What are superfoods?

What are superfoods?

Superfoods

There is actually no scientific definition which clarifies the term “superfood”. Which again leads us to our original question which is what are superfoods ?, then, if they are not defined.

It is basically a marketing term used for some of the foods which are nutritionally dense than the others. Or it can be said that they are called so because they are supposed to have high value to our good health.

It is essential to mention here that no single food, be it a superfood, can provide every nutrient we need for well-functioning of our body to maintain a good health.

Foods which are entitled as Superfoods by the market, have certain health benefits. Like some of them are suggested to lower down risks of chronic diseases such as heart diseases, strokes, or even cancer. While some of them may slow down the ageing process, improve physical activities of individuals, improve mental activity, memory power, and many other benefits. These all characters in a food makes it a superfood.

Many foods are tagged as Superfood. It  suggested to have a variety of fruits, veggies included in your diet so as to meet all the nutrients as your body requires, since no food or superfood can provide all the nutrients alone.

Let us now look at some of the superfoods and their health benefits, which very well justify the title of Superfood given to them.

 Acai Berry :

Dried Acai berries

It is a dark purple berry, native to Amazon Region also known as Amazonian Palm Fruit, since they grow on palm trees. Acai Berry is famous for numerous of health benefits it imparts making it a su

Indicating its nutritional profile, it is low in sugars, high in fatty acids, also rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

As they are superrich in antioxidants, acai berry can neutralise the damaging effects of free radicals in the body. It has highest levels of antioxidants than any other superfood.

They also have plant sterols due to which they can help in decreasing Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL) levels in the body, which can help in lowering blood cholesterol levels. Researchers also found it to have anti-inflammatory bioactivity, also it may reduce metabolic disease risk. That is why it is considered as a superfood.

Hemp Seeds :

Hemp seeds

These tiny seeds are rich source of essential fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as omega-3s, which might facilitate fight coronary heart disease, cancer, and even symptoms of depression.

Hemp seeds also are a rich and unusual source of the polyunsaturated fatty acid gamma linolenic acid, or GLA. GLA, found in plant seed oils, has been known to help with variety of ailments, ranging from allergies to attention deficit disorder, and may even help lower cholesterol levels. This makes it a perfect superfood.

Chlorella :

   Chlorella tablets : Image credits:  chlorella-info.eu

Commonly known as the ‘‘king of superfoods’’ and is, in fact, so spectacular that NASA has done in-depth studies to assess it as a potential food to be fed to astronauts and grown in space during long interplanetary missions thanks to Chlorella’s high nutrient density and extraordinary medicative properties.

Its health benefits includes, Repairing and Strengthening of DNA. Also protects you against free radicles and oxidative stress damage, making it an anti-ageing food.

Maca roots :

Maca is a medicative plant that primarily grows high up in the mountains of Peru in harsh conditions.

The reason why it is considered as a superfood is that its root powder is very nutritious, and is a great source of several important vitamins and minerals.

Maca root is a good source of carbs and protein, is low in fat and contains a fair amount of fiber. It's also high in some essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, copper and iron.

Furthermore, the superfood contains various plant compounds, including glucosinolates and polyphenols.

Maca Roots powder is very much famous among athletes and bodybuilders, as it can help increasing strength, muscle gain, boost energy and improve exercise performance.

Further, some studies have shown that it may improve memory, and learning. Researches are still going on, for healt benefits of Maca.

      Kale :

Kale plants

Last but definitely not the least in our list is Kale, a popular superfood, It is superrich in nutrients packed with antioxidants such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, quercetin & kaempferol. As it is also rich in antioxidants just like acai berry, it also have similar effects on reducing the free radicals from our body, which can help your skin look good and healthy. Also it is significantly rich in vitamin A and Vitamin K.

Another vital health benefit of Kale is its anti-cancer property. It contains several glucosinolates which when we eat converts into isothiocyanates in our body. These isothiocyanates protects body from various carcinogens. Which definitely makes Kale in list of top Superfoods.

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Myth: Healthy food is more expensive than unhealthy food

travellight/Shutterstock.com

Charlie Middleton, University of Dundee

The idea that healthy food costs more than junk food is something I hear a lot. Students tell me they’d like to eat better but can’t afford to. There is a strong belief that cooking from scratch costs a fortune, and with takeaway meals priced as low as £1, they have little incentive to change their behaviour.

The past decade has seen increased media attention on healthy diets, and stories about the cost of healthy eating are also on the rise, all of which influence public perception. Some studies comparing the price per calorie of foods suggest less healthy foods are often cheaper, but they don’t tell the whole story. The metrics used to measure cost are important.

