Antioxidant rich, ORAC score
| usda-orac.pdf |
Aronia has an ORAC (oxygen radical absorptive capacity - a measure of an antioxidant's power to neutralize free radicals) value higher than any other food. This is due to the high concentration of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, both of which contribute to aronia's dark, almost black, color.
Some estimates show it with over 20 TIMES more anthocyanin content (gram for gram in powdered form) than the next closest fruit, the Acai berry!
The highest claim we've seen to Aronia's ORAC score was when Orenda International paid to have an independent lab test Aronia powder's H-ORAC score.
The test result was an astounding 9,075 HORAC in umoleTE/g, which is the standardized testing unit of antioxidants. For comparison, Mona Vie's famous claim of 1,027 is on the same scale, and both are measured by their condensed powder form, not directly by fresh fruit. (which would be much lower since the water in fruit has no antioxidants.) However, in November of 2007, a public comparison was published by the United States Department of Agriculture. In it, Aronia was tested and compared to 276 other edible items that can be found in the USA. On page 14 of this report, “Chokeberries” (the American name for berries than grow on aronia plants) had an even Higher HORAC and Total ORAC Score!
The USDA ORAC report clearly shows that chokeberries possess:
A Hydrophilic ORAC score of 15,820
A Total ORAC score of 16,062
These numbers sadly can't be compared directly to Acai and other superfruits, however the report does have many other well-known healthy fruits to compare this score to. For instance, in this report we can see that:
Cranberries have a total ORAC score of 9,584
Black Currants (similar to chokeberries) have a total ORAC score of 7,960
Blueberries (highbush) have a total ORAC score of 6,552
Blackberries have a total ORAC score of 5,347
Raspberries have a total ORAC score of 4,882
Dried Apricots have a total ORAC score of 3,230
Raisins have a total ORAC score of 3,037
Gala Apples have a total ORAC score of 2,828
Watermelon, due to it's vast water content, has a tiny total ORAC score of only 142.
Note: All ORAC scores measured in the common umole per 100 grams format.
