ORP
The primary measure of oxidative degradation of raw juice or oxidation-reduction potential (also called "redox") or ORP, is measured with an ORP meter, ORP measures the degree of oxidation or reduction (reduction is absence of oxidation and is similar to anti-oxidant power) of a water-based substance, and the ORP scale ranges from -1,200 (strongly reducing) to +1200 (strongly oxidizing.) For example, hydrogen peroxide from your medicine cabinet or chlorine bleach from under your sink (mixed with some water) would both show an ORP near +1,200, indicating that they are potent oxidizers. On the other hand, so-called "alkaline" ionized water from a home water ionizer would read an ORP of from -150 to -800, indicating moderate to strong reducing (antioxidant) properties.
Most raw organic green vegetable juices from a good juicer will show an initial ORP from -100 through +160, indicating a fairly good store of primitive (reducing) antioxidants in the juice. Raw organic carrot juice will sometimes show an ORP as low as -170 to -200
However, most green juices and vegetable juice mixes show an ORP between -100 and +160. As a juice ages and gradually oxidizes (e.g., due to any of these factors: heat, exposure to air and light, time), the ORP will climb steadily, finally reaching a "settling" zone of perhaps +350 to +450. As a juice oxidizes, it steadily loses nutrient value. In general, one would wish to see raw organic green juices in storage remain at or below an ORP of +180, although one could safely say that an ORP of up to perhaps +210 might be acceptable under some circumstances. A better way of stating the matter might be this: you do not want to see the ORP rise (toward +1,200) more than 80 counts over the initial value.
So oxidizing means combining with oxygen, like iron rusting, sliced apple turning brown, or a apple juice freshly juiced with a centrifugal juicer going brown. A fire would be fast oxidation = exchange of electrons (negatively charged particles) between two atoms. The atom that looses the electron is “Oxidized”. The one that gains an electron is said to be “reduced”. In picking up that extra electron, it looses the electrical energy that makes it “Hungry” for more electrons.
Potential energy is that which is stored and ready to be put to work (like air in a balloon which is stored).
In electrical terms, potential energy is measured in volts. Actual energy is measured in amps (current flow). When you put a volt meter across the leads of a battery, the reading you get is the difference in electrical pressure – the potential between two poles. The pressure being the excess of electrons at one pole of the battery (caused by a chemical reaction within the battery) ready to flow to the opposite pole.
An ORP Meter is really a millivolt meter, measuring the voltage across a circuit formed by a reference electrode constructed of silver wire (negative pole) and a measuring electrode made of platinum band (positive pole) with the liquid to be measured in between the difference in voltage between the two electrodes is what actually is measured by the meter.
Some of this information was provided by Vinny Pinto who has an excellent web site
http://www.vinnypinto.us Vinny has researched the measuring of raw juices in Orp value