Consider the example of two pots of chocolate dessert, one regular and one with less fat. Using the price-per-calorie measure, the lower-fat dessert appears more expensive than the regular pot, because it contains fewer calories. But studies comparing the price per unit weight of food from the same food group suggest healthy options are often cheaper – for example, 200g of chickpeas versus 200g of bacon. The latter is a more meaningful measure because most people buying food think about the quantity they are buying rather than how many calories they are getting for their money.

Changing habits early

Expanding waistlines is a growing public health concern. Globally, the rate of obesity has tripled since 1975. According to the World Health Organisation, more than 1.9 billion adults are overweight, of which 650m are obese.

The younger generation is especially affected by high-calorie, low-nutrition foods. High levels of sugar, fat and salt put children at increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, not to mention tooth extraction. Perhaps more worryingly, habits formed in childhood seem to stick for life. This is a tragedy because these problems are avoidable. It is possible to eat healthily for less – much less – than the price of a cheeseburger. The crux of the issue is not cost, but knowledge, skills and time.

We are increasingly conditioned to think of healthy food as expensive, because of the price of meat, fish and dairy, the rise of “superfoods” and the higher cost of organic produce. Yet nutritious food needn’t cost the Earth. Chia-seed smoothies are an expensive luxury; basic nourishment – carrots, lentils, potatoes – is cheap as chips.

The global obesity rate has tripled since 1975.
kwanchai.c/Shutterstock.com

Time poor

Poverty is exhausting and this in part drives food choices. Often the last thing people want to do at the end of a long day is cook, so cheap takeaway meals are appealing.

People on low incomes are more likely to buy calorie-dense foods instead of fruit or vegetables because they are more filling. But while a cheeseburger might fill you up for longer than an apple, junk food is bad for our health.

It is possible to cook a filling, healthy meal in very little time, as the British food writer, Jack Monroe, has shown repeatedly. For example, her recipe for a courgette, tomato and cheese gratin costs 33p and takes eight minutes to cook. It’s healthier and cheaper than a takeaway.

But promoting healthy eating in a cash and time-poor society is difficult and teaching cooking skills alone won’t do it. Jamie Oliver’s campaign to teach cooking skills to people on low incomes, while well-intentioned, alienated much of his intended audience by demonising the turkey twizzler and further stigmatising families living at the sharp end of austerity in Britain. What we eat is central to our identities, and strategies to address diet need to recognise this if they are to work.

Top tips

So how can you eat better on a budget? Meat and fish are among the most expensive items on a shopping list while plant protein often costs less. Pulses (beans, peas and lentils) are nutritious, very cheap and work well in place of meat.

Don’t be fooled by expensive “superfoods”; there is no agreed definition for this term and many so-called superfood health claims remain unproven. Simply increasing the volume and variety of fruit and vegetables in your diet is shown to reduce the risk of ill health and needn’t be costly.

Frozen, tinned and dried fruits and vegetables are often cheaper than fresh but keep their nutrients. They also keep for longer, meaning less food waste.

Tinned veg is often cheaper than fresh but still has all the nutrients.
Rrraum/Shutterstock.com

Avoid buying processed foods; often you can make similar dishes quickly and easily for much less. This recipe for pasta sauce costs 50p for four portions, while a jar of pasta sauce costs over four times this price, and, as a bonus, you’ll know exactly what’s in it.

Diet is fundamental for health and well-being, and the cost of food alone should not stop people from eating well. Junk food may be cheap and tasty, but the idea that healthy food is expensive is just fiction.

Charlie Middleton, Lecturer in Nursing, University of Dundee

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Organic Vs Conventional Food : Are Organic Foods Healthier ?

        Are organic foods worth the price ?

Are Organic foods healthier than Normal Foods ?

People nowadays are leaning towards Organic Foods, as many of us have a belief that Organic Foods are healthier than Normal Conventional Foods. While other set of people think that normal foods are healthier that the conventional foods.

So, which one is actually better ? Organic or Normal food. Firstly, we see what does organic food actually mean

What Organic Food means ?

According to FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission,  "Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It emphasises the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, taking into account that regional conditions require locally adapted systems. This is accomplished by using, where possible, agronomic, biological, and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to fulfil any specific function within the system."

Similar definition is also given for Organic Foods by 'Jaivik Bharat', " Organic foods are products of holistic agricultural practices focusing on bio-diversity, soil health, chemical free inputs etc. with an environmentally and socially responsible approach that have been produced in accordance with organic production standards."

In a broader sense Organic Farming growing food without using synthetic materials/Chemicals or genetically modified crops. Organic foods refer to products which are grown and processed without the use of fertilizers,pesticides, growth regulators, livestock feeds, additives, bio-engineered genes (GMOs).

Moreover, Different countries have different regulations for Organic Food.

Are Organic Foods Healthier ?

Nutritional Value: Are organic foods more nutritious ?

