What are the different kind of Superfoods?

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Eating healthy food has a great impact on our health. A balanced diet will provide the proper nutrients which our body needs to develop and build the muscles, make our brain active and maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle as well. Including healthy food in your diet will keep you away from various chronic diseases. It is said that our body draws energy from the food we take and thus the healthier food we have, the better our body is equipped to fight infections and keep it well greased to tackle everyday maintenance. Besides these, to maintain the perfect body weight and feel great we need to eat  food rich in vitamins minerals and antioxidants and of course fiber rich foods. These days many of us  have gotten into the habit of eating highly processed foods as they are very convenient but unfortunately these foods don't come close to natural whole grain food, in terms of providing the nutrition that our body actually needs.  Though lately focus is changing towards eating healthier foods and people are more and more looking at nutritional value of foods. This is where some of the foods have been labeled as Super foods. They are nothing but foods that are very high in certain vitamins or antioxidants and can b e termed as powerhouses in terms of nutritional value.

What is a Super food?

Foods rich in nutrients and containing a special chemical called phytochemical can be categorized as superfoods. Superfoods do not  have a high calorific value but are rich or nutrient dense foods. Usually this chemical content is found in the colorful vegetables and fruits which is in the pigments that give these fruits and vegetables their characteristic color. Thus foods with a high content of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and polynutrients can be termed as superfoods. Again since the calorie content of these superfoods is low, they have become very popular in the food industry these days. 

 

What are the various kinds of superfoods?

Besides the various fruits and vegetables, certain nuts and herbs could also fall under the category of superfoods. A few examples of popular fruits that are super foods are apples, blueberries, blackberries, acai berries, dark chocolate,  pomegranates, oranges,  and vegetables such as avocado, garlic, broccoli, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, grains  such as buckwheat, quinoa, oats, barley, seaweedand so on. Since it’s a never ending list here we will discuss about a few of them.

What are the vital nutrients present in various superfoods?

• Blueberries – Rich in anti-oxidants, fiber and Vitamin-C, these blue berries are great for skins. They help to prevent anti-aging, wrinkles, Alzheimer’s and some forms of cancer. The anti-oxidants present also heal the injuries faster and are great to prevent acne breakouts.
• Kiwi – The antimutagenic component present in Kiwi helps to lower the risk of forming cancer while the inostiol present in the fruit helps to fight depression and minimizes diabetes. According to a recent study in Italy, it has been proved that children eating Kiwis are less suffered by chronic cough and cold as it helps the respiratory tract by causing less wheezing.
• Broccoli – Rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and fiber, broccoli is one of the most important superfoods people like to have. Those who don’t consume dairy products, having broccoli is a must to meet the calcium deficiency of the body. Research has shown that a chemical content called sulporaphane, present in Brocoli helps to destroy those elements causing cancer. 
• Red Kidney Beans – A study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food chemistry reveals that red kidney beans contain more anti-oxidants than any other superfoods. The soluble fiber present in the red kidney beans help to minimize the cholesterol level. While a combination of red kidney beans with brown rice gives you a complete non-meat protein diet.
• Mushrooms – Besides adding an extra favor to food, mushrooms have huge benefits as a superfood. Recent studies have shown that mushrooms are a natural source of an antioxidant named L-Ergothioneine which helps in protecting the DNA from getting damaged in our body.

What are the  health benefits of superfoods?

By now you must have got a clear idea that how beneficial superfoods are in fighting against some common chronic diseases and help us maintain a healthy body. Superfoods are nutrient dense foods and have extra nutritional value. As a result they provide more health benefits compare to regular food. Superfoods are packed with high levels of phytonutrients , antioxidants, hytonutrients, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, beta-carotene, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, protein, manganese, copper, thiamine, vitamin B6/12, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, carotenoids and several micronutrients . Some of the health benefits offered by superfoods are:

• Alleviates hormone system.
• Builds and strengthen bones, muscles, and tendons.
• Regulates  blood pressure and cholesterol level.
• Enhances strength and libido.
• Fights depression and diabetes.
• Boosts immune system.
• Detoxifies the body.
• Prevents cancer (colon,rectal, breast, lung and prostate ), and Alzheimer.
• Destroys carcinogenic elements .

Can children eat superfoods ?

Superfoods (especially imported ones)  can be harmful for children. Remember superfoods are normal foods and are alright to eat when eaten as a food but if you are overdoing it then always check for the side-effects, specially in case of kids and patients. There is a possibility that the natural toxins present in them can cause several complicated health disorders including cancer and liver damage and it  is always a good thing to check with your doctor if you are using superfoods to treat something or prevent a condition. Excessive usage of pesticides and meager microbiological quality reduces the nutrition level of the superfoods. Thus children  and patients should be allowed to consume  superfoods after  thorough  scrutiny of the source and quality. Otherwise all in all superfoods are a good way to provide your body with vitamins and antioxidants.

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