5 superfoods you should try

This article explores 5 lesser-known superfoods that provide powerful health benefits. Superfoods are nutritional powerhouses packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and other compounds that enhance wellbeing. The 5 featured superfoods are clover, lime, ginger, kale, and pawpaw.

#1 Clover - The Underrated Superfood

Clover is a plant that most people view as an unwanted weed in their lawns or fields. However, this unassuming green plant is packed with nutrients and health benefits that have earned it superfood status. Clover deserves a second look as a nutritional powerhouse.

Clover - The Underrated Superfood

Nutritional Benefits

Clover is high in many essential vitamins and minerals:

Vitamin C - Clover contains high levels of vitamin C, an antioxidant that supports immune health. One cup provides over 100% of the recommended daily intake.
Vitamin K - This important vitamin is necessary for proper blood clotting. Clover is one of the highest plant-based sources.
Calcium - Clover supplies significant amounts of calcium for strong bones and teeth. 100 grams provides over 55% of the RDI.
Potassium - This mineral helps control blood pressure. Clover has high levels to support heart health.
Iron - Clover provides iron to prevent anemia and boost energy and metabolism.

Health Benefits

Research shows clover offers a range of potential wellness advantages:

Blood sugar control - Compounds in clover may help regulate insulin response and blood sugar levels. This helps prevent diabetes.
Cholesterol reduction - The fiber and sterols in clover can help lower unhealthy LDL cholesterol. This improves heart health.
Anti-inflammatory effects - Clover contains anti-inflammatory compounds that may relieve joint pain or arthritis symptoms.
Cancer prevention - Certain antioxidants and phytochemicals in clover exhibit anti-cancer actions in studies. They may stop tumor growth.
Skin health - Clover contains antioxidants like vitamin C and quercetin that combat skin damage from the sun and pollution.

Ways to Eat Clover

There are several easy ways to add clover to your diet:

Salads - Fresh clover can be chopped and added to green or grain salads for texture and nutrients.
Soups and stews - Clover adds nutritional value when blended into broth-based soups or stews.
Pesto - For a twist on traditional pesto, use clover instead of basil as the greens.
Tea - Dried clover flower heads can be used to make a mineral-rich herbal tea.
Sprouts - Clover sprouts have concentrated nutrition and a tangy flavor. They work on sandwiches or in stir fries.

Conclusion

With its stellar nutritional profile and research-backed health benefits, clover deserves to be recognized as a top superfood. This free plant grows readily in most climates, so take advantage by adding clover to your meals. It's an easy way to boost your intake of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

#2 Lime - A Superfood Sour Powerhouse

Tart, juicy limes often play a supporting role in cocktails or as a garnish, but these zesty citrus fruits are superfoods in their own right. Limes provide unique protective plant compounds while adding flavor and versatility to dishes. Harness the health powers of limes in your diet.

Lime - A Superfood Sour Powerhouse

Nutritional Benefits

Limes have an impressive nutrition profile for their small size:

Vitamin C - A single lime supplies over 30 mg of vitamin C, an essential antioxidant that boosts immunity and heals wounds.
Folate - Important for metabolism and red blood cell health, limes provide folate, with 7% of the RDI in one fruit.
Vitamin K - Necessary for proper blood clotting, one lime has about 2% of your daily vitamin K needs.
Potassium - Limes contain potassium to balance fluid levels and control blood pressure.
Fiber - The soluble fiber in limes promotes healthy digestion and gut bacteria.

Health Benefits

Science shows limes provide key health advantages:

Immune defense - The vitamin C in limes wards off colds, flu, and infections by stimulating white blood cell function.
Heart health - Limes help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing heart disease risk.
Anemia prevention - Iron and folate in limes create healthy red blood cells to prevent anemia.
Cancer fighting - Antioxidants in limes like limonene combat free radicals that cause cancer.
Kidney stone prevention - Citrate in limes helps block kidney stone formation and break down small stones.

Ways to Eat Limes

Limes add bright flavor and nutrition to recipes:

Drinks - Fresh lime juice is a staple in cocktails, sodas, shakes, and water.
Dressings and marinades - Lime juice and zest enhance the flavor of salad dressings, fish, chicken, and vegetables.
Baking - Add zest or juice to cakes, cookies, pies, and other baked goods.
Sauces - Lime juice balances out rich, creamy, or spicy sauces.
Pickling and canning - Limes work well for pickling vegetables or flavoring jams and preserves.

Conclusion

Tart, aromatic limes deserve a place among the superfoods for their unique phytochemical content and medicinal properties. Add them to your cooking regularly or drink diluted lime juice in water for an easy way to absorb their nutrients and benefits. Harness the power of limes for better immunity, heart health, and cancer prevention.

#3 Ginger - A Zesty Superfood

Ginger root has long been used as a folk remedy, but modern research confirms this pungent spice qualifies as a superfood. The compounds in ginger provide therapeutic effects for digestion, inflammation, and immunity. Bringing ginger into your diet can spice up your health.

Ginger - A Zesty Superfood

Nutritional Benefits

Ginger contains antioxidants and key nutrients:

Manganese - This trace mineral supports bone health and metabolism. Ginger is very high in manganese.
Potassium - Ginger is a good source of potassium, which regulates fluid balance and blood pressure.
Vitamin C - Ginger provides immune-boosting vitamin C. One tablespoon offers 1% of your daily needs.
Iron - Important for oxygen transport and energy production, ginger contains modest amounts of iron.
Fiber - The fiber content in ginger promotes healthy digestion and gut microbiome balance.

