If you’re familiar with food trends, you’d have heard about the wonders of superfoods. Perhaps, you’re curious to know the type of foods that are under this classification, and what actually makes them helpful than the regular foods. This article focuses on everything you need to know about superfoods.
Superfoods are collections of nutrient-rich organic foods that are great options for your health under a single name – Super Healthy Foods. Unlike most healthy foods with two to three nutritional properties, superfoods contain twelve or more with a large percentage of minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and enzymes.
While the list of healthy superfoods is extremely large, we have selected 14 of them to see what makes them the ultimate list.
1. Legumes
Legumes belong to the class of foods made up of peas, lentils, alfalfa, and beans (including soy). They are extremely rich in B vitamins, protein, minerals, and fiber. Legumes are an essential healthy superfood because of a large number of nutrients it contains as well as the role they play in managing and preventing various diseases.
Research shows that it can manage improved type 2 diabetes, cholesterol, and reduced blood pressure. Eating legumes regularly can also improve healthy weight maintenance. This is because they can improve the feelings of fullness.
2. Salmon
Salmon is a nutrient-rich fish pack. It contains protein, healthy fats, B vitamins, selenium, and potassium. It’s an uncommon source of omega-3 fatty acids known for different health benefits, such as inflammation reduction.
Also, adding salmon to your diet can lower your chance of diabetes and heart disease. Moreso, it can help you maintain a healthy weight.
3. Ginger
Ginger is a root of a China plant and it’s useful as a cooking flavor enhancer and for multiple medicinal effects. Gingerol, the oil from ginger root contains antioxidants that can be responsible for the numerous health benefits linked with this food.
You can use ginger to manage nausea, reduce acute pain, as well as pain from chronic inflammatory conditions. Chances of chronic illness like heart disease, certain cancers, and dementia can also be reduced by ginger. Ginger is available as a fresh juice or oil and in dried or powder forms. You can easily incorporate it into soups, sauces, teas, and stir-fries.
4. Grapefruit
Similar to other citrus fruits, grapefruits provide a large number of vitamin C which is capable of boosting the functionality of the immune system. The vitamin has been shown to lessen the risk of heart-related issues which includes heart attack and stroke.
Grapefruit detoxifies the liver, lower cholesterol, likely prevent breast cancer, protect against Alzheimer’s disease, and prevents cancer by lycopene.
5. Chlorella
Chlorella is a small single-celled green freshwater alga that detoxifies. It has super properties and perhaps, it’s the most powerful of its kind. It’s a unique edible species of water-grown algae packed with chlorophyll, embedded with antioxidant power.
Also, chlorella contains amino acids, fiber, iron, magnesium, all of the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, carbohydrates, beta-carotene, trace minerals, and over 50% of protein.
6. Blueberries
Blueberries are classified among the healthy superfoods’ ultimate list because they’re rich in vitamins, phytochemicals, and soluble fiber. Other berries like strawberries and cranberries also contain the same nutrients found in blueberries. A study in the Journal Circulations shows that a high intake of flavonoids (phytochemicals), which are found in blueberries and other berries can reduce the risk of certain heart conditions in young women.
7. Kale
Kale is a delicious green leaf full of powerful antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. It offers 113% of your daily vitamin A intake and about 90% of your daily intake of vitamin C. The number of iron per calorie in Kale is more than red meat. It also contains fiber which is excellent for promoting good digestive health.
8. Coconuts
Coconut is richly packed with a powerful punch of nutrition. Its unique combination of fatty acids can have a positive health effect due to its richness in minerals. These include copper, iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and magnesium.
Each of the food products extracted from coconut fruit has diverse nutritional benefits. Coconut flesh is an excellent source of potassium and all the B vitamins, while coconut oil is grouped with the world’s healthiest oil. It contains a high amount of a fat known as lauric acid which lowers bad cholesterol and promotes good cholesterol.
9. Chia Seed
As little as chia seed is, it is bursting with minerals, fiber, protein, and vitamins. It’s a great nutrient that can reduce the risk of osteoporosis, improves bowel movement, helps slow down aging, and good for heart and blood vessels.
10. Avocado
This is a high nutrient-rich fruit, though it’s treated like a vegetable in culinary uses. It’s rich in nutrients like fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Just like olive oil, avocado contains a high number of MUFAs (monounsaturated fats). Oleic acid happens to be the principal MUFA in avocado and can reduce inflammation of the body. Eating avocado regularly can lower your risk of metabolic syndrome, certain cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
11. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes are root vegetables rich in a lot of nutrients such as fiber, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C. Sweet Potato is also an excellent source of a certain type of antioxidant known as carotenoids that may lower your risk of certain cancer types.
In spite of their sweet taste, sweet Potatoes do not increase the level of blood sugar as you might think. Amazingly, sweet Potatoes actually improve the control of blood sugar in the type 2 diabetes.
12. Garlic
According to the NCI (National Cancer Institute), consumption of garlic may lower your risk of developing certain cancer types, although recommended portions are not given. Additionally, garlic aid weight control, reduce acne, prevents the common cold, help grow healthy hair, and treats psoriasis and cold sores.
13. Hemp Seed
Hemp seed is a complete protein and it’s beneficial for the heart and brain. It contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well as minerals like magnesium, calcium, copper, sulfur, phosphorus, and potassium. Raw hemp seeds are also full of B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, and antioxidants.
14. Apples
Apples are low-calorie fruits that contain antioxidants which can reduce the risk of metabolic problems. It stimulates saliva, reducing tooth decay. Also, it contains a high fiber content which promotes digestive health and possible cancer-protection properties. Moreso, it reduces the chance of diabetes in women, protects against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
To have the best health through foods and nutrition goes beyond focusing on the latest food movements. Instead, eating diverse super healthy foods every day can give you the result that you want.
Including all or some of the healthy foods in this ultimate food list as part of your balanced diet can provide you with health benefits, and as well prevent a number of chronic diseases.
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Related Post >> Delicious Superfoods
Chlorella is a small single-celled green freshwater alga that detoxifies. It has super properties and perhaps, it’s the most powerful of its kind. It’s a unique edible species of water-grown algae packed with chlorophyll, embedded with antioxidant power.
This is a high nutrient-rich fruit, though it’s treated like a vegetable in culinary uses. It’s rich in nutrients like fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.
