Your body requires many vitamins and nutrients to stay healthy, which is why you should incorporate superfoods into your diet. They’re packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (chemicals that fight genetic mutations and cancer-causing tissue damage) that minimize the cell damage that may lead to heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases. Eating them can help you feel more assured that your body receives what it needs.
These superfoods have many benefits in addition to being high in antioxidants. Eat them each day to boost your intake of vitamins, minerals and other key nutrients that benefit the body and the immune system.
Blueberries
This little fruit softens dry skin, boosts brain function and may even help prevent cancer. Blueberries’ anthocyanins — which give them their blue hue — attack cancer-causing free radicals and can even block the growth of tumor cells, a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign study found. Eating just a half-cup a day is all you need.
Dark Chocolate
Research suggests that dark chocolate could lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease in addition to helping control blood sugar and reducing stress. "(Chocolate) is a good antioxidant. It has a good effect on inflammation. We think most of the beneficial effects are because of this," said Dr. Owais Khawaja, a cardiology fellow at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Ohio. These benefits might include reducing the risk of cancer and dementia, Khawaja told CNN.
Dark Leafy Greens
Bitter greens are packed with vitamins A, C and K and calcium, potassium and magnesium. Low in fat and sodium, these greens are a nutritional powerhouse! They promote clear skin (beta-carotene), a strong nervous system (folate), healthy, normal blood clotting (vitamin K) and contain phytonutrients shown to support eye health.
Blackberries
The fiber in blackberries helps aid digestion and may help lower your cholesterol levels, which fights cardiovascular disease, according to Sylvie Tremblay, MSc. One cup of blackberries provides almost 8 grams of fiber, which is 21 to 32 percent of the daily fiber recommendations for men and women, respectively. Blackberries owe their rich purple color to anthocyanins, which also offer cancer-fighting benefits. They act as antioxidants and may have the ability to slow cancer cell growth
Walnuts
Walnuts are often ranked the top nut for containing antioxidants called polyphenols and a higher antioxidant potency than other nuts. They also boost brainpower, reduce cardiovascular risk, protect against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, help bone health, fight against Alzheimer’s disease and protect arteries against short-term damage.
Strawberries
Delicious heart-shaped strawberries protect your heart, increase good cholesterol, lower blood pressure and guard against cancer. Packed with vitamins, fiber and particularly high levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols, strawberries are a sodium-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie food. They are among the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity and are a good source of manganese and potassium. Just one serving — about eight strawberries — provides more vitamin C than an orange.
Artichoke Hearts
Artichokes a great source of folate, dietary fiber and vitamins C and K. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database reports that one medium artichoke delivers 15 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, based on a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids from damage caused by free radicals. Artichokes are also packed with antioxidants — they're number seven on the USDA's top 20 antioxidant-rich foods list.
Cranberries
The USDA estimates that one cup of raw cranberries gives you four percent of your daily recommended carbs, 14 percent of your dietary fiber, and around one percent of your daily calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium intake. Cranberries also help fight cardiovascular disease, can help you beat diabetes, ward off cancer, aid with dental issues, potentially fight urinary tract infections, prevent stomach ulcers and thwart the common cold and flu.
Raspberries
A cup of fresh raspberries contains about 1.5 grams of protein, eight grams of dietary fiber and 14.7 grams of carbohydrates. Raspberries can fight inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and gout in the same way as aspirin and ibuprofen do — by turning off signals sent by the enzymes responsible for the body's inflammatory response. Raspberries are extremely high in antioxidants, which can help fight aging and slow cancer growth by scavenging destructive free radical molecules in your body. In addition to vitamin C, a potent antioxidant, raspberries contain antioxidant carotinoids, including ellagic acid and quercetin.
Green Tea
The study of green tea’s connection to cancer prevention is still in early stages, but the results are promising. Researchers suspect that polyphenols in green tea help kill cancer cells and stop their progression, an important role to prevent various cancers. Scientists at Tufts University compared the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, a measurement of the total antioxidant power of foods and other chemical substances) of black and green tea and 22 fruits and vegetables and found green tea brewed for five minutes outranked even so-called superfoods on the produce list.
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