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Antioxidant Chart |
| Rank |
Food Item |
Serving Size |
Total Antioxidant capacity per serving size |
| 1 |
Small Red Beans |
1/2 Cup |
13727 |
| 2 |
Wild Blueberries |
1 cup |
13427 |
| 3 |
Red Kidney Bean (dried) |
1/2 cup |
13259 |
| 4 |
Pinto Beans |
1/2 cup |
11864 |
| 5 |
Blueberries(cultivated) |
1 cup |
9019 |
| 6 |
Cranberries |
1 cup |
8983 |
| 7 |
Artichokes |
1 cup (hearts) |
7904 |
| 8 |
Blackberries |
1 cup |
7701 |
| 9 |
Dried Prunes |
1/2 cup |
7291 |
| 10 |
Raspberries |
1 cup |
6058 |
| 11 |
Strawberries |
1 cup |
5938 |
| 12 |
Red Delicious Apple |
1 |
5900 |
| 13 |
Granny Smith Apples |
1 |
5381 |
| 14 |
Pecans |
1 oz |
5095 |
| 15 |
Sweet Cherries |
1 cup |
4873 |
| 16 |
Black Plums |
1 |
4844 |
| 17 |
Russet Potatoes(cooked) |
1 |
4649 |
| 18 |
Black Bean (dried) |
1/2 cup |
4181 |
| 19 |
Plums |
1 |
4118 |
| 20 |
Gala Apples |
1 |
3903 |
My observations on this data:
A study was done on the antioxidants found in more than 100 foods including cereals, breads, nuts, and spices, besides fruits and vegetables. The study appeared in the June 9 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, and was commented on by Researcher Ronald Prior, PhD, a chemist and nutritionist with the USDA's Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center in Little Rock, Ark: “A big factor in all of this is what happens in the digestions and absorption process. With some of these compounds, it appears that even though they have a high antioxidant capacity, they may not be absorbed.” Here is where my opinion comes in: I suspect that many antioxidants are not absorbed, because the food is cooked, and devoid of enzymes present in the original food to help us to absorb it!
Also the beans in the chart were dried, not cooked. I believe that sprouting the beans, especially the red beans, is a viable way of ensuring the ability to absorb the antioxidants. It is well known that sprouting increases the enzyme content, and I wouldn't doubt it if it increased the antioxidant content also, but the increased enzyme content would most likely help us to absorb the most antioxidants.
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