The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a superfood as "a food (such as salmon, broccoli, or blueberries) that is rich in compounds (such as antioxidants, fibre, or fatty acids) considered beneficial to a person's health."
Put simply, superfoods offer high levels of nutrients, are linked to the prevention of a disease, or are believed to offer several simultaneous health benefits beyond their nutritional value.
Each superfood has different nutritional properties, but overall, they’re associated with:
- Heart health.
- A strong immune system.
- Cancer prevention.
- Reduced inflammation.
- Lower cholesterol.
What makes a food a superfood?
As superfoods aren’t a nutritionally recognised category of foods, it is regularly used by food and supplement companies as a flashy sales tactic, so it is important to be able to properly identify superfoods yourself. At their core, superfoods are just a category of super-healthy foods. Sounds a bit oversimplified? Let's continue.
To be a superfood, they should be rich in:
- Antioxidants: An antioxidant is a natural compound that protects your cells from damage and may lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.
- Minerals: Minerals are essential nutrients (for example calcium, potassium, iron, etc) that help your body run at tip-top performance.
- Vitamins: Remember these? Vitamins come in many forms, but it is always better to get them from a natural source — either by taking supplements that are created using natural foods or by eating superfoods themselves.
In addition to the above, superfoods will often be high in:
- Fibre: Fiber aids in preventing heart disease, decreasing cholesterol, and controlling glucose for people with Type 2 diabetes.
- Flavonoids: Once called Vitamin P, flavonoids, which are found in plants, have anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties.
- Healthy fats: Sometimes called "good fats", monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, help lower your cholesterol and prevent heart disease and stroke.
So... What foods are superfoods?
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are a few of the most common superfoods.
Avocado
Do you love avocado toat for breakfast? Well, it might just be doing you more good than you thought. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats, which can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. A single avocado contains more potassium than a banana!
Add avocado to your diet:
Berries
Berries are loaded with flavonoids and can help with things like high blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart attacks, sports recovery, better sleep, and improved gut health.
Berries in the superfoods category include:
- Acai berries.
- Blueberries.
- Cranberries.
- Goji berries.
- Raspberries.
- Tart cherries.
Add berries to your diet:
Beets
Beets get their deep colouring from betalains, a natural plant pigment that includes antioxidants and can have anti-inflammatory properties.
Add beets to your diet:
Chia seeds
These tiny seeds are from a flowering plant native to Mexico and Guatemala. They are a great source of fibre, protein and antioxidants, as well as vitamins and minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc. They are also super low calorie at just 100 calories per ounce.
Add chia seeds to your diet:
Cinnamon
Cinnamon isn't just delicious, it's also super healthy! Cinnamon has been known to reduce inflammation, blood sugar levels and cholesterol.
Add cinnamon to your diet:
Dark, leafy greens
I'm sure you aren't surprised to hear that salads are healthy. And surprise surprise, not all salad leaves are created equal. Plants such as iceberg lettuce have almost zero nutritional value so go for dark, leafy greens instead. These are packed with vitamins A, C, and E and may prevent cancer. They are also high in vitamin K, which is good for bone health, and folate, which promotes heart health.
These include, but are not limited to:
- Arugula.
- Beet greens.
- Bok choy.
- Broccoli raab.
- Collard greens.
- Dandelion greens.
- Kale.
- Microgreens.
- Mustard greens.
- Spinach.
- Swiss chard.
- Turnip greens.
- Watercress.
Add dark, leafy greens to your diet:
Garlic
It's no secret that garlic is good for you. It's been the subject of countless health myths over the years. But what isn't a myth is that this small root vegetable is known to boost immunity as well as being an anti-inflammatory.
Add garlic to your diet:
Ginger
This delicious spice contains vitamin C, magnesium and potassium. It has also been known to help with pain relief and blood sugar regulation, not to mention nausea relief when you’re sick!
Add ginger to your diet:
Green tea
Green tea is loaded with catechin which is an antioxidant with anti-carcinogenic properties meaning that it helps protect your cells from damage. Green tea has also been known to help prevent cancer, fight heart disease and lower blood pressure.
Add green tea to your diet:
These are just a few of the countless superfoods readily available and easy to consume. If you have any questions about these superfoods or any others, why not reach out to one of our nutritionists via our live chat or send us an email to info@approvedvitamins.com.