Marketing groups have been hard at work in recent months trying to identify the next ‘superfruit’ trend to hit grocery shelves. Pomegranate and Acai have been hot items over the past year.
Unusual and exotic sounding fruit are always intriguing, but when paired with amazing nutritional claims, they become downright irresistible! Mintel (marketing research organization) is predicting cupuacu to be the next superstar of the superfruits. Musselman’s already has a product on the market with their Health Picks Key Lime Cupuaca Apple Sauce.
So do theses fruits really impart some amazing healing powers to those who eat them? If you read food labels and advertisements, you just might think so. To those of us in the health field, it’s just a new spin on old news. Generally superfruits are ones that have high concentrations of phytochemicals and nutrients when compared to other fruits.
For years we’ve known that substances like polyphenols, indols, flavonoids and other phytochemicals that give fruits (and vegetables) their color, flavor and smell carry lots of great properties. These substances function as antioxidants, which are kind of like crime fighters in our bodies. Protecting us against damage from things we’re exposed to in our environment and even helping to protect us from things like heart disease and cancer.
You don’t have to pay a fortune for exotic fruit extracts to get your own antioxidant swat team. Look for produce with rich colors like berries, cherries, plums, red & purple grapes, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli and the like. There are literally thousands of different phytochemicals. Because each item has their own distinct nutrient profile, you want to eat a variety to assure that you’ll get all the good things you need. No one food is going to fulfill all your health needs.
- Renee
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Labels: fruits and vegetables, Renee
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