• Various studies have come up and shown organic food does not provide additional nutritional benefits when compared to conventional food. Organic Foods have more or less similar nutritional values as compared to conventional 

Pesticides Residues: 

• Both Organic and Conventional foods must have pesticide levels below the maximum permitted limits. However Organic foods as grown without use of pesticides have very less amount of pesticide residues, this amount may come from various external sources. Yes, Choosing Organic crops because they have less pesticide residues can be a healthy option.

General Tips for Consumers:

Whether you buy Organic or Conventional Food keep the following in mind :

Read Labels: Organic does not really means Healthy, Products labelled as Organic can still be high in Sugars, Fats, Salts. So do keep check onto it.

Buy from Different Sources, and keep variety of products in your meals: So that you are not exposed to a toxic compound for a long time again and again, also having variety means you get all the nutrients.

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How much lead in your food is SAFE ?

After the Supreme Court revived the action suit against Nestle, the company admitted to the presence of lead in the popular instant noodles. Do you know how much lead in your food can harm you?

How much lead in your noodles is safe for your health?

HOW MUCH LEAD CAN ACTUALLY HARM YOU ?

The Supreme Court revived the action suit against Nestle on Thursday by NCDR by questioning the content of lead in their Maggi noodles. The lawyers representing Nestle admitted that the popular product contains lead. However, they argued that the lead content in the noodles was within permissible limits.

They argued that lead is present everywhere and it is unintentionally added to their product, but it is not added in any of the processes intentionally.

How much lead content is actually safe ?

Actually no amount of Lead in blood can be considered as safe. Even very low quantities even as low as 50 ppm (5 mg per deciliter) can lead to health issues in children.

Lead is a highly toxic metal and also a very strong poison. Consuming even small quantities of lead can cause fatal health conditions. It can lead to situations like physical and mental impairment. So, products with lead must be consumed at very much limited amount or must be avoided as much as possible especially children should not consume such products.

Children are most vulnerable to lead poisoning as their brain & nervous system are in development process.

Symptoms of Lead poisoning & Diagnosis

Lead poisoning slowly builds up in body, generally. So, consuming small quantities of lead again and again will eventually lead up to its toxicity.

According to Healthline, some of the symptoms of lead toxicity in adults are abdominal pain, abdominal cramps, aggressive behavious, sleep problems, constipation, irritability, headaches, loss of appetite, fatigue, memory loss and anemia among others.

In children, symptoms can be identified in the form of intellectual disability. For example, a child having behaviour problems, low IQ, poor grades at school, growth delays, etc.

Emergency symptoms in case of a high toxic dose of lead can be severe abdominal pain and cramping, vomiting, muscle weakness, seizures and coma. Lead poisoning can be diagnosed with a blood lead test. 

If these symptoms are seen, you must immediately contact your doctor and take proper medications for same. 

To be safe and healthy avoid regularly having products having lead  present in it does not matter how much lower quantity it is. Since it accumulate in body and repeated exposure may lead to serious health conditions.

Also Read : Consuming artificial sweeteners to avoid sugar ? Study says it may not be effective

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Consuming artificial sweeteners to avoid sugar ? Study says it may not be effective

"With increased consumer interest in reducing energy intake, food products containing non-sugar sweeteners (NSSs) rather than simple sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides) have become increasingly popular", the study stated.

Artificial sweeteners may not be effective : Study

FOR THOSE WHO ARE OPTING FOR ARTIFICIAL SUGARS ....

For those who are trying to avoid sugar by option for Artificial Sweeteners as a substitute. A new study has come up which reveals that consuming artificial sweeteners (or Artificial Sugar) may not be a good idea after all.

Study says”Growing concerns about health and quality of life have encouraged people to adapt healthy lifestyles and avoid the consumption of food rich in sugars, salt, or fat to prevent obesity and other non-communicable diseases. With increased consumer interest in reducing energy intake, food products containing non-sugar sweeteners (NSSs) rather than simple sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides) have become increasingly popular”.

The study titled ‘Association between intake of non-sugar sweeteners and health outcomes: systematic review and meta-analyses of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials and observational studies’ was led by the University of Freiburg and published in the BMJ.

It studied the effect of replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners in soft drinks and said "replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners used in Diet Coke and other soft drinks has no effect on weight loss and their long-term health effects are still poorly understood".

The study also pointed up the absence of good research on the long-term health effects of sweeteners when consumed over years or decades. In this comprehensive systematic review, a broad range of health outcomes was investigated to determine a possible association with non-sugar sweetener used by a generally healthy population.

“The studies were set up to look at different types of sweeteners, measuring weight, blood sugar (glycaemic) control, oral health, cancer, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, mood and behaviour in consumers. For most of them, there was no statistical difference in weight loss or health benefits of adults and children using higher doses of sweeteners rather than small amounts or none”, a "The Guardian" report stated.


This comprehensive systematic review covers a vast range of health effects including benefits & harms of Non Sugar Sweeteners in a general healthy population including both adults & Children. The study is conducted on various parameters following complicated study methods.

