Superpowers of Superfoods

Superfoods give you the most bang for your nutritional bite, so get a taste of why superfoods are the superheroes of the food world. 

Many foods are good for you. Others are even better. And some are so vitamin-packed, mineral-rich, and antioxidant-dense that they practically improve your health in a single bound! They’re known as superfoods and they’re regarded as superior for your health—and it’s time you got to know them better, don’t you think? Get a healthy understanding of what foods are superfoods and their long list of superpowers, then learn which superfoods are superb for helping you stay healthy. 

What is a Superfood?  

There’s always a lot of buzz around the new, the next, and the need-to-know healthy foods, but they’re not all worth the hype. Yet some are so supercharged with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, healthy fats, enzymes—and research to back their benefits!—that they’ve earned the name and the claim of “superfoods.” While there isn’t a standard criteria for a food to be considered a superfood, the title typically touts a natural food that’s a super source of nutrients that are linked to improving your health. 

Why You’ll Want to Supersize Your Servings 

Why are superfoods important? Because the average person’s diet isn’t so super. It’s packed with packages of processed, sugary, and fatty foods that can lead to obesity and chronic conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and several sorts of cancer. But superfoods contain superior levels of nutrients, from vitamins and minerals to antioxidants and phytochemicals, that can offer a healthy dose of benefits to help you stay healthy by:

• Boosting your immune system to fight illness and infections 

• Promoting a healthy heart 

• Regulating your blood pressure 

• Controlling blood sugar levels  

• Reducing disease-causing inflammation 

• Preventing many kinds of cancer 

• Lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol 

• Improving your memory 

• Reducing your risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease 

• Boosting your energy 

• Improving the health of your skin, hair, and nails 

• Decreasing the signs of aging 

Top 10 Superfoods at the Supermarket 

While all superfoods are super choices, some supersede all others. They tip the scales with so many nutrients and benefits that they’re the best ones for better health. These supercharged choices include: 

1. Fatty fish* – There are many fish in the sea, but fatty ones like salmon, sardines, and mackerel have the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

2. Garlic – Don’t turn your nose up at garlic because this flavor booster has been a favorite for fighting colds, boosting immunity, and preventing disease for centuries. 

3. Berries – Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are bursting with a bushel of antioxidants that help protect you from infections, dementia, and many kinds of cancer. 

4. Cruciferous veggies – The superfood status of versatile veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage stems from how they help increase your body’s ability to fight illness and infection. 

5. Dark leafy greens – Come over to the dark side for leafy greens like spinach, kale, collards, and Swiss chard, whose antioxidant-rich flavonoids help strengthen your immune system and reduce the risk of cancer. 

6. Green tea – When it’s tea time, go green! This colorful elixir is steeped with antioxidants that help lower inflammation, while boosting your immunity and metabolism.  

7. Yogurt – Scoop up this fermented favorite for its calcium, magnesium, and potassium that help strengthen your bones and lower blood pressure, along with its probiotics that boost your immune system and help with digestion. 

8. Avocadoes – More than a topping for toast, avocadoes are top sources of heart-healthy fats, antioxidants, and nutrients that can help improve your cholesterol, bone density, eyes, skin, and more.  

9. Ginger – The benefits of this zingy, zesty seasoning are rooted in its bioactive compounds, which give ginger its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers to help support your immune system, ease arthritis, and lower your risk of cancer. 

10. Nuts and Seeds – Mini morsels like walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and hemp seeds are mighty sources of antioxidants, minerals, omega-3s, and fiber that pack a major nutritional punch. 

Superfoods are nutritional superstars that pack more vitamins, minerals, and benefits into every single bite.

*Guide for Vegan Omega-3 Fatty Acids

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON GARDENOFLIFE.COM