“Superfoods”, “Power foods”, do these titles catch your attention on the internet while reading articles on food or scrolling Instagram or any other social media platforms. It seems that Superfood is a panacea for all the things related to nutrition and foods. Its harbinger of good health and by eating the superfoods on a continuous basis will be a magical change in the health leading to a perfect life.
For those of us seeking to improve our health, the concept of superfoods will be appealing. If some foods promise you to prevent heart disease, improve your lifespan, promote a healthy lifestyle, why would anyone not attract to these catchy lines.
But are Superfood really the superfood we perceive to be them or it’s a clever way of marketing a particular food in a market. Let us explore in more details the concept of superfood and Super plate and where our focus should lie.
What Are Superfoods?
Superfoods are particular types of food containing high amounts of phytonutrients (or phytochemicals), organic components of plants that promote health. In fact, you’re probably familiar with some of the more common ones: carotenoids, polyphenols, isoflavones, etc.
Phytochemicals are not essential for life in the way that other vitamins and minerals are. Individually, phytochemicals offer specific important health benefits, and taken as a whole they boast a major defence against disease and the ravages of free radicals, environmental toxins, and heavy-metal contamination.
Super plate is Eating for Optimal Health
Most foods contain a combination of two groups that you will want to include when planning your food menu: macronutrients, so-called because the body needs more of them; and micronutrients, nutrients required in only small amounts—these include vitamins and minerals.
A well-balanced meal includes each of the macronutrients, so try to include each of them in your menu plans. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, which are the foods your body uses for energy and growth. Micronutrients include Vitamins, Minerals and other nutrients which are in micro quantities but are essential for life.
Why eating a balanced diet is important than focusing on one Superfood
Superfood is a term often exploited by food manufacturers to make products seem more nutritious than they actually are. Sometimes these products lack the scientific evidence to support their alleged health benefits and are no more than fads. This is a shame. Marketing hype aside, there is hard scientific research to show that some foods contain exceptional levels of nutrients that promote good health and protect the human body against disease.
Finding a standard measure of what constitutes a super food is, however, complicated. A number of rating systems have been developed around the world that rank foods according to their nutrient density—the measure of nutrients per calorie. The problem is that these systems are not consistent. For example, some use different sets of essential nutrients as the basis for the rating. What’s more, nutrient density is not the only important factor. For example, there are thousands of phytochemicals that appear to have the potential to protect against a range of diseases, but these are not included in nutrient density measures because they have not been established as essential for bodily function.
Don’t get hyped by new superfoods in the market, just try to focus on “Super plate”, which is only achievable by a balanced diet. They only making our wallet lose weight. There is no single food in the world that can make you healthy or disease-free, it only a myth related to superfoods. The diet should be balanced with all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and a good source of fats. By maintaining both a balanced diet and regular exercise, our bodies will be healthy. As there isn’t any shortcut through that supermarket shelf.
The majority of foods, such as whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables and herbs, contain phytochemicals. Among these, fruits and vegetables are significant sources of phytochemicals. These phytochemicals, either alone or in combination, have tremendous therapeutic potential in curing various ailments. Phytochemicals with nutraceutical properties present in food are of enormous significance due to their beneficial effects on human health since they offer protection against numerous diseases
Key Phytochemical and their key benefits
| Phytochemicals | Super food | Major activity | Protection |
| Antioxidant | Fruits, vegetables, and grains are the richest sources. | Chemicals that block the activity of free radicals. | Protect cells from damage. |
| Carotenoids | Carotenoids give carrots, squash, and other fruits and vegetables their orange colour. | Includes carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene. | Powerful antioxidants. |
| Flavonoids’ | Found in berries, tree fruits, nuts, beans, and vegetables, among others. | A large group of phytochemicals. | Linked to longevity and reduced risk of heart disease. Powerful antioxidants. |
| Folate | Particularly high levels in dark green leafy vegetables. | A type of vitamin B, also known as folic acid. | Vital for growth. |
| Free radicals | Formed naturally in the body, also in the environment: for example cigarette smoke and pollution. | Reactive chemicals that have the potential to damage cells. | Can lead to age-related conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. |
| Glucosionlates | Found in cruciferous vegetables like arugula, , cabbage, kale, and watercress. | Sulphur-containing chemicals. | Thought to inhibit the development of some cancers. |
| Lycopene | Found in fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and pink grapefruit. | A group of phytochemicals that belong to the family of carotenoids. | Powerful antioxidants. |