Cloves Cinnamon Cacao – Wow!

by lilla on March 16, 2010

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I’ve always heard people proclaim that chocolate is high on the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale but I could never really find the proof – until now. I found this study from the USDA that compares the ORAC values of food. The top five per 100 grams in descending order are cloves, cinnamon, oregano, tumeric and cocoa powder.  So chocolate REALLY is up there!

"Top Foods in ORAC Value"

"Top Foods in ORAC Value"

When ranked by typical serving, a square of unsweetened baking chocolate knocked cloves out of the number one spot (since you wouldn’t typically eat 100g of cloves,) followed by raw elderberries, red delicious apple, granny apple, pomegranate juice and dark chocolate candy.

How to Get More Antioxidants into Your Diet

Spices really dominate the ORAC values on an equal serving basis, so use them liberally! Grow herbs and use them fresh, dry ‘em, sprinkle them on salads, mix them into sauces. Or better yet, combine some of the top foods into super antioxidant recipes like chai hot chocolate or chocolate-covered elderberries! Oh yum… Any other recipe ideas out there?

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