The Amazing Health Benefits of Super-foods
How super are Super-foods?
You may have seen or read about the amazing health benefits of a super-food diet. Maybe, you need to become more aware of what this terminology actually means.
The marketing myopia often portray food types that are labelled as a 'super-food'. But what's so super about them? Are they really that beneficial to your health? Confused about what constitutes a healthy superfood diet? You aren't alone.
Its easy to become fooled fooled by clever marketing myopia and enterprising marketers - whom in reality, just want to sell their products. In considering today's western diet - foods and beverages are laced with hidden copious amounts of unhealthy sugars, salts and food coloring's. Even, the so called healthy fruit juices also include large amounts of added sugar.
However, there's plenty of reliable research surfacing and concluding that super-foods are more common than you think, and they really do have amazing health benefits. With many food types reaching nutritional stardom.
What are 'Super-foods'?
In summary, Super-foods are foods that are mostly plant-based, but some are also grains, and some fish and dairy. They are food types that are dense with high nutrients - without overloading the body with salt, saturated or trans fat, sugar or other unhealthy compounds linked to poor health. Bearing in mind also, that diseases thrive up on these unhealthy food compounds.
To class it as a super-food, it has to be rich in components like vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fats or fiber compared to its kilo joule count. The food types that reside within the super-food category have the edge over the common everyday food dietary intake due to their rich phytochemical and antioxidant content. In comparison, super-foods will have higher amounts of certain vitamins and minerals and powerful antioxidants. (1)
What are these so-called Super-foods?
These are certain fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds touted for their superior health benefits. Salmon, fatty fish, yogurts, legumes, nuts (like walnuts), olive oil, and even herbs and spices such as turmeric and
cinnamon are gaining in the super-food label rankings. I found some research that lists the more favourable ones - so, lets start with the grain family.
Interestingly, one food type high on the super-food list is Oats. Why? Because, oats contain a large amount of the soluble fiber beta-glucan. In fact, there plenty of evidence to suggest that beta-glucan can lower high levels of cholesterol in the blood, as well as being heart-friendly due to its anticoagulant properties.
In considering a study conducted in the U.S. in 2007, it concluded that eating just 6g of oat beta-glucan per day for six weeks was enough to cause a significant reduction in LDL (e.g. bad cholesterol) - as, well as improving bowel health. In fact, back in 1997, oatmeal was granted the first food-specific health claim permission by the FDA, based on research showing that soluble fiber from oats lowers the risk of heart disease. (2)
Other fruit and veggie foods appear to pack more of a nutritional punch than others are worth including into your daily diet.
High on the veggie Super-food list is cruciferous and Dark green leafy vegetables (DGLVs) vegetables, such as kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and the humble spinach (yes, Popeye was right). These provide an excellent source of nutrients including folate, zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin C and fiber and so super is their potential that they can help reduce your risk of chronic illnesses including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. (3)
In turning to the fruit family, it's no different. Being mindful that fruit has nutritional qualities that far outweighs processed food types, there are certain exotic type fruits that possess amazing health benefits and even anti-cancer properties. On the standard super-foods list are berries (e.g. especially blueberries, red raspberries, acai berries) and avocados. However, scientific studies have reinforced the pomegranate and its seeds as a favorable super-food.
What super-foods should you be fitting into your daily diet?
References
1. Harvard Men's Health Watch (2020). 'How super are 'super foods'? Science has found certain foods pack more of a nutritional punch than others. But where do they fit in your daily diet? Published: September, 2020
2. Harvard Health Publishing - (2020). 'Grain of the month: Oats.' Harvard Heart Letter. Article cited online at https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/grain-of-the-month-oats. April, 2020.
3. McManus, K.D. (2018).'10 superfoods to boost a healthy diet'. Harvard Health Publishing Blog Article. 'Updated April 13, 2020. Cited online at https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/10-superfoods-to-boost-a-healthy-diet-2018082914463
Photo Images
1. Life Of Pix from Pexels
2. Magda Ehlers from Pexels
3. Oliver Schulz from Pexels
