	9019
6	Cranberry	1 cup berries	8983
7	Artichoke hearts	1 cup cooked	7904
8	Blackberry	1 cup	7701
9	Prune	½ cup	7291
10	Raspberry	1 cup	6058
11	Strawberry	1 cup	5938
12	Red Delicious Apple	1	5900
13	Granny smith	1	5387
14	Pecan	1 ounce	5095
15	Sweet cherry	1 cup	4873
16	Russet potato	1 cooked	4649
17	Black plum	1	4544
18	Black bean	½ cup dried beans	4181
19	Plum	1	4118
20	Gala apple	1	3903

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