How useful are well-known superfoods
'01.09.2017'
Source: Woman way
What are superfoods and are they really useful as raw foodists, vegans and healthy food fans say? This site writes Woman way.
Term Superfoods - not scientific and not medical. And this difficult word is called products that have a high concentration of useful substances. But are they really helpful?
1. Cabbage
The most common cabbage is regularly included in the superfood list. Undoubtedly, the cabbage we are used to is rich in vitamins, fiber, iron and antioxidants. However, their number is not higher than that of any other vegetable. Cabbage is useful, but it has no super properties. Even if you use it every day.
There is not a single study that would prove the advantage of cabbage over other vegetables and fruits.
2. Avocado
Technically, avocado is a berry, although some claim equally that it is a vegetable or fruit.
Avocados have been attributed to super abilities in the fight against oncology. Avocados do contain a huge amount of monounsaturated fats that protect the cardiovascular system. But about the same amount of fat can be obtained from nuts, fatty fish, olive oil.
Plus, avocados are very high in calories. Even a chocolate bar has fewer calories than an avocado. So, you can use it instead of lunch or dinner. But super - results from him should not be expected.
3. Garnet
Pomegranate is credited with slowing prostate cancer, lowering cholesterol and improving heart function. But there is no legal basis for this.
Pomegranate is a tasty, healthy and very expensive fruit, it is rich in vitamins and antioxidants, but not to the extent that it can cure diseases.
4. Goji berries
The popular name for these berries is wolf berries. The myth that they are insanely useful went from writing about the fact that the Chinese herbalist Li Qingyun lived 197 for years (and according to another version 256 did), eating goji berries. Of course, there is no evidence of this.
A thousand years ago, goji berries held pride of place in traditional Chinese medicine. But it was a long time ago. Scientists have proven that these berries themselves are harmless, but how useful they are is a moot point.
The allegations that they are capable of inhibiting the development of oncology are not proven. A tablespoon of these berries contains one gram of protein, 36% of the daily requirement of vitamin A and total 18 calories.
Goji contains a record amount of vitamin C (hundreds of times more than citrus), as well as essential polysaccharides and amino acids.
5. Chia seeds
These seeds are odorless and tasteless, but they have a wonderful feature — they can thicken any liquid. Actually, for this they are used.
The main focus of superfood fans is on the fact that these seeds contain a large amount of omega-3. Yes, 100 g of chia seeds contain 17 g of these fatty acids, which is 8 times the same as salmon. But the same fans forget to report that with fish we consume 2,3 g omega-3, and with chia seeds only 1,8 g.
In order to cover the daily rate of fatty acids - you need to eat at least 100 g of seeds. And this is almost 486 calories.
6. Beet
The most beautiful property of this vegetable is that beet juice really lowers blood pressure. The rest of the hype around the beets is groundless.
Beetroot has a high content of sodium, it is useful to eat it, but not enough to rank it among superfoods.
No less popular are dubious studies that claim that beet in combination with red meat, eaten before a workout, can increase endurance. It sounds good, but it is worth considering other experiments, which suggest that beetroot and red meat lead to increased anxiety and may even lead to the development of bowel cancer.
So there is even more harm than good, but it’s not at all necessary to talk about superproperties.
7. Seaweed
They include all edible species: nori, kelp, kombu, wakame.
It is true that all algae are rich in vitamin B12 and that is why they are the most important product in the diet of vegans, especially those who do not take vitamin supplements. It is for this group of people that seaweed is a superfood. For the rest - no.
You will not be surprised with calcium and iron with which they are rich - they can be obtained from other products, and iodine, which is also contained in seaweed, is not recommended to be consumed in such large quantities. This is fraught with problems with the thyroid gland.
Moreover, some algae, depending on their habitats, may contain a large amount of heavy metals, which can be harmful to health.
We advise you to always be realistic about the next “incredibly useful” product, not to be lazy to read about its beneficial properties and the richness of minerals and vitamins.
Eat wisely and be healthy!
