Antioxidants 101
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- Information to help you understand what are antioxidants
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What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in certain foods which can prevent or slow down oxidative damage to our body. When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals or by-products which can cause damage to our body. Antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers" and prevent and repair damage by these free radicals. Health problems such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc. have been linked to oxidative damage. Antioxidants may also enhance immune defense and therefore lower the risk of certain diseases and conditions.
What are Oxygen Radicals?
Oxygen Radicals are chemicals that are constantly inside our bodies. They are a normal everyday part of living, but they damage our cells through a process called oxidation. Antioxidants may help our bodies neutralize or destroy these oxygen radicals before they do serious damage.
What is Oxidation?
Oxidation is a natural process that occurs around us all the time. Examples of oxidation are a cut up apple that turns brown when exposed to oxygen or metal that is rusting. When an apple turns brown, it’s going bad and when metal rusts, it becomes weak. This exact same process happens in your body. Just like turning brown or rusting, the cells, organs, and other parts of your body can be made weak by oxidation. This can lead to chronic conditions or diseases, like cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease.
What can I do to prevent oxidation damage to my body?
One way to stop oxidation is by consuming antioxidant rich superfoods. ORAC or Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity is a way to measure the number of oxygen radicals a specific food can absorb. The more oxygen radicals a food can absorb, the higher its ORAC score. The higher its ORAC score, the better it is at helping our bodies fight diseases.
What does ORAC mean?
ORAC means Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity. Some researchers have described the measurement of ORAC as a way of saying, "How well does a certain food help my body fight diseases like cancer and heart disease?" The higher the ORAC, the more that particular food may help your body.
Does ORAC rating and antioxidant value mean the same thing?
Yes. They are essentially the same thing.
What are polyphenols?
They are antioxidant-rich phytochemicals. They are commonly found in plant products like tea and wine.
What is the level of antioxidants that are found in Antioxinabox's product ingredients?
The following chart indicates the ORAC ratings and phenolic content of the ingredients of many of our products:
Food Name | Total ORAC | Total Phenolics
almonds | 45 | 4.2+/-0.8
apples (granny smith) | 39 | 3.4+/-0.4
black tea | 506 | 9.8mg/100ml
blueberry (cultivated) | 62 | 5.3+/-1.0
cashews | 20 | 2.7+/-0.4
cherries (sweet) | 34 | 3.4+/-0.4
chocolate (baking) | 1040 | 51.4
cranberry | 95 | 7.1+/-0.07
cucumber (with skin) | 1 | 0.3+/-0.1
green tea | 1686 | 216.7mg/100ml
hazelnuts | 96 | 8.4+/-2.2
honey | 3-17 | 0.04-0.8
mango | 10 | 2.7
oranges | 18 | 3.4+/-0.4
pecans | 179 | 20.2+/-1.0
pineapple | 8 | 1.7+/-0.5
pistachios | 80 | 16.6+/-1.2
raisins | 30 | 10.7+/-1.6
raspberry | 49 | 5.0+/-0.8
rhubarb | 37 | 13.2
rooibos tea | 725 | 30-40mg/100ml
strawberry | 36 | 3.7+/-0.8
walnuts | 135 | 15.6+/-4.1
watermelon | 1.4 | 0.6+/-0.1
Total ORAC or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity is expressed as micromoles of Trolox equivalents per gram. Total ORAC is the sum of hydrophilic (H-ORAC) and lipophilic (L-ORAC) ORAC values. Total phenolics is expressed milligrams of gallic acid equivalents per gram, unless noted as mg/ml as in the case of teas.
Where can I find more information about antioxidants and their potential health benefits?
See our AntiOX Forum, a discussion area where AntiOX Rewards Members can post and exchange information regarding antioxidants and healthy living. Categories on the AntiOX Forum include:
Product Recommendations
Antioxidant Stories/Videos/Articles
Recipes and Superfoods
Fighting Cancer / Cancer Survivorship
Fighting Heart Disease
Fighting Alzheimers Disease
Fighting Aging
You can also find more information in the AntiOX News Room where we post articles related to antioxidant studies and other information concerning antioxidants. If you would like us to post an article related to antioxidants or any other important information, please use the AntiOX Forum or send us an e-mail at service@antioxinabox.com.
None of the foregoing statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.