As we approach 2015, antioxidants remain an important feature of consumer nutrition products, from high-growth segments, including super-premium juices and performance beverages, to traditional packaged goods such as cereals. In fact, in spite of some conflicting data about health benefits, consumers believe that antioxidants are good for them, which spurs new product introductions and expectations of continued segment growth.
 
ORAC has been a significant factor in the sustained growth of antioxidants. Although not a substitute for in vivo investigation of product benefits, ORAC has provided a valid means for quantifying antioxidant potential in a wide range of foods. Upon approving ORAC as an official method, AOAC stated, “the method provides good information, particularly on the analytical range and LOD (limits of detection). The method is applicable to several different foods, covering a wide range of matrixes.”
 
Earlier this year, Boxin Ou, PhD, who developed the commercial ORAC assays, reported that “there remains a need for valid, reliable in vitro antioxidant methods.” Dr. Ou’s comment accompanied the release of ORACmr, the latest panel of assays that evaluate antioxidant capacity against six primary radicals.
 
A recent study of foods conducted by Bell Advisory Services demonstrates the utility of ORACmr as a tool for product development and comparison. We used ORACmr to compare a premium branded antioxidant product, Living Fuel SuperBerry Ultimate, to a range of the top antioxidant fruits, based upon ORACmr data.
 
As shown, even among fruits with high concentrations of antioxidant compounds, there is considerable variation around the average. This reflects the variation in complex compound matrices, and the corresponding antioxidant effect upon different radical sources.


While the fruits have a matrix determined by nature, SuperBerry Ultimate, a whole food, nutrient-dense meal replacement, has been formulated to optimize broad-spectrum antioxidant performance. We expected its matrix of organic plant-based polyphenols, among other important nutrients, to demonstrate significant antioxidant capacity. ORACmr proved to be a useful tool for quantifying this capacity, and comparing it to other well-known antioxidant sources.
 
While in vitro tests such as ORAC do not measure in vivo outcomes, they do provide a meaningful way to quantify the antioxidant inputs in foods that can benefit health. In this respect, they play the same role as the nutritional parameters quantified on a standard nutrition facts panel.
 
Additional investigation using established in vivo markers can further describe the correlation between food-based antioxidants’ in vivo outcomes. For example, it would be meaningful and informative to test the same set of samples against a panel of antioxidant, oxidative damage, and inflammatory markers (e.g., DHR-6G, F-2 isoprostanes, CRP, etc.) in order to establish and compare correlations between ORACmr results and these in vivo outcomes.
 
We believe that, in the quest for delivering better products to market, this kind of testing protocol can be successfully applied to R&D, product development, QC, and consumer education initiatives.
 
David Bell is president of Bell Advisory Services. He can be reached at dnb@belladvisory.com.