Superfoods: what are they and what are they?

There is an ever-increasing interest in nutrition and the importance of consuming foods rich in nutrients that would be able to confer health benefits, just like Superfoods.

There is no precise definition of Superfood, in fact this is nothing more than a commercial term coined to identify foods with important nutritional characteristics and has more of the aim of satisfying the needs of marketing.

But in any case it is increasingly clear how a healthy and balanced diet can positively influence the health of the body.

So, why not include "superfoods" rich in nutrients and which can contribute to the normal functioning of the body in your diet? Let's find out in detail what they are and what they are.

What are Superfoods?

Although there is no scientific definition, many have tried to give a meaning to this term.

Often combined with functional foods or with foods nutraceuticals (from the syncrasis of nutrition and pharmaceuticals), superfoods mean foods of plant origin, with important nutritional characteristics and minimally processed, even better if raw and organic.

They can be divided into various categories:

• Superfruit, fruit.
• Supergrain, grains and cereals.
• Superfood, foods that do not fall into the previous categories.

The growing interest in this type of food derives from the fact that conventional foods seem increasingly poor in nutrients.

For this reason, Superfoods can represent help to make up for these shortcomings.

They would be able to provide essential nutrients and positively influence the physiological functions of our body, to maintain and improve health and in some cases even prevent the onset of certain diseases.

What makes these foods “super”?

Thehigh nutritional properties are the main characteristic of superfoods, that is, the presence of micronutrients, such as vitamins, mineral salts and in particular the presence of antioxidants.

antioxidants are molecules that can help reduce the amount of harmful free radicals in the body.

A food with antioxidant properties, therefore, could help prevent the onset of some oxidative stress diseases.

In 1991 the National Institute on Aging and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed an assessment tool to measure the antioxidant power of foods, called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity).

Regarding the nutrient content, it is important to refer to thenutritional declaration of the food. Based on the quantity of micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals present within it, that food can boast some specific characteristics.

So, in conclusion, it is not the food itself that is “super” but it is what is present inside it that makes it so.

EFSA (European Commission for Food Safety) is the body responsible for ensuring that claims on food labeling and advertising concerning nutrition and health are meaningful and accurate, helping consumers to make informed choices.

For this reason, the Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 which contains all the rules on nutritional and health claims, such as the use of claims.

The aim of these rules is to ensure that any claim on the labelling, presentation or advertising of a food in the European Union is clear, accurate and based on scientific evidence.

What are Superfoods?

Since there is no specific definition of the term, there is not even a precise list of this category of foods.

Let's look in detail at some foods which, due to their intrinsic characteristics, can be considered Superfoods:

• Some vegetables such as broccoli, kale and spinach;

• Fruits with great antioxidant power such as blueberries, pomegranate, açaí berries and goji berries;

• The cocoa very rich in flavonoids;

• Some tubers such as red turnips or maca, from which a powder with a tonic-adaptogenic action and presumed aphrodisiac properties;

• Spirulina algae or moringa with a high content of micronutrients;

• Green tea, such as Matcha, Gyokuro or the Sencha, which has a large amount of catechins;

• Coconut, especially the water or coconut oil which is obtained from its pulp;

• Bee products, especially Manuka honey with its important antimicrobial action;

• Some seeds such as chia or hemp seeds;

• Roots such as ginger and turmeric;

• Wheat grass or barley grass;

• Cereals such as oats or quinoa, which contain important mineral salts and a good amount of protein.

This is a list that is continually updated and may include new foods depending on their nutrient content.

Superfoods must certainly not be understood as "miracle" foods or even as the panacea for all ills, but simply represent a valid aid for integrating precious nutrients into one's diet, which must always be associated with a healthy lifestyle and regular activity physics.

There are different types of dietary regimes, such as the Mediterranean diet, theplant-based or the vegana. But the solution for a healthy diet is almost always the same: lots of vegetables and fruit, a varied diet, moderate quantities, and why not, even the superfood that we like most!