The hype around these ingredients is relentless. Here’s what you should look for at the grocery store—and, more importantly, what to avoid.
The superfood we eat have become no less complicated than our relationships with the people we talk to on a daily basis. And the abundance of choices has made us more obsessed than ever with seeking out not merely foods that are good for us, but foods that are best for us. This is where superfoods—the guiltless, sinless, natural, nourishing ingredients that feature heavily in Gwyneth Paltrow blog posts—come in to play. Since the term now gets applied to everything from orange peels to alligator meat, we took a closer look at some of the most common superfoods to see which ones are worth your time—and which ones you can leave on the shelf.
This is a common refrain from experts: A superfood in its purest, least-processed form might indeed be “super,” but additives and packaging can corrupt an otherwise-healthful product. In the case of açai, that means sugar. “A lot of times, if you read that ingredient list, they’re going to have added three or four types of sugar,
As for fighting cancer? “I haven’t heard this,” said Vasanti Malik, a research scientist at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Some evidence suggests that there are certain active compounds found in chia—essential fatty acids, flavonols, and phenolic compounds—some of which may have a role in cancer prevention.”
The experts weren’t as effusive with their praise, especially as it ranks alongside other beverages. “Because we’re so busy with our day-to-day lives, we’ll see something that’s like, “Oh, probiotics! I’m going to grab it!’” Kearney said.
She stressed that there are some good kombuchas, which boast a high concentration of probiotics to help balance the digestive system. But again, sugar and preservatives are the landmines many consumers aren’t looking for. Check up and down the aisle for products that have fewer ingredients, fewer additives, and no added sugar, she suggests. This could mean a vinegar-based kombucha with less fruit juice; it could also just be a plain cup of polyphenol-filled black tea.
“Autoimmune disease is where the body mistakenly attacks itself; eating kale cannot magically stop that,” Kearney said. That said, she adds: “One of the main causes of autoimmune disease is the Western diet, which is filled with calorie-dense foods that have very little nutritional value.” Swapping out white rice for kale in a vegetable bowl would be a great way to reduce your intake of those more problematic ingredients.
Reference : How Eating Superfoods Can Take Your Diet to the Next Level
The Fitness Factory 