A nutritionist tells us if superfoods are so cool and what to put them in

Chia seeds, goji berries, spirulina and cocoa beans – fantastically healthy products with magical properties? Overseas “goodies” from exotic countries? Long-awaited “magic pill” and remedy for all diseases? The miraculous properties of these products are now spoken about literally at every turn, and many people see these products as a panacea for all problems! Let’s find out what these mysterious superfoods are!

Take note!

Nowadays in nutrition there are a lot of new terms – junk-food (junk food), fast-food (fust food or “fast” food) – unhealthy foods with low biological value and often very high calorie. But there are new terms for healthy foods – organic foods (organic food or organic products made without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, food additives and GMOs) and superfoods (superfoods), which are plant-based foods with a very high concentration of beneficial nutrients. These miracle berries, seeds, roots and so on have been around for thousands of years and are indeed natural sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other phytonutrients that enhance our health!

Are superfoods a super healthy diet?

Superfoods are roots, seeds, leaves, algae, berries and other plant parts consumed either naturally or in the form of powders, juices and extracts. They grow in different places on the planet – Tibet, Peru, Mexico, etc. The nutritional value of these products and their effect on the body are due to the increased concentration of useful substances in them, which is what makes them different from the usual food products: increased content of protein, vitamins, minerals, healthy fatty acids, antioxidants and other useful substances in a minimal amount and at a low calorie content.

You can buy these products not only in special stores, but by ordering them online or in any nutrition stores and use them as a food supplement, which means that superfoods can not become the basis of your diet and the basis of a healthy diet, in any case you should balance your basic diet on the usual products: proteins (meat, fish, poultry, seafood, eggs and low-fat dairy products), fats (vegetable oils, fatty fish, nuts, avocados) and carbohydrates (cereals, breads, vegetables, fruits, berries).

Recommendations for taking superfoods are spelled out in the recommendations for these foods: “add to food”, “take a teaspoon a day”, “mix with water” and so on. Of course, this can only be a supplement to a healthy diet, not a staple food. More these products are associated with recommendations of nutritionists to add vitamin and mineral complexes to a person’s diet or recommendations to increase the amount of vegetables and fruits in the diet (to consume daily at least 500gm) – it is more associated with the possibility of superfoods!

It is necessary to realize that in large doses even these superfoods can cause poisoning or be poorly tolerated or may even be contraindicated for some people. For example, if you have a poor tolerance to fiber – be careful when taking algae, and Peruvian maca can increase estrogen levels and is therefore suitable for women mainly only in the first days of the cycle, and so on.

A very important aspect:

Superfoods are not guaranteed to get rid of any disease, are not a cure and are not intended to treat or prevent any disease!

And if you read the list of 10-15 points of effects on the body of any superfood, such as “weight loss, wrinkle smoothing, toxin cleansing, cancer protection, improved libido, increased energy, blood purification, elimination of toxins, reduction of depression” and so on – then know that you just get additional nutrients, vitamins and trace elements, antioxidants and so on, which, of course, can balance the work of your organs and systems, but will not magically get rid of all your health problems!

The most popular superfoods are:

• Seeds – Chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds.

A source of fiber, antioxidants, plant protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and calcium.
But the caloric content of these products in 500-600 kcal- no one canceled! They are very tasty products – but dangerous for those who lose weight!

• Goji berries, camu camu, physalis.

Popular Goji berries are a source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, beta-carotene, iron and protein, but they certainly do not “burn fat”, “get rid of cancer”, “save from Alzheimer’s disease” and so on!

• Algae – spirulina, chlorella, kelp, fucus.

Spirulina is a rich source of protein (60 percent of the weight!), many vitamins and trace elements, and even healthy fats, but there is poor tolerance due to fiber, and people with arrhythmia, taking anticoagulants, you should know that algae contain a lot of vitamin K (consult with your doctor).

• Sprouts/juices- wheat, soybeans, barley, oats, alfalfa, etc.

Wheat germ or juice from them (vitgrass) – the most concentrated complex of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, vegetable protein6 fiber and chlorophyll. Wheat sprouts are cut on the 8th day of growth, at the moment of maximum concentration of all useful substances in them, again we warn you only to be careful in case of poor tolerance to fiber.

There are no magic pills. Summary, moral and conclusions:

All peoples are physiologically and genetically accustomed to absorbing nutrients from foods that have been eaten over time. Simply put, apples are more familiar to our bodies than Goji berries. And it can be difficult to guess how the body will react to an unfamiliar exotic product – it can be an allergy, and poor tolerance, and lack of the expected effect. Do not take these products as a medicine or an alternative to medicines, or as a substitute for conventional nutrition! It is only a food supplement, a source of useful vitamins-minerals-microelements!

Superfoods – although expensive, but certainly not a panacea for all problems! Any superfood will be useful, but only as part of your varied balanced diet and healthy lifestyle!
Superfoods are definitely healthy, natural, colorful, beautiful and tasty products! And they are absolutely healthier than chips and carbonated sugary drinks! From a nutritionist’s point of view – of course it is important that people eat natural plant foods, so superfoods can become in some cases an alternative to taking vitamin and mineral complexes in the form of tablets.

Do not forget about the more familiar to us “Russian folk” superfoods: any colorful vegetables (beets, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, celery), greens (parsley, dill, cilantro, etc.), berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, currants, mulberries), pumpkin and sunflower seeds, seaweed.

Superfoods can be a great addition to your diet if your diet is already balanced, if you follow a drinking regimen, keep regular physical activity, get enough sleep and rest. I wish you good health!