The Mediterranean Zone (30 page)
Read The Mediterranean Zone Online
Authors: Dr. Barry Sears
Spices & Herbs
:
Pepper, black
ORAC Units/100 g
:
34,053
Calories/ 100 g
:
251
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
39
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
881
Spices & Herbs
:
Pepper, red or cayenne
ORAC Units/100 g
:
19,671
Calories/ 100 g
:
318
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
30
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
668
Spices & Herbs
:
Pepper, white
ORAC Units/100 g
:
40,700
Calories/ 100 g
:
296
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
42
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
960
Spices & Herbs
:
Peppermint, fresh
ORAC Units/100 g
:
13,978
Calories/ 100 g
:
70
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
7
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
2,029
Spices & Herbs
:
Rosemary, dried
ORAC Units/100 g
:
165,280
Calories/ 100 g
:
331
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
21
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
7,702
Spices & Herbs
:
Sage, ground
ORAC Units/100 g
:
119,929
Calories/ 100 g
:
315
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
20
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
5,870
Spices & Herbs
:
Thyme, dried
ORAC Units/100 g
:
157,380
Calories/ 100 g
:
276
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
27
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
5,842
Spices & Herbs
:
Turmeric, ground
ORAC Units/100 g
:
127,068
Calories/ 100 g
:
354
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
44
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
2,899
Spices & Herbs
:
Vinegar, Apple
ORAC Units/100 g
:
564
Calories/ 100 g
:
21
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
1
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
606
Spices & Herbs
:
Vinegar, Red wine
ORAC Units/100 g
:
410
Calories/ 100 g
:
19
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
0
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
1,519
Sweets
:
Agave, raw (Southwest)
ORAC Units/100 g
:
1,294
Calories/ 100 g
:
68
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
10
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
134
Sweets
:
Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares
ORAC Units/100 g
:
49,944
Calories/ 100 g
:
501
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
13
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
3,772
Sweets
:
Candies, milk chocolate
ORAC Units/100 g
:
7,519
Calories/ 100 g
:
535
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
56
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
134
Sweets
:
Candies, semi-sweet chocolate
ORAC Units/100 g
:
18,053
Calories/ 100 g
:
480
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
58
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
311
Sweets
:
Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened
ORAC Units/100 g
:
55,653
Calories/ 100 g
:
228
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
25
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
2,253
Sweets
:
Syrups, maple
ORAC Units/100 g
:
590
Calories/ 100 g
:
260
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
67
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
9
Snacks
:
Snacks, popcorn, air popped
ORAC Units/100 g
:
1,743
Calories/ 100 g
:
387
Grams Absorbable Carbs/100 g
:
63
ORAC Units/gram of Absorbable Carbs
:
27
A number of things become apparent once you look at these charts. First, herbs and spices have the greatest amount of ORAC units per gram of carbohydrate. This is why their primary purpose in the Mediterranean Zone is to provide anti-oxidants, not just flavor. Second, vegetables have a wide range of ORAC units/gram of carbohydrate. When you overcook vegetables, as you do when you boil them until they become limp and gray, you destroy much of their polyphenol content. Third, some fruits, such as berries, are excellent sources of polyphenols with the least amount of carbohydrates. Others, such as watermelon, are not. Fourth, the polyphenols in whole grains come with an exceedingly high carbohydrate content. Fifth, red wines are rich in polyphenols, but so is tea. Finally, relatively unprocessed dark chocolate is a great source of polyphenols, but the commercial products made from them are far less desirable. This is because the processing (alkali refining) used to make most commercial dark chocolates as well as candy bars destroys most of the polyphenols.
Although ORAC measurements are the easiest way to estimate polyphenol levels, the best way to directly analyze their content is by more sophisticated techniques such as high-pressure liquid chromatography. When possible, I have compared these numbers to the ORAC levels of the same foods. The results of such polyphenol analysis of common food ingredients are shown below.
Food ingredient
:
Delphinol
®
(maqui berry)
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
35,200
ORAC (100 g)
:
2,835,280
Food ingredient
:
Oregano, dried
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
2,137
ORAC (100 g)
:
175,295
Food ingredient
:
Sage, dried
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
893
ORAC (100 g)
:
119,929
Food ingredient
:
Rosemary, dried
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
522
ORAC (100 g)
:
165,280
Food ingredient
:
Thyme, dried
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
464
ORAC (100 g)
:
157,380
Food ingredient
:
Curry powder
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
285
ORAC (100 g)
:
48,504
Food ingredient
:
Ginger, dried
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
202
ORAC (100 g)
:
39,041
Food ingredient
:
Basil, dried
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
166
ORAC (100 g)
:
61,063
Food ingredient
:
Cumin
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
55
ORAC (100 g)
:
50,372
Food ingredient
:
Cocoa powder
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
3,294
ORAC (100 g)
:
55,683
Food ingredient
:
Dark chocolate
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
1,618
ORAC (100 g)
:
18,053
Food ingredient
:
Milk chocolate
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
236
ORAC (100 g)
:
7,519
Food ingredient
:
Elderberry
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
804
ORAC (100 g)
:
14,697
Food ingredient
:
Blueberry
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
496
ORAC (100 g)
:
9,631
Food ingredient
:
Caper
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
389
ORAC (100 g)
:
unknown
Food ingredient
:
Black olive
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
320
ORAC (100 g)
:
unknown
Food ingredient
:
Plum
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
285
ORAC (100 g)
:
6,100
Food ingredient
:
Strawberry
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
205
ORAC (100 g)
:
4,302
Food ingredient
:
Blackberry
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
180
ORAC (100 g)
:
5,905
Food ingredient
:
Cherry
Polyphenols (mg/100 g or 100 ml)
:
145
ORAC (100 g)
:
3,747
