Blueberries, Blackberries, Acai Berries And More
Blueberries
Blueberries are really a no-brainer if you’re looking for a fruit high in antioxidants. A favorite pie ingredient of North American grandmothers. They are available at most any grocery store in the US and the cheapest of those on our list. I personally eat a bowl of them a day just because I enjoy the taste so much. The ORAC rating for one cup of cultivated blueberries has been listed at 9019.[1] The ORAC rating for one cup of wild blueberries is listed at 13427.[1]
2. Blackberries
Blackberries are also quite common, though they can be slightly harder to find than blueberries. Typically you will find blackberries in a mix of other berries such as blueberries and raspberries. Their ORAC rating is slightly lower than that of blueberries at 7701 per one cup serving.[1]
3. Cherries
Everyone’s heard of cherries, those unmistakable sweet, shiny red berries. However not everyone realizes what a great source of antioxidants they are. Next time you dive into a cherry pie, you’ll be happy to know it’s helping to ward off free radicals. One cup of cherries has been determined to have an ORAC rating of 4873 which puts them a few steps below blueberries, but they’re so tasty you’ll probably end up eating twice as many anyway![1]
4. Wolfberries
Cultivated and eaten for centuries in China, wolfberries are relatively unknown outside the region. Wolfberries are probably more recognizable by the name goji berries in North America where they have been marketed as a miracle berry in a way similar to acai and noni. While they surely have high antioxidant value, the actual ORAC rating has not yet been confirmed by an independent study.
5. Acai berries
All the rage on the internet these days, acai berry is the latest “miracle” berry. There is no doubting the high levels of antioxidants and phytochemicals they contain, the exact ORAC rating has not been determined by an independent organization. It should be assumed the rating is somewhere near or above that of blueberries. The acai berry originated from South America, namely Brazil where it has been cultivated for hundreds of years and is consumed in a variety of ways.
6. Noni berries
Noni berries, also known as Indian mulberries or great morinda are most prominently cultivated in Tahiti. Probably the most unknown berry in our list, but quickly gaining commercial popularity throughout the world. While touted for their high ORAC value by various companies selling their juice, it has been determined the value may not actually be so high relative to more common fruits such as oranges.[2]
The ORAC rating of a fruit is not the only value you should consider when determining its nutritional value. There are many more factors to take into account such as anti-inflammatory xanthone and flavonoid content. A wise choice would be to alternate consumption of several different fruits to receive the unique benefits of each.
Reference:
1. Nutrient Data Laboratory, Agriculture Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods – 2007.
2. Nutrient composition of the blended Noni Juice, a PDF file located on-line at http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scf/out151_en.pdf