Better Health & Living
The New Superfoods
Move over, broccoli. Five new disease-fighting foods need room on the plate.
Published in food+nutrition •eating_right •METRO •METRO Story | 0 Comments, Talk about this article »
It’s been a few years since the word superfood, coined to describe those edibles that have standout disease-fighting properties, first entered the lexicon. Since then, further investigation has turned up even more powerhouse foods—though some of them have long been thought to have health benefits. “It’s just that now science can substantiate what Grandma always said was good for you,” says Steven Pratt, MD, coauthor of The Superfoods Rx Diet
Cherries
Whether you prefer sweet or tart cherries, you’re in luck: Both varieties have significant benefits.
In one University of California, Davis, study, 18 men and women who ate about 45 sweet bing cherries a day for 28 days had a reduction in inflammation markers in their blood, a sign that the cherries may provide protection from diseases in which inflammation plays a role, such as arthritis, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
Tart cherries may relieve pain better than aspirin or ibuprofen. In one study, British researchers found that exercisers who drank tart cherry juice in the days before and after their strength workouts had less soreness and recovered more quickly than their counterparts who didn’t drink the juice.
Broccoli Sprouts
Can’t get your kids to eat broccoli? Try broccoli sprouts, which you can easily tuck into salads and sandwiches with no one being the wiser. But sneakability is far from the sprouts’ only asset.
Broccoli sprouts are rich in compounds called glucosinolates, which have been shown to stop the growth of bladder cancer cells. Broccoli has glucosinolates, too, “but the concentrations of those beneficial components are higher in sprouts than in broccoli,” says sprouts researcher Steven Schwartz, PhD, professor of food science and technology at Ohio State University.
In one 2004 study from Japan, men and women who consumed broccoli sprouts for a week (100 grams a day, the equivalent of about 1/2 cup) lowered their LDL (bad) cholesterol by an average of 15 points, and women raised their HDL (good) cholesterol by an average of 8 points.
Blackberries
Blueberries have long had a place in the superfood pantheon; now their brethren, blackberries, are gaining in stature.
A USDA study of commonly consumed foods places blackberries at number eight on a list of foods that have the most antioxidants per serving (7,701 per cup; cultivated blueberries are number five with 9,019).
Blackberries are rich in polyphenols and anthocyanins, compounds that have been associated with the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. A 2006 study found that another compound in blackberries, called C3G, inhibits skin and lung cancer in mice.
Barley
All whole grains have fiber, but barley is especially rich in a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which is particularly effective at lowering the risk of heart disease.
One 2004 USDA study found that men and women who added barley to their diets for five weeks reduced their LDL and total cholesterol levels by as much as 17.4 percent.
Barley-based products (such as crackers and cookies) have also been shown to decrease blood sugar and insulin levels, thereby helping to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes.
Pomegranates
Maybe you’ve noticed the explosion of pomegranate juice products on store shelves. Well, there are good reasons for the juice’s new-found popularity.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that pomegranate juice slows the growth of prostate, skin, and lung tumors in animals. You can get the cancer-fighting benefit from eating pomegranate seeds, too, says Hasan Mukhtar, MD, coleader of the university’s Cancer Chemoprevention Program.
A study conducted at Loma Linda University in California found that pomegranate juice may also prevent the brain degeneration that causes Alzheimer’s disease.
Like blackberries, pomegranates contain polyphenols and anthocyanins, which may lower the risk of heart disease. In one 2006 Israeli study, people with diabetes who drank 2 ounces of pomegranate juice a day for three months reduced their bodies’ absorption of LDL cholesterol.
Cranberries
Their antioxidant status alone (they’re number six on the list of the most antioxidant-rich foods) is enough to recommend cranberries. But research also shows that these little holiday dinner staples pack a powerful health punch.
New research suggests that cranberries may help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in several ways, including by raising HDL cholesterol.
A new review of 10 studies by Scottish researchers confirms that cranberry juice helps fight urinary tract infections (UTIs) by preventing bacteria from sticking to the bladder walls. One study also found that dried cranberries (about 1/3 cup) can help, too.
A former staff writer at Self and Mademoiselle, California-based freelancer Daryn Eller writes about nutrition and other health matters for many national publications.
How Much, How Often?
In most cases, researchers have yet to determine how much of a superfood you need to eat in order to benefit from it. Steven Pratt, MD, coauthor of The Superfoods Rx Diet
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