Superfoods Flashcards
What are Superfoods?
Superfoods contain all or nearly all the vitamins, minerals and trace minerals the body needs.
• Examples include algae, sprouts and bee pollen.
• The term superfood is used more and
more liberally in the food industry today.
• Remember, a true superfood contains
a wide range of nutrients.
• Superfoods incorporated into a whole
food diet are key to supporting human
health, and are a highly therapeutic addition to one’s diet.
Superfoods contribute towards good health with their excellent nutrient profile. This profile includes a rich abundance of antioxidants, which helps them to support healthy ageing.
Antioxidant capacity of a food is often referred to by highlighting its Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score. This
is a laboratory test that aims to quantify the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of a food.
• Superfoods are rich in vitamins and minerals,
and generally contain phytonutrients, enzymes,
essential fatty acids and antioxidants.
Superfoods do not have superpowers! They
work in tandem with a healthy diet — enhancing it.
Local, seasonal produce, ideally organic, is preferable
to exotic imports of superfoods, which can be expensive, and don’t necessarily have a higher nutritional value, whilst adding to the carbon footprint e.g. goji berries
are high in vitamin C but imported from China. Red- and blackcurrants are an excellent source of vitamin C
and are readily available in the UK and Europe.
Chlorophyll
Description: One thing many superfoods have in common is chlorophyll. Plants use chlorophyll to trap light; it is used in photosynthesis to produce ATP.
• Energetics: Cooling, calming for Yang excess.
• Gives plants and algaes their green colour. Rich sources of chlorophyll include dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, rocket, parsley or cress.
• Composition: The basic structure of chlorophyll is similar to haemoglobin, with a porphyrin ring, but the central atom is magnesium instead of iron.
• Chlorophyll is a good source of vitamins A, C, E, K; magnesium, iron, calcium and potassium.
Chlorophyll 2
Benefits and clinical applications:
• Detoxification: Chlorophyll can bind with certain carcinogenic chemicals, e.g. heterocyclic amines found in cooked meat, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (tobacco smoke, grilled / charred meats) and aflatoxins (food-borne toxins produced by certain fungi). Also positively influences detoxification of carcinogens in the liver by down-regulating phase I enzymes and inducing phase II.
• Antioxidant: Decreases oxidative damage including that induced by chemical carcinogens and radiation treatment with its high antioxidant content. It also appears able to promote endogenous antioxidant activity.
Chlorophyll 3
Benefits and clinical applications:
• Reduces inflammation: Shown to inhibit the pro-inflammatory TNF-α gene, which can be activated by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) released from bacteria. This can be from intestinal bacterial infections / intestinal permeability.
• Supports energy production: Rich in
magnesium which is required for production of ATP.
• Promotes wound healing: Applied topically (cream / ointment), chlorophyllin has been used to aid wound healing since the 1940s.
• Deodorant properties: For example can reduce colostomy,
ileostomy or incontinence odour with tablets of 100–200 mg / day.
Chlorophyll 4
Chlorophyll is ‘alkalising’ with its high alkaline mineral content:
• Excess acidity in the body contributes to a range of diseases including cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis and kidney stones.
• While the body has mechanisms to
prevent acidaemia (blood pH < 7.35 —
can be life threatening), the pH within and around body cells can become more acidic causing alterations to normal cellular function.
• Tissues can become acidic due to certain diseases, drugs, diet (sulphur-containing amino acids, processed foods, refined grains and sugar, alcohol, table salt and phosphoric acid (in soft drinks)
Chlorophyll 5
Eat chlorophyll-rich food raw or cook / steam slightly. Overcooking destroys chlorophyll; retaining the ‘green’ retains the benefits.
chlorophyll supplements are usually ‘chlorophyllin’:
a semi-synthetic mixture of sodium copper salts derived from chlorophyll. During synthesis, magnesium is replaced with copper.
Seaweed 1
Description: Macroalgae are classified into three major groups:
- Red algae: Dulse, nori, laver.
- Brown algae: Kelp, bladderwrack, wakame.
- Green algae: Sea lettuce, spongeweed
(There are also blue-green algae e.g. chlorella –
these are not seaweeds and are discussed separately).
• Energetics: cooling, moistens dryness.
• Composition: wide range of vitamins and minerals, particularly iodine, iron, and calcium; nori is a good plant source of B12; good source of omega-3 fats; provides a range of amino acids.
Seaweed 2
Benefits and clinical applications:
• Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory: Fucoxanthin, a carotenoid found in edible brown seaweed such as wakame, has powerful antioxidant effects. Seaweed has also been shown to reduce the production of inflammatory proteins such as NF-kB and COX-2.
• Low thyroid function: The high iodine content
is useful for the production of T3 and T4. Bladderwrack is considered the most therapeutically effective of the seaweeds for low thyroid function and associated weight gain; it is rich in bioavailable iodine, other minerals and amino acids including
tyrosine to support healthy thyroid function.
Seaweed 3
Benefits and clinical applications (cont.):
• Healthy weight management: An easy way to boost vitamins and minerals while being low in calories. Fibre increases satiety. Fucoxanthin has been shown to upregulate expression of ‘mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)’, a key molecule in metabolic thermogenesis — decreasing fat accumulation.
• Blood sugar control: Seaweed intake promotes better glycaemic control. This
has been associated with improved insulin sensitivity through its effects on the tyrosine phosphatase enzyme (enhancing the effects of insulin); useful for insulin resistance.
Seaweed 4
Benefits and clinical applications (cont.):
• Elevated blood lipids: Consumption of seaweed is linked to reduced serum triglycerides and improved LDL:HDL ratio. The effects are thought to be due to the gel-forming fibre in seaweed, which can bind cholesterol in the intestinal lumen leading to increased clearance of cholesterol.
• Digestion and GIT health: High in fibre; enhances growth of beneficial bacteria (supporting GI tight junctions) and supports bowel elimination. Nourishes inflamed digestive tract; ulcers, constipation, colitis.
Seaweed 5
Uses: Soups, curries, miso soup, rice, salad, wrapped sushi, or dried and sprinkled on food. Aim for one tbsp per day as a therapeutic dose.
• Beauty: Used in baths, body wraps, masks,
and skincare due to the hydrating, anti-
inflammatory and antioxidant rich properties.
Can also be effective for acne, eczema and psoriasis.
Caution:
• Seaweed can accumulate toxic heavy metals including cadmium, mercury and lead. Use organic, clean sources.
Seaweed 6
Dulse is a seaweed with a softer, chewy texture. It is usually eaten in its dried form as a snack.
• Kelps are usually dried into sheets and added during cooking. They may also be soaked in water to soften them before eating.
• Kombu is a brown kelp popular for its strong, mineral-rich flavour which is often used in soups.
• Arame is another kelp which has a mildly sweet flavour and firm texture which makes it an appealing addition to many dishes.
It is sometimes sold as granules or flakes and is a salt substitute.
• Kelp noodles are a good gluten-free alternative.
Micro algae
Description: Edible Microalgae (phytoplankton) are classified as mostly freshwater, single celled photosynthesising algae or bacteria:
– Blue-green algae: freshwater Cyanobacteria (not an algae) Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) wild blue-green algae.
– Spirulina: Blue-green spiral shaped Cyanobacteria. – Chlorella: Single-celled fresh water green algae.
• Energetics: Cooling, moistens dryness.
• Composition: Particularly high in chlorophyll, iron and 50-70% complete protein. Chlorella is an excellent source of bio-available B12 and vit D2. There is a notable absence of iodine in Chlorella.
