ORAC Scores
One of the legitimate health concerns today is the presence of free radicals in our bodies. These are molecular scavengers that rob healthy cells of electrons, making them unhealthy by doing so. (Free radicals are famous for possibly leading to cancer among other things.) By consuming healthy antioxidants, we're consuming molecules that can safely donate electrons to free radicals and eliminate their harmful qualities.
The most popular method for determining antioxidant capacity is called an ORAC score. This stands for "Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity." (The capacity for something to "absorb" or eliminate oxidative free radicals.) Vitamins A, C, and E are all considered antioxidants, as are many phytonutrients, such as those found in various fruits, vegetables ... and of course, cacao.
These, however, are only SUPPORTIVE of the primary antioxidant system of the body (including glutathione, CoQ10, SOD, and catalase), which is built in for our survival. We want to keep that internal system in good shape and support it with a variety of nutritional antioxidants. So a single score does NOT tell the whole story. From what I've learned, I believe getting a variety of antioxidants at adequate levels each day is more important than getting a huge level of them from one source.
What's more, as I discuss on the health supplements page, it's also important that we get a wide variety of nutrients, including all of our macro and micro vitamins and minerals. These, along with adequate antioxidant support, are key to good supplementation, followed by more specific needs depending on diet and health. Another reason not to get all your antioxidants from one source.
Having said that, cacao scores among the top ORAC foods available, and you really don't need more than a single piece of really healthy dark chocolate to provide substantial antioxidant support from cacao. Experts believe that getting between 3000 and 5000 ORAC units a day is optimal, and that getting more than this may be redundant, in the sense that they're just passed through the body. This is covered by a good 10 gram piece of dark chocolate. Beyond that, I would look for additional antioxidants in vegetables and a limited number of fruits.
Now again, since ORAC isn't the only thing to consider, it's important to remember how many other nutrients cacao (and thus dark chocolate) offers. Among them is magnesium, which is the #1 deficiency among macro minerals in the average American diet. In fact, cacao may be the #1 food source for magnesium.
Hopefully, this page eliminates some of the mystique surrounding ORAC scores. They are useful, but not all powerful, not all important. Keep in mind the body's need for many nutrients. And then remember that I've said that healthy chocolate is NOT the first supplement you ought to be investing in; but that if you're buying chocolate anyway, this is a great way to eat chocolate on a daily basis and actually do your body a favor along the way!
So now with a basic understanding of free radicals and antioxidants, let's take a look at the next important topic as background to choosing healthy chocolate: organic foods.
The most popular method for determining antioxidant capacity is called an ORAC score. This stands for "Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity." (The capacity for something to "absorb" or eliminate oxidative free radicals.) Vitamins A, C, and E are all considered antioxidants, as are many phytonutrients, such as those found in various fruits, vegetables ... and of course, cacao.
These, however, are only SUPPORTIVE of the primary antioxidant system of the body (including glutathione, CoQ10, SOD, and catalase), which is built in for our survival. We want to keep that internal system in good shape and support it with a variety of nutritional antioxidants. So a single score does NOT tell the whole story. From what I've learned, I believe getting a variety of antioxidants at adequate levels each day is more important than getting a huge level of them from one source.
What's more, as I discuss on the health supplements page, it's also important that we get a wide variety of nutrients, including all of our macro and micro vitamins and minerals. These, along with adequate antioxidant support, are key to good supplementation, followed by more specific needs depending on diet and health. Another reason not to get all your antioxidants from one source.
Having said that, cacao scores among the top ORAC foods available, and you really don't need more than a single piece of really healthy dark chocolate to provide substantial antioxidant support from cacao. Experts believe that getting between 3000 and 5000 ORAC units a day is optimal, and that getting more than this may be redundant, in the sense that they're just passed through the body. This is covered by a good 10 gram piece of dark chocolate. Beyond that, I would look for additional antioxidants in vegetables and a limited number of fruits.
Now again, since ORAC isn't the only thing to consider, it's important to remember how many other nutrients cacao (and thus dark chocolate) offers. Among them is magnesium, which is the #1 deficiency among macro minerals in the average American diet. In fact, cacao may be the #1 food source for magnesium.
Hopefully, this page eliminates some of the mystique surrounding ORAC scores. They are useful, but not all powerful, not all important. Keep in mind the body's need for many nutrients. And then remember that I've said that healthy chocolate is NOT the first supplement you ought to be investing in; but that if you're buying chocolate anyway, this is a great way to eat chocolate on a daily basis and actually do your body a favor along the way!
So now with a basic understanding of free radicals and antioxidants, let's take a look at the next important topic as background to choosing healthy chocolate: organic foods.
