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What is so good about superfoods?

6 min read time Oct 12, 2021

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As the adage goes, you are what you eat.

Researchers from Harvard demonstrated that a healthy lifestyle during your adulthood can increase life expectancy by up to 12 and 14 years for men and women, respectively. (1)

Superfood powders have received rave reviews because they cram a phenomenal amount of nutrients into a convenient powder.

Are Superfood Powders healthy?
Superfoods are nutrient-dense whole foods that boast exceptional levels of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and unique plant compounds. This category encompasses a diverse range of foods, including coconuts, vibrant berries, dark leafy greens, mushrooms, bone broth, and whey proteins. To create healthy superfood powders, these foods undergo a meticulous powdering process that preserves their nutritional integrity, extends shelf life, and offers a convenient method for incorporating them into daily diets.

With that, you can turn what might be a zero-nutrient snack into a nutritious meal.

Let’s now look at some specific superfoods and what some of the research is reporting.

Why are superfood powders good?

Superfood powders get their name because they are packed with either vitamins, proteins, or antioxidants – and sometimes a combination of all.

The recent explosion of interest in superfoods might seem a fad, but they have been on the scene for hundreds, even thousands of years.

And some superfoods such as shiitake mushroom, maca root and spirulina have even been used for millennia as a traditional natural remedy.

Why superfoods really shine is because these foods can be turned into a convenient powder form, which is handy for mixing into other foods, baking, cooking, added to water, juices, or smoothies - which boosts the nutritional benefits.

Superfood powders are a super easy way for people to supplement their diets and attain the recommended daily intake of minerals and vitamins.

This is a picture of moringa powder in a small bowl next to fresh moringa leaves on a white background.

For example, most superfood greens powders acquire their ingredients from nutritious vegetables and fruits, aiding in enhancing energy levels and boosting the immune system. Some typical ingredients include:

Leafy green vegetables
Fruits rich in antioxidants
Seaweed, grasses, nutritional extracts, and herbs
Mix of harmless live bacteria and yeast (probiotics)

Greens powders contain high levels of healthy minerals such as calcium, iodine, chromium, and potassium. They are also rich sources of vitamin C, which has strong links with healthy skin and immune system, as well as preventative action against heart disease.

The typical tablespoon of greens powder is brimming with the following nutrients:

NUTRIENT	VALUE
Proteins	3 grams
Carbohydrates	6 grams
Calories	40
Iron	18% of recommended dietary allowance (RDA)
Vitamin A	60% of RDA

Many superfood powders source their components from natural, organic, non-GMO ingredients. This means they’re perfect for vegetarians and you don’t have to worry that it went through some lab and have no way of verifying the long-term effects.

Superfood powders make it easy to enjoy unique, nutritious fruits and plants. Some of these superfoods come from exotic locations that you won’t find in your local grocery store.

Moreover, a manufacturer can provide multiple benefits in a single package by mixing the powders of several fruits or plants to create a ‘super’ superfood. This is exactly what Z Natural Foods has done with Organic Essential Reds, a unique combination of ten of the highest quality red fruits and vegetables on earth.

But superfood powders are not just limited to fruits and vegetables. Some of nature’s healthiest and most nutritious superfood powders come from organic grass fed whey protein and grass fed hydrolyzed collagen peptides. Superfood powders such as these can provide crucial amino acids for cellular repair, growth, and production of our body’s own antioxidant glutathione.

Do Superfoods Really Work?

Superfood powders can easily be integrated into drinks, smoothies, and snacks, but what kind of the health benefits of the practice do superfoods provide?

Many claim superfood powders can boost energy, lift libidos, slow aging, and burn fat, but others doubt powders can do all this. So, do superfood powders actually work? There’s plenty of scientific research and evidence to support their nutrition power.

For instance, experimental science shows the Peruvian Ginseng (Maca) has extensive nutritional benefits, such as enhanced fertility, protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and it acts as an energizer. (2)

Maca will also provide iodine, copper, and vitamin B. Copper is essential for blood cell formation, and the powder can provide 30% of your iodine RDA.

