In every day chaos, it’s easy to push our bodies to their limits. Getting sick is never by choice, so it’s a good thing that we can speed up recovery through easily accessible generic medicines. In the Philippines, consuming ample amounts of food is one way to keep the sickness away. But it’s not just any type of food. Super foods are ideal as they are able to boost one’s health and helps reduce the risk of acquiring some sort of sickness, whether it be viral or bacterial.
Super foods are an essential part of a healthy diet. How does it differ from other types of food, you ask? We’ve provided few reasons on what is super in super foods. Let’s take a look!
Super Food is Loaded with Antioxidants
Antioxidants are molecules that counteract the damaging effects of free radicals, which are produced by the human body. These antioxidants are flavanols (can be found in chocolate), lycopene (can be found in tomatoes), and resveratrol (can be found in wine), among others. Powerful antioxidants are commonly found in coffee, tea, fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods and drinks. Additionally, blueberries, raspberries, black pepper, and cocoa are some of the food with antioxidant properties.
There is a wide range of benefits when consuming food that is rich in antioxidants. These include the following:
- Stopping cell damage caused by oxidants
- Neutralizing and removing free radicals in the bloodstream
- Beta-carotene, a type of antioxidant, is beneficial to eye health
- Flavonoids are essential for the hearth health
- Lycopene has positive benefits in maintaining prostate health
- The power antioxidant combination of vitamin E, beta-carotene, and astaxanthin protects the skin from the reactive species of oxygen
One of the super foods that are considered best source of antioxidants is dark chocolate. It contains less sugar compared to other types of chocolate and is loaded with several nutrients that positively affect one’s brain. These effects include enhancing one’s memory and stimulating blood flow in the brain.
Super Foods are Packed with Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals are essential in a human body since it helps the body maintain its optimal condition and fight various illnesses and viruses. These nutrients are found in super foods such as nuts, beans, salmon, and whole grains, among others.
For example, Kale is considered to be super food as it contains several nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and phytochemicals. Avocado, one of the healthiest fruits, is a super food as well. This fruit has high protein content and contains less sugar compared to other fruits. Moreover, avocado is rich in folate and vitamin K, which improve one’s cognitive function.
It’s not enough to simply consume any type of food (especially these sinful foods!) that comes along the way just to satisfy your hunger. Start including some of the super foods mentioned above in your diet to reap the health benefits they have to offer.