FOODS THAT MAY REDUCE AGEING
Readers may be interested in the results of some work
carried out by the Agricultural Research Service’s Human Nutrition
Research Center on Aging at Tufts near Boston US. The ARS is an agency
of the US Department of Agriculture.
Medical scientists have accepted for many years that
oxidative damage can lead to ill health in later life. Many people take
anti-oxidant supplements such as vitamins A, C and E to try and prevent
such damage. It has been suggested that a better policy may be to eat
foods that are naturally rich in anti-oxidants. The ARS has determined
the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of many foods, the results
for the top scoring fruits and vegetables are listed below.
|
FRUITS |
VEGETABLES |
|
Prunes |
5770 |
Kale |
1770 |
|
Raisins |
2830 |
Spinach |
1260 |
|
Blueberries |
2400 |
Brussels sprouts |
980 |
|
Blackberries |
2036 |
Alfalfa sprouts |
930 |
|
Strawberries |
1540 |
Broccoli flowers |
890 |
|
Raspberries |
1220 |
Beets |
840 |
|
Plums |
949 |
Red bell pepper |
710 |
|
Oranges |
750 |
Onion |
450 |
|
Red grapes |
739 |
Corn |
400 |
|
Cherries |
670 |
Eggplant |
390 |
|
Kiwi fruit |
602 |
|
|
|
Grapefruit, pink |
483 |
|
|
ORAC units per 100 grams for top scoring fruits and
vegetables.
There is also evidence that such foods can have a
curative as well as a preventative effect. Herbs and spices are also
rich in anti-oxidants, turmeric and oregano are particularly good.
-- John Sephton
|
