Field Notes Blog
50 Of The Best Superfoods In The World Include Naturipe Berries!
HuffPost Healthy Living compiles monthly lists of the season’s peak fresh fruits and vegetables. Here they combined those superfoods into a list of their top 50 healthiest foods and of course blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries have made that list!
While all berries provide healthful antioxidants, vitamins, fiber and phytochemicals, studies show that blueberries have a particular and unique health benefit. “Among the fruits with the highest level of antioxidants, blueberries have been linked to lowering cholesterol, reducing diabetes risk, slowing the aging process, improving motor skills and supporting urinary and vision health,” says Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald, HuffPost Wellness Editor. “The compound, anthocynanin, gives blueberries their color and may be the main component of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.”
These sweet red berries are low in calories and rich in fiber, says Rachel K. Johnson, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D.. Plus, they are packed with vitamin C: one serving (147 grams) contains over 86 milligrams – more than an orange and even more than one day’s recommended amount, she says. Strawberries have also been linked to slower cognitive decline in older adults and may protect the stomach in a way that could be used to treat stomach ulcers.
Berries are low in calories and are excellent sources of fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants and phytochemicals, and, according to Wixom, some research suggests they help with such divergent health challenges as age-related mental decline, heart disease, some cancers and urinary tract infections.
On the mental acuity front, the berries are full of anthocyanins for boosting memory, according to Joy Bauer, but that’s not their only age-related benefit. “These foods are high in antioxidants, protect the body from the harmful effects of by-products known as free radicals, made normally when the body changes oxygen and food into energy,” according to experts at the Penn Institute on Aging at the University of Pennsylvania.
For the full article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/29/healthy-food-healthiest-list_n_1636409.html#slide=1162147
