Vitamin Information Center

The ORAC, or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, is an index that shows the amount of antioxidants in a single food source. It has become an important indicator of a fruit or vegetable’s ability to eliminate free radicals that damage cells in the human body.

Free radicals
Imagine rust forming on metal. As rust eats away the surface, the metal erodes and eventually becomes unusable. This is how free radicals attack our body - they weaken our cells, organs, tissue and other important parts, leading to diseases such as cancer, heart ailments, osteoarthritis and dementia.

The ORAC scale
The ORAC test identifies and measures important antioxidants in a food source. Foods with a high ORAC score can raise the antioxidant levels in the blood by up to 25 percent. Doctors recommend that we consume fruits and vegetables with a total ORAC score of 1,750 per day.

Different plants have different levels of antioxidants. You may consume five kinds of fruits and get only 1,300 ORAC units. Yet a handful of blueberries can give you an ORAC score of 9,000 per 100 grams. The USDA’s recommended level of ORAC units is 3,000 to 5,000 daily.

Acai tops the ORAC list
Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries and pomegranates score high on the ORAC index. But no single food source comes close to the ORAC score of the acai berry from Brazil.

A new research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows that the acai has the highest ORAC antioxidant value of any food.

Compared to blackberries (53), pomegranates (105), and blueberries (92), acai has an amazing ORAC score of 1,027 per gram. Some samples of freeze-dried acai even turned out ORAC results of up to 50,000.

While these figures are impressive, they do not apply to all acai. Acai berries that have been frozen, spray dried or air dried have a lower ORAC score because many of the phytochemicals, enzymes and nutrients of the acai fruit are lost in the procedure.

To achieve the highest ORAC values, buy only acai products that are properly freeze-dried.

MODESTO, Calif., Sept 11, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ — Journal of Nutrition Cites Almonds as a Rich Source to Fill the “E Gap”
More than 90 percent of the U.S. population does not meet the current intake recommendation for vitamin E, according to a special supplement to the September 2008 Journal of Nutrition(). The article recognized almonds as an excellent source of vitamin E that can fill this nutrient gap and the authors concluded that vitamin E, among other things, can help support a healthy immunity.
The Almond Board of California has commissioned numerous studies on the availability of nutrients in almonds, and as an excellent source of vitamin E, one ounce of almonds could help consumers reach their recommended daily allowance (RDA). The RDA for vitamin E is 15mg of alpha-tocopherol. On average, most Americans consume only 8 mg of alpha-tocopherol vitamin E per day. By eating one ounce of almonds (7.5mg of vitamin E), Americans can achieve the RDA.
“Vitamin E is an essential nutrient that the body needs daily, and most people don’t realize that they can fill that ‘E gap’ with easily available and enjoyable whole foods,” said Maret Traber, Ph.D., professor of nutrition and principal investigator at the Linus Pauling Institute and expert on vitamin E. “Almonds are an excellent source of vitamin E.”
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 recognizes vitamin E as a nutrient of concern in the American diet since most people don’t get enough. The Guidelines highlight almonds as the premier whole food source of alpha-tocopherol vitamin E, the form of vitamin E that the human body prefers.
Dr. Karen Lapsley, director of scientific affairs for the Almond Board of California, confirmed almonds’ multi-tasking nutrition profile, stating, “In addition to vitamin E, when compared ounce for ounce, almonds are the nut highest in protein (6g), fiber (3g), calcium (75mg), riboflavin (0.3mg) and niacin (1mg). Also, the skins of almonds contain levels of antioxidants called flavanoids that are similar to many fruits and vegetables(2).”
Americans can close the gap — the E Gap — today by adding a one-ounce handful of vitamin E-rich almonds.
One ounce of almonds, about a handful, offers: Calcium (75mg), Protein (6g); Iron (1.0mg); Potassium (200 mg); Unsaturated Fat (12g). U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend that the majority of your fat intake be unsaturated. One serving of almonds (28g) has 13g of unsaturated fat and only 1g of saturated fat.
The Almond Board of California administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. Established in 1950, the Board’s charge is to promote the best quality almonds, California’s largest tree nut crop. For more information on the Almond Board of California or almonds, visit www.AlmondsAreIn.com.
References:
() Janet C. King, Jeffrey Blumberg, Linda Ingwersen, Mazda Jenab, and Katherine L. Tucker. Tree Nuts and Peanuts as Components of a Healthy Diet, Journal of Nutrition, September 2008, Volume 138, Number 9S-I Supplement. 1734-1765.
(2) Paul E. Milbury, Chung-Yen Chen, Gregory G. Dolnikowski, Jeffrey B. Blumberg. Determination of Flavanoids and Phenolics and Their Distribution in Almonds, Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, June 28, 2006.
SOURCE Almond Board of California
http://www.AlmondsAreIn.com

