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Superfoods: what actually are they?

The term Superfood is bandied around willy-nilly nowadays, promising incredible health benefits if they are consumed on a regular basis. From old school superstars such as kale and blueberries to new kids on the block like chaga mushrooms and algae fats, there seems to be an endless supply of super healthy produce that will transform your life. Superfoods are one of the most popular products in the world at the moment and research from Mintel, one of world’s leading market intelligence agencies, has found that between 2011 and 2015 there was a 202% increase globally in the number of products containing the terms ‘superfood’. That’s a lot of healthy eating!

But the question is, what are superfoods? And why is everyone so obsessed with them? Well, put simply, superfoods are things you can eat that are nutritionally dense and very beneficial to our health. They have very large doses of vitamins and minerals that can help to ward off diseases such as cancer and heart disease, and help us to live longer, healthier lives. It has also been claimed they can slow the ageing process, boost our intelligence and help to lift depression.

Superfoods are mostly plant-based, such as blueberries or spinach, but also include fish, dairy and meat, and tend to be rich in anti-oxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamins A, C and E, flavonoids and selenium, as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Green tea, coffee, dark chocolate, olives and yoghurt can also be included as superfoods!

However, as there are no set criteria for what makes a superfood, it can’t be classed as its own food group, and it’s worth doing a bit of research before believing the hype about the latest craze. Marketing companies can use the term ‘superfood’ to sell all sorts of products, such as juices and smoothies, even though they might have added sugar, salt or other things that outweigh the benefits of the raw superfood ingredients. Due to a lack of an official definition of what makes something a superfood, the EU has banned packaging on health food that includes the term, unless it can be supported by scientific evidence.

So, whilst no single type of food can magically transform your life, introducing a variety of superfoods into your diet will make a big difference to your health. It’s better to concentrate on an overall ‘super diet’ than one or two ‘superfoods’. Rather than looking for the more out there superfoods such as camu camu powder of chia seeds, you can easily get all the anti-oxidants and vitamins you need from superfoods you will easily find in your local supermarket or grocery shop. Broccoli, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, kale and chillies can be easily incorporated into everyday lunches and dinners, and blueberries, cherries, kiwi and spinach can be chucked into a blender and made into a super easy morning smoothie. These superfoods are cheap, available and delicious, so there’s no reason not to be reaping the health benefits from these incredible foods.

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This post first appeared on Akaroo - The Home Of Quality Indian Herbs And Spices, please read the originial post: here

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Superfoods: what actually are they?

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