Superfoods are a collection of foods which are exceptionally "nutritionally dense", which also have extra add-on health benefits which come from "antioxidants" and "phytochemicals". Next we'll go into what these statements actually mean in real terms.
Being dense in nutrients means that the food has high concentrations of vitamins and dietary minerals that we recognize as being good for us. That includes all the vitamins we know so well such as vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K, and dietary minerals such as Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc and so on. But of course many foods contain these things. In fact, all foods we eat every day (even junk food!) contains at least some vitamins and minerals, so what's so special about superfoods?
The difference with superfoods is that they contain very high amounts of vitamins and minerals compared to their size. For example, cucumbers are mostly (90% or so) made up of just water, so to benefit from any significant levels of nutrients from a cucumber you'd have to eat a whole one. Or two!
Superfoods are so strong that even as little as a single mouthful can provide you with a good sized portion of nutrients, occasionally providing as much as you need in a single day, in a single bite. Now that's super! Not many foods show such high levels of nutrients in such small amounts, and that's why superfoods are so great. They can provide nutrition like you've never felt before.
Next, we'll talk some more about antioxidants and phytochemicals. These may be new to you, so let's explain them both .
Inside your body, oxygen reacts with cells in a process called oxidation. Unfortunately, this process is damaging to the cells. Antioxidants are chemicals which prevent or stop oxidation, and prevent the damage caused by it. Damage from oxidation is thought to be the cause of various illnesses and diseases such as heart disease, cancers, premature ageing amongst others. Antioxidants prevent the damage from oxidation by blocking the chemical reaction and stopping it from happening at all, and so in theory cut down any undesirable effects. As an example, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an antioxidant which we need for everyday use.
Phytochemicals are naturally occurring compounds found in plants and animals, which do not yet have recognized status as being an essential vitamin or dietary mineral. As humans we require some vitamins and dietary minerals for the various chemical processes inside our bodies to work properly - that's why they're called "essential", whereas we're only just starting to fully comprehend the uses and benefits of phytochemicals. A large part of the reported power of superfoods (such as anti-cancer, anti-heart disease, anti-ageing and so on) is thanks to the various phytochemicals found inside them.
So, not only do superfoods contain huge levels of essential vitamins and dietary minerals, they also contain large levels of phytochemicals and antioxidants making them even more powerful!
Here's the big summary: We are human , and so we require various essential vitamins and minerals to live. If we don't get enough of these elements, our bodies start to break down. Now we're uncovering powerful new nutrients which can help to boost our health and prevent disease. Superfoods are foods which combine potent amounts of both essential and non-essential nutrients and taste good too - even more reason to start including superfoods as part of a healthy diet.
Click here to check out a list of the world's most powerful superfoods, all available from your local supermarket.
