What is ORAC?

How different foods can help the body fight Cancer

Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RD

A: ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. This is just a fancy way of saying, "How well does a certain food help my body fight diseases like cancer and heart disease?"

Q: In the name ORAC are the words 'oxygen radical'. What are oxygen radicals? Why do we want to absorb them?

A: Oxygen radicals are chemicals that run around inside our bodies. They are a normal everyday part of living. But, even though we all have these oxygen radicals, they are bad for us. These oxygen radicals can damage our cells. They do this damage by a process called oxidation. If our bodies can absorb and stop these oxygen radicals before they do damage, then they won't hurt us.

Q: What is oxidation?

A: Oxidation is a natural process that occurs around us all the time. One example of oxidation is rusting. Think of a metal bridge that is rusting. Rusting is oxidation. What happens when metal rusts? It becomes weak and flaky. It doesn't serve its function anymore. It can't support the weight of the bridge. It doesn't do what it's supposed to do, because it is damaged by oxidation. It no longer does its job. THIS EXACT SAME PROCESS HAPPENS IN YOUR BODY! Just like a rusting bridge, the cells, organs, and other parts of your body can be made weak by oxidation. This can lead to diseases, like cancer and heart disease.

Q: Is there anything I can do to stop this oxidation damage from happening in my body?

A: YES!! One of the best ways to stop oxidation is by choosing the right foods to eat. This is where ORAC is important. ORAC is a way to measure how many 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 like cancer and heart disease.

Q: Which foods are best at fighting disease? Which foods have high ORAC scores?A: Here's the EASY part. Plant foods have the highest ORAC scores! Plant foods are best at fighting disease.

Q: What do you mean by plant foods?

A: Plant foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and many other things. Meat, milk, and other animal foods do not count as plant foods. The Best Plant Foods? Brightly colored foods are the ones with the highest ORAC scores. This means these are the foods that help fight disease the best by stopping oxygen radicals from causing damage in our bodies. Think bright reds, greens, oranges, blues, purples, yellows, and oranges. What foods do these words describe? Strawberries, spinach, blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, yellow peppers, carrots, and oranges. Any brightly colored fruits and vegetables that you can think of are good for you to include in your diet EVERY DAY! As a matter of fact, research shows that people who eat more of these plant foods have lower risk of cancer!

From: Phytochemical Research Laboratory