Super foods are chronically hiding in plain sight. For many of us, super foods are the fruits and vegetables that we bring home from the local market and enjoy as a sweet treat on any given summer day. Foods such as peaches, pears, blueberries, and grapes are all neatly stuck in the super foods category because of their potent antioxidants and their bioactive ingredients, which provide the body with the natural building blocks to improve immune health, fight cancer cells, equalize blood glucose levels, and improve cardiovascular function among other things. Super foods can even help strengthen teeth, clear up bad skin, prevent wrinkles, and assist in weight loss. A diet rich in super foods can increase your energy and keep you healthier.

Super foods have been tested by medical science to determine their overall antioxidant content and the ability for the nutrients to be absorbed and utilized by the body. There is a standard scientific test for this determination known as the ORAC test, which measures the rate of oxidation of the antioxidant. It is also important to understand that not all antioxidants perform the same function. Their main job is to rid the body of free radicals. Free radicals are responsible for the illnesses and poor health effects that are associated with aging . In today’s unhealthy society, many of us are toting around more than twice the free radicals by the time we are thirty than people who were sixty years old had twenty or thirty years ago. This means that our bodies are aging faster than ever because we eat too many processed and fast foods.

Super foods are essential in combating this problem. There are some highly potent super foods on the market that can provide high levels of specific antioxidants and provide a very high level of bioactive nutrients that can help the body repair itself.

One of the little known super foods that you should be eating is the pomegranate. The pomegranate is an interesting little fruit that is indigenous to the Middle East. Inside its tough outer skin there are small, tasty little fruits that look like gelatinous seeds. Cutting a pomegranate in half and allowing the seeds fruit to soak in water for an hour can help loosen the seeds and make it easier to remove them from the shell. The pomegranate has been medically determined to provide excellent cardiovascular health benefits. As a super food, it is very high in antioxidants that can ward off heart disease . This little fruit has been proven in scientific testing to lower LDL blood cholesterol levels by preventing LDL oxidation. This is technical jargon to say that the pomegranate lowers bad blood cholesterol.

When consumed over three or more months, the pomegranate has actually shown to provide elevated oxygen levels in patients in an Israeli study with heart conditions. It also helps to cure erectile dysfunction in men, which is much healthier than taking a pill.

The wolfberry is of Chinese origin and has literally extended the life of those who have consumed it by a minimum of 300%, often more. Not only that, but wolfberry consumption has also been attributed with extended to quality of life that these individuals have experienced. What makes the wolfberry so special? It attacks a specific free radical and eliminates it from the body. The superoxide free radical is considered to be one of the most damaging free radical in the body. It is directly responsible for cancer and the overall lack of health and energy in an aging body. Immune systems, livers, blood sugar levels, eyes, bones, teeth, muscles, and hearts all receive immense help from the free radical warriors that are in the wolfberry. The wolfberry has properties which have been scientifically proven to actually repair DNA that has been damaged, which makes it a true possible cure for cancer.

The white grape, which is a common and sweet little treat, is a fantastic free radical fighting orb of antioxidants. Also a super food, it helps prevent cancer as well as fight the natural deterioration of the body’s defenses as we age. What makes the white grape so powerful is the load of resveratrol that it carries. Resveratrol is another antioxidant, but this one is particularly fond of tracking down and destroying cancer cells in the body. Additionally, it helps prevent the condition known as atherosclerosis, the hardening of the body’s arteries, which can lead to serious heart conditions and death . Memory and brain function are also affected by the white grape. Tests have shown that the consumption of white grape can increase mental capacity.

The aloe plant is one of the most unusual super foods that is hiding in plain sight. Anyone who has ever used fresh aloe on a cut and accidentally slipped a little taste knows that there is nothing attractive about eating an aloe plant. Aloe juice, however, can be mixed with other natural juices to make it more palatable and the benefits are almost never ending. The endocrine system, the digestive system, the skin, the teeth, bones and joints, and even organs that have damaged tissue all benefit from the properties that even a small amount of daily aloe juice can offer. The entire internal system of the body can be cleansed and healed via aloe consumption. This is a very potent plant that has the capacity to heal the internal organs and create long lasting health.

Super foods are becoming much more popular and much more well known than ever before. It is worth adding as many super foods as possible to a daily diet simply because the scientific evidence is overwhelming. Weight loss and a healthy body is completely achievable with the power of super foods backing you up. Even if you feel you are in great shape right now, bringing super foods into your life now will prevent illness and deterioration later on in life. If every American switched to a super food rich diet , it is almost mind blowing to think about how much money could be saved on medical expenses down the road.

Author's Bio: 

Ryan Rivera is a former anxiety patient. He is now free of the condition and shares tips in managing anxiety and panic at www.calmclinic.com