Perfect Health Facts

Topic of The Month
The ORAC values of food 2010

You are exposed every day to oxygen radicals  from the environment, food additives, smoking, stress, sunlight and pesticides, which attack your body’s cells and can accelerate your aging process, and lead to potential harmful diseases.

The Orac list, stick with it, your key to a younger and healthier life
Orac (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) rates foods according to their antioxidant content. The Orac score measures the antioxidant power and concentration of the food to protect you against oxygen radicals that we are exposed to every day from the environment. Eating foods containing high ORAC scores can slow down the aging process in both body and brain. The most recent USDA recommends a daily intake of a minimum of 3000 Orac.An almost unbelievable number when you consider that over 80% of the population consumes less than 1000 ORAC units a day.

The good news is that Acai berry has one of the highest ORAC value foods on the planet

For improved immunity and vitality, consider adding a few fruits rich in antioxidants to your diet. The flavour is only part of the benefit, and your body will thank you later, for a long time.

Aging PopulationAs the population ages, 80% of older people in Western countries will develop at least one chronic metabolic disease. If the USDA says that high-ORAC foods may slow aging and prevent metabolic disease from occurring. So isn’t it about time you increased the quantity of antioxidants in your diet to prevent this process from occurring in the first place?

What are Free Radicals and Antioxidants?
We are all made up of atoms. Atoms that have a full outer shell of electrons tend to be happy, peaceful and inert atoms. They tend not to enter into chemical reactions and enjoy a mellow life in your body.

Atoms that do NOT have a full outer shell of electrons are unhappy and unstable. Something is missing in their life – and they very badly want to get another electron so they can be stable and inert. These unstable atoms are called – Free Radicals.

Free radicals tend to move quickly to try to steal an electron from whatever molecule happens to be around them. Of course, whoever they steal an electron from becomes a new free radical and the process is like a domino effect. Free radicals are not evil or bad – in moderation. Our body performs many functions and there will always be some free radicals created. However, if the level of free radicals gets too high in the body, you can run into major problems. Numerous diseases and health issues have been linked to high levels of free radicals. One of the more common types of free radicals are oxygen free radicals. These are oxygen atoms missing an electron. You know that rust you see on the side of your car – well the same thing basically happens inside our body. Oxidative stress is what it is called when oxygen free radicals start to cause damage in your body.

What causes Free Radicals?
Breathing, eating, moving – basically living! Yes, basically any stress we put on our body can cause free radicals. While obvious things like polluted air, smoking, stressful events and unhealthy foods can cause free radicals – many “healthy” activities can also create free radicals. Almost any type of exercise will put stress on our body – we all know the saying “no pain, no gain”. Well, all this stress on our muscles creates free radicals.

Antioxidants to the rescue
So, how do you turn a free radical into a harmless cell? You give the free radical the extra electron it so desperately wants. What substance can supply this extra electron? You guessed it – antioxidants. Antioxidants are any substances that prevent or slow the oxidation process. Remember, free radicals cause oxidation – and antioxidants prevent oxidation. Antioxidants work by donating an electron to a free radical so it becomes a stable oxygen molecule.