Superfoods - What Are They and What Can They Do For Your Health?
If you have never heard of the term "superfoods", then you have been successful in avoiding the more hype laden areas of health food publicity. The word may also just conjure up a picture in your mind of your favorite food, whether it be a gourmet French meal or a hamburger and fries.
In the health food market, though, the term superfoods tends to refer to those natural foods rich in healthy nutrients, especially phytonutrients or phytochemicals. Some of these foods are thought by some to have very powerful benefits in good health, healing and prevention of some chronic diseases.
Although tropical forest sources have become popular in the search for superfoods, there are many very common fruits and vegetables that are rich in phytonutrients.
What are Phytochemicals or Phytonutrients?
Phytonutrients, also called phytochemicals by some, do not have a single definition that all will agree. However, they are compounds derived from plant material that can become active in the body. Some people refine the definition further to say that despite their benefits, they are not essential for normal bodily functions. While the term superfood has an exotic ring about it, some of the fruits and vegetables highest in phytochemicals are familiar and mundane every day foods; at least, to those who have fruits and vegetables in their diets.
Some of the richest are: garlic, broccoli, soy, tomatoes, legumes, sweet potatoes, blueberries, chili peppers, citrus fruits such as oranges, and flax seeds. There are many more, and well studied at the present time are green tea and red grapes and wine.
The process of scientific studies of many of these plants and their health benefits is ongoing, and increasingly intensive. Recently, one of the compounds in red grapes, resveratrol, has been getting a lot of publicity following a study with mice, the results of which were published in late 2006. A couple of scientists are even reported to have said resveratrol could be the most important discovry by medical science since antibiotics. Perhaps the next ten years will provide solid scientific proof of that, but that remains to be seen.
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