The Next Superfoods to Eat

New superfoods are always popping up and getting plenty of media attention. As of late, the Pomegranate was in focus, then came along Goji berries and now acclaimed Acai berry. What is a superfood? By definition, a superfood is a term to describe any food that has "remarkable" health properties. Make way for the new wave of superfoods which will soon be found in our beverages, yogurts, ice creams, etc. Here are the newest superfoods making an appearance in a grocery store near you!


Muscadine grapes

While they look like typical purple grapes, Muscadine grapes are a little larger and thicker and pack more nutrition than your standard grape. One particular benefit comes from the powerful antioxidant, Resveratrol (also found in red wine). Resveratrol has been linked to lowering blood-sugar levels, contains strong anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties (lowering cholesterol and preventing heart disease). Currently, these berries are hard to come by so I take the Resveratrol supplement on a daily basis.

Maqui Berry

I am a huge Food Network fan and I had heard Rachel Ray briefly mention this berry on her cooking show. This sparked me to look into this berry further. Maqui berry is the highest ranked food on the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity scale (ORAC). This test measures the antioxidant potency of foods. Just to put things into perspective: Blueberry juice has an ORAC score of 3,000 and Macqui juice has an ORAC score of 40,000! Due to the high antioxidants in this berry, it is believed to rid the body in toxins and possibly help with weight control. Macqui berry has been used in traditional medicine to help symptoms of sore throat, diarrhea and treat ulcers.


Acerola

Acerola is also known as Amazon or Barbados cherries. I've seen Acerola really making headway in grocery stores already. This fruit contains 40 times more vitamin C than an orange and in a test comparing it's antioxidants to 11 other fruits, the acerola came out on top. In July 2008, Absolut Vodka came out with a limited-edition vodka containing acerola mixed with blueberries, acai and pomegranate. You'll likely encounter this berry in desserts and preserves.

Baobob Fruit

Grown in Australia, Africa or Madagascar, this superfood seems to have it all: Iron, Vitamin C, Calcium, (2x the amount found in milk), protein in it's seeds, phosphorus for bones, fiber and a slew of electrolytes. This fruit was just recently approved for export and has recently been used in drinks, yogurt, as well as a thickener for soups.

For more information, please visit: http://www.shar-on-nutrition.com.

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