By Superfood we indicate food that is high on phytonutrients content that many scientist believe have wonderful health benefits. The most famous superfood is blueberries, and for good reason:
- blueberries are delicious;
- blueberries are readily available, we like to use the organic wild blueberry, fresh when in season, frozen otherwise;
- blueberries contain significant amounts of antioxidants, anthocyanins, vitamin C, manganese and dietary fibers.
Phytonutrients, also known as phytochemicals, are plant-derived chemical compounds that are currently under scientific research for their potential health-promotion properties. There is evidence from laboratory studies that phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer, possibly due to dietary fibers, polyphenol antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects. Specific phytonutrients, such as fermentable dietary fibers, meet significant scientific agreement to be allowed limited health claims by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Phytonutrients in freshly harvested plant foods may be destroyed or removed by modern processing techniques, possibly including cooking. For this reason, industrially processed foods likely contain fewer phytonutrients and may therefore be less beneficial than unprocessed (raw) foods. Absence or deficiency of phytonutrients in processed foods may contribute to increased risk of preventable diseases. Interestingly, a converse example may exist in which lycopene, a phytonutrient present in tomatoes, is either unchanged in content or made more concentrated by processing to juice or paste, maintaining good levels for bioavailability List of superfoods readily available in the US:
- Apples
- Alfalfa spouts
- Blue/Green Algae
- Aloe Vera
- Avocado
- Bananas
- Beans such as pinto beans, navy beans, great northern, lima, garbanzo (chickpeas), lentils, green beans, sugar snap peas, and green peas.
- Bee Pollen
- Black currants
- Blueberries
- Broccoli
- Cacao (Raw Chocolate)
- Flax seeds
- Kale
- Oats
- Oranges
- Papaya
- Pumpkin
- Quinoa
- Raspberries
- Rose hips
- Wild Salmon
- Soy, and soybeans Products
- Spinach
- Spirulina
- Green Tea or Black Tea
- Tomatoes
- Turkey
- Walnuts
- Watercress
- Yogurt
For additional information, invest in what is considered the bible of superfood, Steven Pratt’s SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life.
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Photography by Atul666
