You see and hear news all the time about the antioxidant power of certain berries and fruit. Acai, goji, and the pomegranate are the most popular super foods that are being marketed and sold today. Yes, these fruits do contain high-levels of antioxidants but are they much better than our standard fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, oranges, etc.?
Paying the Price
Many of the now popular berries such as acai are being sold in powder form. These powders can be quite expensive ranging from $15 up to $30. Goji berry prices are just as high. Purchasing acai juice and pomegranate juice can be expensive as well.
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ORAC (Oxygen radical absorbance capacity) Comparison of Certain Fruits
ORAC is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities in biological samples. These are the values per 100 grams.
Acai berry - 102,700
Goji berry - 25,300
Cranberries - 9,584
Plums - 7,581
Blueberries - 6,552
Strawberries - 3,577
Oranges - 1,819
Red grapes - 1,260
Green grapes - 1,118
Acai and goji do contain a high level of antioxidants. However, I don't think spending extra money on those two berries is necessary when fruits like strawberries and blueberries can get the job done just as well. I suppose what it comes down to is how much do you care about antioxidant levels and how much are you willing to spend?
Sources:
Wikipedia
ORAC Values
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Eartha, I wrote about acai a while back and completely agree. Too many people buy into the exaggerated hype surrounding these “super foods” and lose sight of the fact that if you simply eat nutritious whole food on a regular basis, you probably won’t have to worry about any of the problems that these products claim to address. A healthy diet is about preventing disease and promoting optimal health. It’s not about merely alleviating the symptoms of deeper underlying problems that are often caused by unhealthy habits. Save your money and buy more pasture raised meat and organic produce!
Excellent points Vin.