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Science says that if we want to stay young and ward off life-threatening illnesses–and who could argue with a program like that?–we should consume as much anti-oxidant food as we can, every day.

In a nutshell, antioxidants are compounds that neutralize cellular damage, and researchers believe that the protection offered by antioxidant rich foods may help protect body and brain cells from oxygen radicals, thus slowing down the aging process.

More specifically, a research from the USDA Centre on Ageing, at Tufts University in Boston, shows that antioxidant-rich dried plums can help prevent the development of:

• cataract formation
• lung and heart disease 
• cancer

Until recently, blueberries were considered to offer the highest level of antioxidants of all the fresh fruit or vegetable. But we now know that dried plums pack twice as much antioxidant power.

In 1999, the U.S. Department of Agriculture placed prunes and raisins at the top the list of foods that are high in antioxidants–even though dried plums are still widely associated with “regularity”.

The antioxidant power of foods is measured in ORAC–Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity–units. About 3.5 ounces of dried plums contain 5770 ORAC units–more than twice the antioxidant capacity of high-scoring fruits such as blueberries and raisins. It is believed that dried fruits contain less water, and so have a higher concentration of ORAC units by weight than fresh fruits. (See table below for ORAC values of fruits and vegetables.)

Daily recommended level: 5000 ORAC units.

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Check out a research brief from the United States Department Of Agriculture’s Research Service: Can Antioxidant Foods Forestall Aging?

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