A Super Food Spectrum

Kale, dragon fruit, avocados … The list of superfoods goes on and on. But that’s not a bad thing. There is no quantitative, enforced definition of a superfood: All that matters is the nutritional and health value you get per calorie. For instance, some people consider the everyday raw carrot a super food because a cup of them contains 3.1 grams of dietary fiber and an astounding 428 percent of your daily recommended value of vitamin A, which helps the immune system, red blood cell development and eyesight.

“A lot of time guests [who join the Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Living Program] will ask questions about ‘What are the new superfoods?’” Mayo Clinic dietitian Angie Murad says. “We don’t necessarily use that [term] because it changes over time and it may be more trendy-type foods. Those types of foods typically have a lot of health benefits; it’s just they may change over time.”

Superfoods are chock-full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Besides vitamin A, vitamin C is most known for its longterm benefits to immune system health. Vitamin B has a host of types and health benefits, including digestive aid, muscle and nerve functions, and metabolism and hormone regulations. Its different forms can be found in a wide variety of foods such as almonds, cauliflower, whole grains and berries. Vitamin K is another frequent superfood nutrient, and it helps with blood clotting and metabolism and efficiency.

While you may be familiar with minerals like calcium and potassium, other common superfood minerals include manganese, which helps boost metabolism and build connective tissue; magnesium for energy and muscle and nerve impulse functions; and zinc, which is involved in almost every chemical reaction in the body. Many minerals are found in protein-rich foods, and zinc is the same. It is most prevalent in oysters, but you can also find it in chicken or red meat as well as beans, seeds, mushrooms, whole grains and fortified cereals. Magnesium is often found in green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds. Manganese is found in a variety of similar plant foods such as spinach, nuts and beans plus foods like raspberries and sweet potatoes.

One of the key words you hear related to superfoods is “antioxidant.” Antioxidants mainly come in the form of vitamins, enzymes and phytochemicals such as carotenoids and flavonoids, and they are most common in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices and even whole grains. They help the body combat conditions such as inflammation, high blood pressure, and even heart disease and cancer that occur as cells age.

While you can think about healthy eating more within this superfood framework, the bottom line is to eat natural, whole foods. Do that, and you’ll find yourself eating plenty of superfoods. Or, if it’s easier, start adding superfoods, and you’ll start eating natural, whole foods that will improve your diet.

Superfoods are still a relatively new concept—Murad says they started gaining popularity in the 1990s—but even if, say, turmeric doesn’t prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease or alleviate arthritis pain as much as it has been hyped up to do, it still has proven antioxidant capabilities and, by sprinkling it on your foods, you can also cut down on your salt intake.

REACH FOR THE RAINBOW

An easy way to increase your intake of superfoods and healthy foods is to “eat the rainbow.”

“Whenever you have brightly colored fruits and vegetables, those are indicators that there are different phytonutrients in them, or antioxidants, so they can all help decrease incidents in chronic diseases,” Murad says.

Blue/Violet: Believe it or not, we do have blue and violet foods, or at least blue and violet enough for the rainbow. The former mostly consists of blueberries, which are rich in antioxidants, fiber, manganese, and vitamins C and K. Violet is loosely considered to be foods like blackberries, beets, plums, figs and prunes, and you can often find them full of copper, antioxidants, iron, and vitamins A and K.

Green: We all know leafy greens are good for us (see Go Green at right), but other greens such as broccoli, cucumbers and peas provide the same nutrients including calcium, zinc, iron, and vitamins A, K and B.

Orange: Carrots, sweet potatoes, mangos and pumpkins are full of vitamins A and B and potassium plus selenium, which helps protect cells from harmful mutations.

Red: Fruits and vegetables like strawberries, tomatoes and cherries are often high in vitamins A and C, manganese, zinc, and protein—yes, even a cup of cubed watermelon has 1 gram of protein.

Yellow: Pineapples, lemons, squash and peaches (which are somewhat yellow) have manganese, magnesium, and vitamins A, B and C as well as antioxidants and characteristics that aid immune system, cell and cholesterol health.

White: Even white is considered a color, although it’s not the most unified group. With mushrooms and—straying a little from white to brown—oats and barley, enjoy the dosage of beta-glucans and lignans that often accompany their consumption, which have been linked to aid with high cholesterol and heart disease prevention. Bananas have vitamin B6, potassium and vitamin C, and pears contain vitamin C, copper and fiber.

So whether you choose to eat the rainbow or stock your pantry with other superfoods, you can’t go wrong as long as you mix it up and mind your serving sizes. After all, many natural and unprocessed foods are super in some way. �

GO GREEN

Salads are a go-to healthy meal, and each green leaf has its own benefits. Check out five greens that can add a surprising amount of taste to your meals:

Arugula: With its peppery flavor, arugula can make for a robust salad or a flavorful garnish. Cooking it does not reduce its nutritional value, so other common ways to eat it include sautéeing the leaves or adding them to pesto. The smaller the leaf, the less intense the flavor. Two cups of raw arugula have only 10 calories, but they are rich in vitamins A, C and K as well as calcium, folate and antioxidants.

Cabbage: While cabbage is often cooked, you get the most of its vitamin C (about 32 percent of your daily recommended value) and folate when it’s eaten raw. In a cup of shredded cabbage, there is 85 percent of your daily value of vitamin K, 54 percent of your daily vitamin C, other vitamins, 2.2 grams of dietary fiber, antioxidants and minerals like calcium, manganese and potassium.

Chard: Chard’s leaves are much larger than its spinach relative, and it has a bounty of benefits. One cup has 374 percent of your daily value of vitamin K, 44 percent of your daily vitamin A, and plenty of antioxidants in a mere 6.8 calories. No less than 10 minerals are in chard as well. Try to avoid boiling the chard and sauté instead. If you are including the stems, allow them to cook first as they take longer.

Endive: When you choose endive leaves for your salad or other dishes, remember the darker outer leaves are more bitter than the lighter ones nearer the plant’s head. Two cups of chopped endives are rich in vitamins such as A and K as well as folate and a suite of minerals. For instance, you can get 5 percent of your daily values of calcium, iron, zinc and copper, plus 9 percent of the potassium you need and 21 percent of the manganese.

Mustard Greens: This encompasses a few types such as brown and leaf mustards. All share a peppery taste (some people liken Chinese mustard more to horseradish than pepper). One hundred grams of raw mustard greens contains 117 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C, 60 percent of your vitamin A, some iron and calcium, and 13 percent of your daily dietary fiber. If you want less of its distinct taste, mix it with milder greens or use them as garnishes.

BY LIANNA MATT