0:00
what are superfoods superfoods have
0:02
gained a lot of attention in recent
0:04
years due to their potential health
0:06
benefits these are considered
0:08
nutrient-rich foods with an ability to
0:10
promote overall well-being and health
0:11
but what exactly are they
0:17
my name is Elle and I'm a registered
0:19
dietitian specializing in disorder
0:21
eating and Sports Nutrition let's Jump
0:23
Right In no single food has the power to
0:26
make or break our health and it is
0:27
important that we obtain a range of
0:29
different nutrients from a range of
0:31
different food sources to support our
0:32
health there is no definition or
0:34
criteria for superfoods but they are
0:36
typically rich in a variety of nutrients
0:38
which may include antioxidants
0:40
phytonutrients and essential nutrients
0:42
which are the ones we cannot make within
0:44
our body and we must obtain from food
0:46
sources like omega-3 fatty acids
0:48
antioxidants are compounds that help to
0:50
protect cells from damage caused by free
0:52
radicals which are unstable molecules
0:55
that can damage cells and contribute to
0:57
aging and chronic disease some vitamins
0:59
like vitamin C and E are actually
1:01
antioxidants phytonutrients are natural
1:04
compounds found in plant-based Foods
1:06
these compounds are responsible for the
1:08
vibrant colors in fruits and vegetables
1:10
many of these phytonutrients also have
1:12
antioxidant properties too aside from
1:14
fruits and veg things like beans nuts
1:16
and different types of tea or also
1:18
contain phytonutrients when it comes to
1:20
foods like chia seeds salmon and kale
1:22
there is no denying that they contain a
1:24
host of nutrients but there's rarely
1:26
anything in these superfoods that you
1:28
cannot get from any other food source
1:30
perhaps one that you enjoy more whilst
1:32
these Foods were taking Center Sage on
1:34
the superfood shelf it appears that a
1:37
new range of superfoods which are rarely
1:38
foods but more powders drinks and blends
1:41
are taking over so let's have a look at
1:43
these common concoctions and see if they
1:45
really can support our health first up
1:47
super greens powders greens powders are
1:50
supplements that are green and you can
1:52
mix into water or other liquids these
1:55
are often marketed as a way to get more
1:57
green vegetables into our diet the
1:59
ingredients vary by brand but they
2:00
usually contain a form of a grass like
2:02
wheatgrass or barley grass and
2:04
vegetables like broccoli or kale
2:06
alongside some seaweed or other
2:08
nutritional extracts like spirulina
2:10
cholera and green tea extract probiotics
2:12
and digestive enzymes are also added to
2:14
support the absorption of these
2:15
nutrients the benefits of using a powder
2:18
is that they are easy to add into your
2:19
diet whether that's just mixed with
2:21
water or juice or a smoothie
2:24
it's also thought that they can be more
2:25
easily absorbed in a study over three
2:28
months 40 participants with high blood
2:30
pressure took 10 grams of grains powder
2:32
each day and results highlighted a
2:34
decrease in systolic and diastolic blood
2:36
pressure by eight percent whereas no
2:38
difference was observed in the control
2:40
however this is an incredibly small
2:42
group and it was based on a very
2:44
specific brand of super greens powder so
2:46
a lot more research needs to be
2:48
conducted in this field in fact almost
2:50
all of the studies I came across on
2:52
greens powders were actually funded by
2:54
the manufacturers themselves which
2:56
increases the risk of bias so it's
2:58
important to try not to be sucked into
3:00
all of these claims I also want to
3:02
reiterate that these powders shouldn't
3:04
be a replacement for whole vegetables
3:05
these powders don't contain much fiber
3:07
which fruits and vegetables are
3:09
excellent sources of if your budget can
3:11
afford it and you like them then feel
3:13
free to include them but be mindful
3:14
though if you're on blood thinning
3:16
medications as green powders are often
3:18
quite high in vitamin K which can
3:20
interact with certain medications
3:21
so be sure to speak to your medical
3:23
professional if you have any concerns
3:25
next up mushroom tea there is nothing
3:28
new about mushrooms they've been around
3:29
for centuries and have been used in
3:31
traditional Chinese medicine for many
3:33
years but mushroom tea is fairly new to
3:35
