To scientifically measure and assign a number to the antioxidant buffering capacity of a food, scientists have devised a laboratory test called ORAC.
ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorption capacity and is a laboratory assay performed in a test tube, so does not strictly represent bioavailability of antioxidants within the human body.
A high measured ORAC value, say from a sample of wild blueberries, indicates that the tested sample chemically possesses a high potency for antioxidant activity just within those test tube conditions. Although not providing data that completely mimics an individual human body, ORAC remains the best current way of expressing this chemical capacity in the foods we eat.
The test is still being scientifically refined, yet has been applied to a variety of berries and other fruits, vegetables, spices, grains and nuts to give us a benchmark for assessing antioxidant strength in the foods we buy. The scientific community believes ORAC may become a standard report on food labels in the future.
Example of a high ORAC value is 9,000 provided by 1 US cup of cultivated blueberries normally found in your supermarket during summer. Dark, colorful foods tend to have higher ORAC. A cup of canned corn, by contrast, at the low end of the ORAC scale, gives just 400 ORAC units.
Guidelines for antioxidant intake have not yet been established by agencies such as the US FDA or Health Canada, but preliminary science indicates a daily value of 5000 ORAC units would provide a baseline of protection.
Recognizing this trend, and acknowledging the renowned antioxidant strength of dark berries, we at Berry Wise™ have adopted ORAC for reporting the antioxidant strength of our supplement products. Look for this symbol on our labels.
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