Superfoods

 

A superfood is defined in the dictionary as “a food considered especially nutritious or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being.” There are a variety of positive benefits on a person’s health that can come from superfoods, such as lowering cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer, or improving a person’s mood.

One such superfood is a blueberry. They contain high levels of antioxidants, phytoflavinoids, potassium, and vitamin C, all of which help to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, as well as act as an anti-inflammatory. In general, the darker the color of a blueberry, the more antioxidants it will contain. In addition to blueberries, tea is also full of antioxidants. While both black and green tea have around the same amount of antioxidants, green tea contains a special one called ECGC, which was found to both lower cholesterol and inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

There are studies that show fish rich in omega 3 fats – such as salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel – will help lower the risk of heart disease and help arthritis, and may even help with memory loss and reduce depression. In addition, as they are high in monounsaturated fats, they will also help lower cholesterol.

A study done by The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2003 showed that soy fiber (not soy powder) helped to reduce cholesterol as much as a prescribed cholesterol medicine. However, if your family has a history of breast cancer it is not recommended that you eat extra soy. In general, diets high in any kind of fiber are shown to help aid weight loss, because they help you feel satiated longer, as well as help maintain healthy levels of both blood sugar and cholesterol.

Açaí, a fruit found in the rainforests of Brazil, contains a wide variety of nutrients that make it a super food. It is full of antioxidants, nearly ten times more than red grapes, which help to combat aging, as well as amino acids, which help with muscle regeneration. It also contains essential fatty acids, fiber, and phytosterols which help with both digestive and cardiovascular health.

Dark chocolate is one of the more newly discovered superfoods. The most recent research shows that dark chocolate is full of antioxidants and can even help decrease blood pressure. The greater the cocoa content, the darker the chocolate, and the darker the chocolate, the lower the content of fat and sugar.

You won’t find most dieticians or nutritional scientists using the term superfood – there are still many that disagree with studies that claim that consuming particular kinds of foods can have such health benefits. However, superfoods are all natural and healthy for the body, regardless of whether the health benefits are as great as studies claim, and almost all are typically eaten in connection with a healthy diet.