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- What are superfoods?
- Benefits of superfoods
- 10 Superfoods
What are superfoods?
The term "superfoods" is basically a catch-cry for any foods that have high levels of various antioxidants or any other valuable nutrients which are essential for maintining good health (such as essential fatty acids) and so these foods are listed as superfoods because they have may more nutritional value (in terms of health) than other foods.
Antioxidants are potent free radical scavengers that stop the oxidisation that happens in the body and potentially have far reaching health effects. The antioxidants in plants are called phytonutrients (or phytochemicals), which basically means "plant nutrients".
While the list of the foods with the highest levels of antioxidants does change from time to time, the list below is one which shows the foods that are considered to be in the top 10 of high-antioxidant foods.
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Benefits of superfoods
Foods rich in potent antioxidants have the following health benefits:
- Anti-inflammatory - many of the superfoods in this list below have potent anti-inflammatory properties (from the omega 3 essential fatty acids), which research shows helps people who have conditions such as allergies and rheumatoid arthritis; the research shows that the omega 3 essential fatty acids stem the allergic reaction in the body, as well as relieving any type of other inflammatory condition such as rheumatoid arthritis
- Cancer prevention - a lot of research has shown the foods high in a number of differnt, but equally potent antioxidants can prevent cancer cells from replicating, which stops them the cancer from growing in the first place or stops it from spreading to nearby organs and tissues; the antioxidants stop the free radicals from causing damage and mutation to the cells DNA, thus preventing cancer from starting
- Immune boosting - research from several studies has shown that various antioxidant compounds in these "superfoods" as well as their many vitamins, minerals and other nutrients help to boost the immune system and prevent bacteria, viruses (or other substances) from causing infection and illness in the body; they have potent anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties
- Macular degeneration - research has shown that antioxidants such as Vitamin A slows and even halts the progression of macular degeneration
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references
- Graci S, Diamond H, Martin JM, The Power of Superfoods, Prentice Hall Canada, 1999
- Pratt SG, Matthews, K. SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life, Harper-Collins Publishers USA, 2004