Why you can’t choose foods based on antioxidants alone Last
week, we talked to Dana James about ANDI, a popular nutrition
rating system used at Whole Foods. Now, the triple board
certified nutritionist helps us get a grip on ORAC, another unit
of measurement used to evaluate the quality of antioxidants in
food—and justify a few glasses of wine. Here’s what you need to
know about ORAC. What it stands for: Oxygen Radical Absorbance
Capacity What it is: The ORAC system was developed by scientists
at the National Institutes of Health to measure a food’s
antioxidant capacity. Foods with higher scores are said to have
higher free-radical-fighting abilities. (It’s why red wine is
touted as healthy.) Skin-care companies also use ORAC scores to
sell anti-aging products that contain antioxidant ingredients
like resveratrol. Pros: “Antioxidants are crucial for healthy
living,” says James. Naturally, choosing foods rich in them is a
good thing. Except, of course, it’s not that simple. Which
brings us to… Cons: “Using ORA