Core Naturals, the nutritional company responsible for introducing Salba, the ancient Aztec “Superseed,” to the US, has partnered with Vitamin Angels, the unique non-profit organization dedicated to providing vital nutrition globally for more than 14 years. Salba is the richest whole food source of omega 3 and fiber found in nature, and is the star in Core Naturals’ Seeds of Mercy Program.

Winter Springs, FL, May 28, 2008 –(PR.com)– Core Naturals, the Florida-based nutritional company who brought Salba to the United States, is proud to announce their partnership with Vitamin Angels, the unique non-profit organization dedicated to providing vital nutrition in the form of supplements globally for more than 14 years. Core Naturals has quickly established an excellent reputation as a developer and marketer of premium ingredients for the nutrition, nutraceutical, and functional food markets, and in keeping with their bent toward innovation has created the unique “Seeds of Mercy” Program. The Vitamin Angels are devoted to providing basic nutrition to developing countries, communities, and individuals in need. The organization has set its sights on the issue of childhood blindness, with plans to eliminate this condition by the symbolic year 2020, through the distribution of Vitamin A to at-risk children around the world, through their current campaign, called Operation 20/20.

Core Naturals’ CEO, Mitch Propster, shares in this worthy mission, which is harmoniously in line with his company’s own goals to help provide nutrition globally. That is why Core Naturals has decided to announce their alliance with Vitamin Angels at Expo West show by creating their own unique program called “Seeds of Mercy.” This program is designed to bolster the success of the Vitamin Angels organization by securing contributions from the sales of Salba products. By educating the public about Salba, the company can simultaneously educate them about the mission of Vitamin Angels.

Core Naturals has made a pledge and a sincere promise: Every time a bottle of Salba Whole Seed, or Salba Ground Seed, is purchased, Core Naturals will donate .25 cents to Vitamin Angels, the amount that the Vitamin Angels organization has specified can help one child from blindness. Over the course of four years, when children are most vulnerable, the Vitamin Angels’ total expense is $1. This covers the cost of two high dose vitamin A and anti-parasitic supplements given each year to a child from the ages of 2 to 5.”Malnutrition is the underlying cause of half of all deaths of children under the age of 5 and Vitamin Angels provides a low-cost, low-tech solution to this major global health problem. Vitamin A supplementation is proven to be a contributing factor to the dramatic decrease in worldwide deaths among children under the age of 5,” says Howard Schiffer, president of Vitamin Angels, the only group organized to completely eradicate vitamin A deficiency on the planet by the year 2020. “All the donations will help fight the global malnutrition epidemic and save the lives and eyesight of children around the world.”

About Vitamin Angels

Vitamin Angels is the only non-profit entirely dedicated to providing vital nutrition, in the form of vitamins and supplements, to those in need, both internationally and domestically. In the last 3 years, Vitamin Angels has successfully distributed more than 300 million vitamins and other supplements, in more than 80 countries worldwide. To learn more about Vitamin Angels and Operation 20/20, visit www.VitaminAngels.org.

About Core Naturals

Core Naturals is on a mission of locating and authenticating the latest in nutritional science and proprietary formulations. They specialize in those nutrients that respond to consumer market trends, as demonstrated by the successful launch of their flagship product, the ancient whole grain “superseed” called Salba. For additional info, visit www.salba.com or call 1-888-499-8665.

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If you remember what a “chia pet�? was, you know what salvia hispanica is. For the uninitiated, salva hispanica is actually a member of the mint family, and therefore related to popular dried herbs and organic spices such as spearmint, peppermint, oregano, basil and marjoram. It is perhaps one of the most healthful bulk organic herbs available. If you are in the market for wholesale bulk spice, chia is definitely one of the most wholesome bulk herbs you can buy.
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