Antioxidant Properties of Spices
Certain antioxidants play an important role in fighting heart disease. They are mostly found in fruits and vegetables. However, some spices contain antioxidants. The USDA rates the antioxidant properties of spices based on the food's Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity. They recommend a daily intake of 1,000 to 5,000 ORACs. However, the link between the total ORAC value and human health is not completely understood.
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Cloves
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Of all spices, ground cloves has the highest ORAC per 100 g, 314,446 micromoles of Trolox Equivalent. TEs are a unit of measure first developed to study Vitamin E. A gram of cloves is about 2/3 tsp., which makes for about 4,716 ORACs per teaspoon. To find the ORAC of ground cloves in a recipe, multiply that number by the recipe's requirements. Then divide that by the number of servings to find the ORAC of the cloves in a single dish. For example, many pumpkin pie recipes call for 1/4 tsp. of ground cloves. Assuming 8 slices per pie, the cloves contribute 1,179 ORACs per pie and 147 ORACs per slice.
Cinnamon
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A favorite of desserts and spiced drinks, cinnamon has an ORAC of 267,536 per 100 g. Cinnamon has a mass of approximately 1-1/2 g per 1 tsp., and therefore an ORAC of 4,013 per teaspoon.
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Oregano
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Dried oregano has an ORAC of 200,219 umol Trolox Equivalents per 100 g. About 1 g is approximately a 1/2 tbsp. Most recipes call for less than a tablespoon, which makes an ORAC of 4,004. Oregano is popular in marinades for chicken and fish.
Ground Tumeric
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With an ORAC of 159,277 per 100 g, the antioxidant properties of tumeric are not as prominent as those in other dishes. Even so, it has an ORAC of 1,062 per 1 tsp.. According to a report by the BBC, tumeric may slow down the neural degeneration associated with Alzheimer's.
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References
- Photo Credit cinnamon sticks image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
