"Superfood" is a subjective label that generally refers to foods offering abundant health-promoting nutrients, such as minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, while having relatively few calories. Superfoods can be meats, vegetables or fruits. Some superfoods are preferred over dietary supplements for enhancing health and combating diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity. Common examples of superfoods include salmon, spinach and blueberries, but others may become just as well-known in the future.
Goji Berries
Goji berries are indigenous to the cold highlands of Tibet and Mongolia. North Americans might view a goji berry as a cross between a cranberry and a raisin. Like those fruits, the goji berry is packed with nutrients, including 18 amino acids, polysaccharides, carotenoids, anthocyanins and a variety of minerals and vitamins, according to "Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica." Goji berries contain about 70 times more vitamin C per ounce than oranges and more carotenoids than carrots; they are also rich sources of vitamins B1 and B2.
Spirulina
Spirulina is a species of blue-green algae that thrives in warm, mineral-rich freshwater. Spirulina is about 70 percent protein and biologically complete, meaning that it provides all eight essential amino acids in the proper ratios, as cited in "Biochemistry of Human Nutrition." Most plant foods are not complete proteins because they lack one or more amino acids. Spirulina has more protein per ounce than soybeans, more beta-carotene than carrots, more iron than beef and a wide variety of phytochemicals. It is also filled with vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll and the essential fatty acid gamma linolenic acid.
Flax
In addition to being a great source of fiber, flax contains high levels of alpha linolenic acid, a plant-derived omega-3 fatty acid that is similar to those found in some fish, such as salmon. According to "Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism," flaxseed is beneficial for cardiovascular health because of its demonstrated capacity to lower both "bad" LDL cholesterol and blood pressure. Flaxseed is rich in manganese, magnesium, folate and lignans, which have anti-oxidant properties.
Bee Pollen
Bee pollen is an obscure but complete superfood. Between 25 and 35 percent of its content is protein, including 18 amino acids, a variety of water-soluble vitamins and minerals, and essential fatty acids, including omega-3, according to "Contemporary Nutrition." Bee pollen is a good source of enzymes and coenzymes, which are needed for digestion and healing, and phytonutrients, which are anti-oxidants that include carotenes, bioflavonoids and sterols. As a rich source of quercetin, bee pollen displays antihistamine properties.
Wheat Grass
Wheat grass is one of the most alkaline plant sources known, making it an effective agent to combat overacidity and to balance pH levels within body fluids. Wheat grass is an excellent source of protein and a very good source of vitamins E and K, beta-carotene, chlorophyll, enzymes, minerals and lutein, an anti-oxidant that protects the tissues of the eye. According to "Biochemistry of Human Nutrition," wheat grass displays anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties, with positive effects on cellular regeneration.
References
- "Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica"; Dan Bensky et al.; 2004
- "Biochemistry of Human Nutrition"; George Gropper; 2000
- "Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism: 5th Edition"; Sareen S. Gropper and Jack L. Smith; 2009
- "Contemporary Nutrition"; Gordon M. Wardlaw; 2010
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