“Overall, we included 56 studies of adults and children, which assessed the associations and effects of NSSs on different health outcomes.
For most outcomes, there seemed to be no statistically or a clinically relevant difference between NSS intake versus no intake, or between different doses of NSSs. No evidence was seen for health benefits from NSSs and potential harms could not be excluded. The certainty of the included evidence ranged from very low to moderate, and our confidence in the reported effect estimates is accordingly limited”, the study stated

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Alkaline Water - Is It Really Healthier Than Regular Water?

Concept of Alkaline water and does it really worth to spend money on it

Is Alkaline Water better ?

ALKALINE WATER : IS IT REALLY WORTHY TO PAY EXTRA ?

What is alkaline water ? 

Alkaline water means water having higher pH than normal water, that is pH greater than 7. 

pH of a substance is the measure of acidity of that substance, it varies from 0 to 14. pH  of 7 is considered is neutral, less than 7 means acidic and more than 7 means the substance is basic or alkaline.                        

What makes normal water an Alkaline water is when certain alkaline compounds like salts and metals are added to normal water it becomes Alkaline in nature. pH of tap water is nearly 7 whereas pH of Alkaline water generally varies from 8 to 9.

Alkaline water is said to be medicinal, curative & good for optimal health because of the belief that the reason for diseases and bad health is the acidic properties of our body.

Is it even possible to “optimize” the body’s alkalinity?

According to experts, actually there is no such thing as “the body’s pH” in the first place. Different parts of our body have different pH as required for their proper functioning. pH from highly acidic to moderately alkaline can be found in different parts of body.

For example gastric fluids are highly acidic in nature. While the pH of blood is around 7.35 to 7.45.

Many studies & experts suggest that it is not possible to change pH of body. If we try to change through external intakes, the body's buffer system through kidneys will not allow to do so.

So, what are the effects of drinking Alkaline Water? 

Alkaline water is claimed to have three main health benefits first is it reduces acid re-flux, secondly it improves and provides better hydration, and lastly it prevents cancer.

Let us look at each of the claim 

Reduces Acid Reflux ... ?

According to researches till now, it can be somewhat said that people consuming Alkaline water, have lesser issues of Acid reflux than before when they were consuming normal water.

Studies are still being done to confirm this claim.

But for now, we may say it is somewhat helpful in Acid reflux problems.

Improves Hydration ... ?

Alkaline water seems to have better hydration properties than normal water. But wait according to experts it is enough to hydrate yourself with normal water. Even if dehydration occurs only water along with electrolytes (ORS etc..)  are enough. 

So no need to spend extra bucks for better hydration from Alkaline Water

Prevents Cancer ... ? 

It can still not been said, since there is no research study till date which is in favor or against this claim.

So as conclusion it can be said Alkaline water is over-marketed for now, as there are no significant researches which strongly proves its good effects on health. But the studies are still going on.

You may go with your normal water without spending more on alkaline water.

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Detection of Common adulterants in Ghee (Clarified Butter) at home

Detection of adulterants in Ghee at home

FOOD ITEM : CLARIFIED BUTTER OR GHEE

DETECTION OF ADULTERATION AT HOME

ADULTERANT : VEGETABLE OIL OR MARGARINE

DETECTION METHOD : 

(i).    Melt the ghee and put about one teaspoonful in a bottle. 

(ii).   Then add a pinch of sugar to it. 

(iii).  Close the bottle and shake vigorously so as to mix the sugar

(iv).  Keep it untouched for about 5-6 minutes.

(v).   If a red colour is observed in the bottom of ghee after 5 minutes, then the sample is adulterated with vegetable oil or margarine

ADULTERANT : COCONUT OIL

DETECTION METHOD : 

(i).   Melt a small amount of ghee.

(ii).  Pour into a transparent jar (glass/plastic)(iii). Immediately put jar into fridge until it becomes hard(iv). If Adulterated with coconut oil, the ghee and the coconut oil will solidify in clearly visible separate layers.

ADULTERANT : SWEET POTATO, MASHED POTATO OR OTHER STARCHES

DETECTION METHOD : 

(i).   Melt small quantity about 1-2 tablespoon in a vessel.(ii).  Pour few drops of iodine solution to the melted ghee.(iii). If the Iodine Solution turns Purple then the ghee is adulterated with starch (like Sweet potato or mashed potato).

OTHER ADULTERANTS : OLD AND RANCID GHEE / ANIMAL FAT(e.g. TALLOW)

DETECTION METHOD :

Detection of these adulterants is not feasible to do at home without specific lab chemicals used for particular test(e.g. detection of old and rancid ghee will require  Hydrochloric acid & 0.1% ether solution of phloroglucinolor which are not present in homes mostly, even in some cases specific lab instruments are required to perform the tests.

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