Moringa is another heavyweight in the superfood powders division, believed to contain 25 times the iron of spinach, 17 times the calcium contained in milk, and 15 times the potassium found in bananas.

Nutritional evaluation by researchers reveals it has antibiotic, antioxidant, and minerals that can provide 25% of iron RDA that help in bone health, and 15% calcium RDA to assuage healthy bones. (3)

Another favorite is Spirulina, a type of algae that grows in tropical lakes that gained cult-status after NASA used it as a dietary supplement in space missions.

Experimental evidence shows that it contains carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids, and is about 60% proteins, which gives it strong antioxidant properties. (4) These properties grant it the power to possibly help manage diabetes, obesity, and inflammation.

The Acai berry has the highest antioxidant rating of any vegetable or fruit, and it’s jam-packed with healthy monounsaturated fats that people claim gives it anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties.

Scientific research backs up claims that it has an antioxidant effect, which may protect your body’s cells against some types of damage such as heart disease. (5)

The leafy vegetable kale is a great source of fiber, manganese, carotenoids, and vitamins A, B6, C, and K. He may not have known of its nutritional benefits, but Thomas Jefferson was a fan.

Kale contains isothiocyanates that lab studies show might be helpful to stop inflammatory processes. (6) Different studies seem to demonstrate that Kale may offer some protection from some cardiovascular diseases and illness.

Organic superfood powder benefits

Since these powders are chock-full of organic ingredients, they may pack powerful health benefits such as:

Builds immune system

Although different brands will have varied amounts of nutrient levels, most greens powders typically pack a healthy dose of vitamin C that may aid in amplifying your immune system. Greens such as broccoli and supplements like turmeric powder show plenty of promise in supporting a healthy immune system.

Effectively deal with stress

Stress is a common affliction that if left unmanaged, can lead to destructive diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Some organic superfoods like organic basil powder contain adaptogenic properties that many think could possibly support your body to combat stress and depression.

Reduce inflammation naturally

While there are many over-the-counter medications that can eliminate inflammation, they are likely synthetics and made of chemicals. Superfood powders like wheatgrass powder contain organic ingredients that are rich in anti-inflammatory properties. These might help deal with inflammatory conditions that could lead to more serious issues, such as increased risk of some illnesses.

Stabilizes blood pressure

Some organic powders such as Organic Beet Root Powder contain healthy doses of iron, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus that the American Heart Association recommends you use to support healthy blood pressure levels.

Improved energy levels

Iron deficiency often leads to fatigue. Organic superfoods may help support healthy iron levels and, as research found out, taking some green powders supplemented by green tea extracts for 12 weeks can lead to significant rise in reported energy levels.

Endurance

While it may not get you working at Energizer-bunny levels, some organic powders have enhanced qualities that may support healthy endurance levels. Moreover, the Catuaba Bark powder might help you achieve healthy prostate function.

Optimal skin health

If you prefer a natural way to achieve skin health, look no further than superfood powders such as the organic, non-GMO Barley Grass Powder. The powder will increase the amounts of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) in your body. The enzyme has strong possible links with slowing the aging process, which may lead to younger-looking skin.

Adding organic superfood powders to your diet

Organic powders are not an old wives’ tale–they actually work. You may gain a lot of health benefits from them, such as improved energy levels and stronger immunity because of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and adaptogenic properties.

That said, although superfood powders contain a multitude of healthy nutrients, they are best used as a supplement to your regular diet, not replacement for it.

Keep eating your balanced diet as usual and top it up with the powders.

References

Five healthy habits to live by: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/5-healthy-habits-may-increase-life-expectancy-by-decade-or-more/
Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacology of Lepidium meyenii (Maca), a Plant from the Peruvian Highlands: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184420/
Health benefits of Moringa oleifera: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25374169/
Chapter 57 - Spirulina: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128210383000574
Acai: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/acai
The Nutrition Source: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/kale/