ourselves it is usually a powdered
3:36
mushroom extract typically blended with
3:38
a green tea but there is also coffee
3:41
Blends if tea isn't your thing there are
3:43
a variety of mushrooms that are
3:45
typically combined with tea like reishi
3:47
and lion's mane and these are thought to
3:49
be adaptogens which are herbs or foods
3:51
that can help our body adapt to stress
3:53
mushrooms are a great source of
3:55
antioxidants vitamin D and fiber so
3:57
overall are great to include in our diet
3:59
if you enjoy them but when it comes to
4:01
mushroom tea it won't be providing you
4:03
with much fiber or vitamin D mushroom
4:05
tea comes with even bigger claims like
4:07
that it can help to fight cancer which
4:09
is someone who doesn't even like
4:10
mushrooms I feel like this is a strong
4:12
enough claim to make me start however
4:14
and this is a massive however almost all
4:17
of the research has been done on animals
4:19
and we don't have enough high quality
4:21
evidence to suggest that this is the
4:22
same in humans another popular claim is
4:25
that mushroom tea can help support our
4:27
immune system mushrooms in whole form
4:29
are rich in Prebiotic fiber which feeds
4:31
our gut microbiome which is the
4:33
collection of probiotic bacteria that we
4:35
have in our gut Prebiotic fiber acts as
4:37
a fertilizer for these probiotic
4:38
bacteria what we do know is that a
4:41
healthy and diverse microbiome is
4:43
associated with better immunity but the
4:45
jury is out on whether mushroom tea can
4:46
improve immune function because just
4:48
like greens powders a lot of these
4:50
studies were funded by companies who are
4:52
leading providers of mushroom teas green
4:55
and black tea and even coffee contain
4:57
antioxidants and if you enjoy them I'd
4:58
encourage you to stick to those but you
5:01
do not need to add mushroom tea to your
5:03
beverage rotation unless you really
5:04
enjoy it finally let's talk shots not
5:08
those kind of shots I'm talking turmeric
5:10
shots these small concentrated doses of
5:12
turmeric are believed to boost the
5:14
immune system reduce inflammation and
5:16
improve digestion among other benefits
5:18
turmeric is a root that has been used
5:20
for centuries in ayurvedic and Chinese
5:22
traditional medicine in recent years
5:24
turmeric has gained popularity as a
5:26
superfoods with numerous health benefits
5:28
and turmeric shots or golden lattes are
5:30
the more common ways in which people
5:31
would consume this spice but it's not
5:34
new turmeric is one of the main
5:35
ingredients in curry powder and you
5:37
probably have a jar of it in your spice
5:38
rack turmeric contains a compound known
5:41
as curcumin which is anti-inflammatory
5:43
and antioxidant properties turmeric
5:45
shots are usually made by juicing fresh
5:46
fruit turmeric and consuming it as a
5:49
concentrated dose however many Brands
5:51
add other ingredients like watermelon
5:53
juice lemon or honey to improve the
5:55
palatability black pepper may also be
5:57
added to improve the absorption of
5:59
curcumin when it comes to the benefits
6:00
of turmeric the evidence is still mixed
6:02
most randomized controlled trials
6:04
investigating turmeric have been
6:06
inconclusive or have had small sample
6:08
sizes and were not sufficient to draw
6:10
definitive conclusions there are some
6:12
promising findings though which
6:14
hopefully with future research we can
6:16
get a better understanding as to how
6:18
turmeric may be able to support our
6:20
health and advise what doses we may
6:22
require to see these benefits if you
6:24
enjoy your turmeric shot there's
6:26
certainly no harm in having one just be
6:28
aware of the ingredients as it may not
6:30
contain as much turmeric as you think
6:31
you can also make your own two but be
6:34
warned turmeric stains everything so I
6:37
hate to be the bearer of bad news but
6:39
superfoods are potentially not that
6:41
super what we do know is that eating a
6:43
balanced diet that contains plenty of
6:45
plant-based foods will provide us with a
6:46
range of nutrients that we need to
6:48
support our overall health including
6:49
superfoods can be helpful for many but
6:51
no single food super or not can
6:54
compensate for an unbalanced diet or
6:56
lifestyle as always if you have any
6:58
questions be sure to leave them in the
6:59
comments below and make sure to hit like
7:01
And subscribe for more great
7:02
evidence-based nutrition information
