What food has the highest ORAC? Debunking the Score

December 14, 2025 •

3 min read

According to a 2012 statement from the USDA, Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) values are often misused by manufacturers and consumers, leading to the removal of their public database. Despite this, many people still wonder what food has the highest ORAC, a number once used to rank antioxidant potential.

Quick Summary

While some spices and exotic items boast exceptionally high ORAC scores in laboratory tests, this measure is widely considered misleading and was deprecated by the USDA. A varied diet of whole foods is a more reliable approach to consuming beneficial antioxidants.

Key Points

ORAC is Not a Reliable Health Metric: The USDA withdrew its ORAC database in 2012 due to the metric's misuse and lack of correlation with actual health effects in the body.
Spices Have the Highest ORAC Scores: Dried, concentrated spices like cloves, sumac bran, and cinnamon often have the highest ORAC values in lab tests, but are consumed in very small quantities.
Bioavailability is Key: A food's ORAC value doesn't account for how well your body absorbs and uses the antioxidants, which can vary significantly between foods.
Variety is More Important Than Score: Eating a diverse range of colorful fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes is a more effective strategy for getting a wide spectrum of beneficial antioxidants.
Processing Affects Antioxidants: Cooking methods like steaming can help retain more antioxidant power in some foods compared to boiling, and drying can concentrate ORAC values.
Avoid the 'Superfood' Hype: High-ORAC scores have been used for misleading marketing. A balanced, whole-foods diet provides reliable antioxidant benefits without the need for exotic or expensive products.

What is the ORAC Score and Its History?

Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) was an in vitro (test tube) method developed in the 1990s to measure a substance's ability to scavenge free radicals. A higher ORAC score indicated greater antioxidant capacity in that specific lab test. The USDA maintained a database of ORAC values for foods, and the metric became popular for marketing 'superfoods' and supplements, despite significant misuse and exaggeration of its value.

Highest ORAC Foods (With a Cautionary Note)

It's important to remember that ORAC scores are based on lab tests and don't directly translate to effects in the human body. Water content also affects ORAC values, with dried or concentrated foods appearing to have higher scores per gram. With these caveats, some foods frequently cited for high ORAC values include:

Spices: Ground cloves, sumac bran, ground cinnamon, and ground oregano are often ranked highest due to their concentrated form.
Exotic Berries: Freeze-dried acai powder and maqui berries have shown high values, though marketing surrounding these can be excessive.
Nuts: Pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts are noted for relatively high antioxidant content.
Beans: Dried legumes like small red beans and kidney beans also show notable ORAC scores.

The Fall of ORAC: Why the USDA Removed the Database

The USDA removed its ORAC database in 2012 because the values were frequently misused by food companies and lacked relevance to human health. A high ORAC score in a test tube does not guarantee antioxidant benefit after digestion.

Limitations of ORAC and In Vitro Testing

Bioavailability: The ORAC test doesn't measure how well the body absorbs and uses antioxidants (bioavailability). Some compounds are poorly absorbed or quickly metabolized. A food with a lower ORAC might offer more bioavailable antioxidants than one with a higher score.
Overemphasis on Single Numbers: Focusing on ORAC can distract from the benefits of a varied diet. The combined effect of nutrients in whole foods is more significant than one isolated test result.
Variable Results: ORAC scores vary based on factors like growing conditions, processing, and testing methods, making direct comparisons unreliable.

The True Value of Antioxidants and Whole Foods

While the ORAC scale is flawed, antioxidants are still beneficial as they combat free radicals linked to oxidative stress and disease. The best approach is a diverse diet of whole, unprocessed foods, not chasing high-ORAC scores.

Comparison Table: Common Foods and Contextual Considerations


Food Category	Example (per 100g)	ORAC (Approx.)	Key Context	Reason for Health Benefit
Spices (Dried)	Ground Cloves	~290,283	Highly concentrated, small serving size.	Potent phytochemicals, but not consumed in large quantities.
Berries (Fresh)	Wild Blueberries	~9,621	A practical, common food consumed in meaningful quantities.	Rich in anthocyanins and other antioxidants with high bioavailability.
Nuts	Pecans	~17,940	High ORAC, but also high in calories and fat, requiring moderation.	Contains beneficial fats and plant sterols that can lower cholesterol.
Dark Chocolate	Cocoa Powder (Dry)	~55,653	A concentrated source of antioxidants, but variable based on processing.	Rich in flavanols, but can be high in sugar and fat.
Vegetables	Raw Spinach	~1,056	Lower ORAC than berries or spices, but a staple of a healthy diet.	Provides lutein, zeaxanthin, and other bioavailable nutrients important for eye health.

How to Build an Antioxidant-Rich Diet

Focus on a varied diet with colorful fruits and vegetables. Deeper, richer colors often indicate higher antioxidant content. Berries, leafy greens, and nuts are excellent. Preparation matters; steaming vegetables often preserves more antioxidants than boiling. A comprehensive healthy diet is more effective than relying on ORAC scores. For more on the controversy, see this article from Nutritional Outlook:(https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/should-we-ditch-orac-antioxidant-test).

Conclusion: Moving Beyond a Flawed Metric

Exploring what food has the highest ORAC highlights the limitations of lab tests like ORAC. While spices and concentrated products may top ORAC charts, the metric's failure to consider bioavailability and its history of misuse make it unreliable for real-world health assessment. A diverse diet of whole, colorful foods is a better strategy, providing a wide range of antioxidants and nutrients that work together for health.

Frequently Asked Questions

ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. It is a lab test that was used to measure the antioxidant capacity of foods in a test tube environment.

The USDA removed its ORAC database in 2012 because the values were frequently misused for marketing purposes and there was mounting evidence that in vitro (test tube) ORAC scores do not correlate with health effects in the human body.

While the ORAC score itself is a flawed metric, eating foods that have been shown to have a high ORAC value—like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and spices—is still beneficial because they contain high levels of nutrients and antioxidants.

Dried spices like ground cloves and cinnamon have extremely high ORAC values relative to their weight, but they are consumed in much smaller quantities than fruits or vegetables.

Cooking can affect a food's antioxidant capacity, but it depends on the method. Boiling can significantly reduce it, while steaming may preserve or even enhance antioxidant levels.

In vitro activity is measured in a test tube, while in vivo refers to what happens inside a living body. The ORAC scale measured in vitro activity, which does not accurately predict in vivo effects like bioavailability and metabolism.

The best approach is to eat a wide variety of whole, colorful foods. A diverse intake of fruits, vegetables, and nuts provides a broad spectrum of nutrients and beneficial compounds that work synergistically.

Processing affects ORAC scores. For instance, raisins have a higher ORAC score per gram than grapes because the water has been removed, concentrating the antioxidants by weight.

No, it's not advisable. The ORAC assay has limitations, and supplement companies have historically misused and even manipulated ORAC numbers to market their products, making comparisons unreliable and misleading.