Health Benefits

Studies reveal ginger's medicinal powers:

Nausea relief - Ginger effectively reduces nausea related to motion sickness, morning sickness, chemotherapy, and seasickness.
Anti-inflammatory effects - Gingerol compounds in ginger reduce inflammation involved in arthritis, injuries, and gastrointestinal issues.
Pain relief - Applied topically, ginger reduces muscular pain caused by exercise or injuries.
Blood sugar control - Ginger helps moderate blood sugar by enhancing insulin sensitivity and secretion. This controls diabetes.
Heart benefits - By thinning the blood, ginger lowers cholesterol to reduce risk of heart disease.

Ways to Eat Ginger

Here are simple options for eating more ginger:

Teas - Fresh or dried ginger root can be steeped into a spicy, energizing tea. Add lemon and honey.
Cooking - Ginger pairs well with meats like chicken or fish. It also adds kick to stir fries and curries.
Baking - Add grated ginger to cakes, cookies, muffins, or breads for extra flavor and moisture.
Juicing - For a morning boost, add ginger to fresh vegetable and fruit juices.
Candied ginger - This sweet snack offers a concentrated dose of ginger's benefits.

Conclusion

With its intense, peppery taste and wealth of protective compounds, ginger deserves superfood status. Consuming more ginger provides natural relief for a range of health issues while adding zing to dishes. Add this powerful spice to your meals and enjoy the benefits.

#4 Kale - The Ultimate Super green

Kale ascended to superfood fame for good reason - this leafy green is one of the most nutrient-dense foods. Packed with vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting phytochemicals, kale provides a huge health boost. It's time to embrace kale as a dietary staple.

Kale - The Ultimate Super green

Nutritional Benefits

Just one cup of kale provides:

Vitamin K - Needed for blood clotting, one cup of kale provides over 680% of your daily vitamin K.
Vitamin A - Kale is very high in vitamin A for immune function and vision. One cup has over 200% of the daily value.
Vitamin C - This important antioxidant supports immunity and wound healing. Kale provides 134% of your daily vitamin C.
Folate - Essential for cell growth and DNA production, kale is high in folate. One cup contains over 10% of the daily need.
Manganese and copper - These trace minerals support enzyme function and metabolism. Kale is a great source.

Health Benefits

The nutrients and phytochemicals in kale offer major advantages:

Cancer prevention - Kale's antioxidants protect against cancers of the mouth, stomach, colon, ovaries, and other sites.
Heart health - Kale helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure due to its fiber, potassium, and antioxidants.
Vision protection - Lutein and zeaxanthin preserve eye health and prevent macular degeneration.
Brain health - Allium and flavonoid compounds in kale reduce inflammation and oxidative stress on the brain.
Immune function - The vitamin C, beta-carotene, and zinc in kale boost the immune response.

Ways to Eat Kale

From creative recipes to simple applications, kale is versatile:

Salads - Kale adds texture and nutrients to green, grain, pasta, or fruit-based salads. Massage with lemon.
Soups - Add kale at the end when making bean, potato, minestrone, or chicken noodle soups.
Smoothies - Blend raw or cooked kale into fruit or veggie smoothies. It complements citrus and banana.
Chips - Bake torn kale leaves into savory, crispy chips as a snack. Season as desired.
Sautéed - Cook chopped kale in olive oil or broth with garlic, spices, lemon, and nuts or seeds.

Conclusion

Kale provides an unparalleled amount of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals essential for health. Maximize these benefits by increasing your kale consumption through creative recipes and simple preparation techniques. Harness the superfood power of kale.

#5 Pawpaw - An Exotic Super fruit

Pawpaw is an obscure tropical fruit that boasts an impressive nutrition profile. Though it has a short harvest season, this yellow-green fruit classified as a berry offers a sweet taste and superfood benefits. It's time the pawpaw gained super fruit status.

Pawpaw - An Exotic Super fruit

Nutritional Benefits

In one cup, pawpaw contain high amounts of:

Vitamin C - Providing over 20% of your daily needs, pawpaw has more vitamin C than oranges.
Magnesium - This mineral is important for bone health and muscle function. Pawpaw are high in magnesium.
Potassium - With 15% of your RDI, pawpaw offer potassium to control blood pressure.
Iron - Necessary for delivering oxygen through the blood, pawpaws provide iron.
Fiber - The skin and flesh contain both insoluble and soluble fiber for digestion.

Health Benefits

Research reveals the ways pawpaw promote wellness:

Cancer prevention - Phytochemicals like acerogenins have anti-tumor effects based on studies.
Heart protection - The fiber, potassium, and vitamin C improve cardiovascular health.
Immune support - High vitamin C levels in pawpaw strengthen the immune system.
Digestive aid - Pawpaw acts as a mild laxative and relieves constipation with its fiber.
Antioxidant power - Pawpaw has more antioxidants than apples, bananas, oranges, or grapes.

Ways to Eat Pawpaw

Though they have a short shelf life, pawpaw can be enjoyed in several forms:

Fresh - Cut pawpaw in half and scoop out the flesh raw. Add a squeeze of lime.
Fruit salad - The sweet flavor complements other fruits like mango, pineapple, or melon.
Smoothies - Blend pawpaw into tropical fruit smoothies for creaminess.
Jams or jellies - Cook pawpaw pulp with sugar to make condiments with its unique flavor.
Baked goods - Substitute pawpaw puree for fat or oil in cakes, muffins, or breads.

Conclusion

Though underappreciated, the pawpaw fruit is worth seeking out for its rich supply of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Consider adding pawpaw to your diet to take advantage of its superfruit nutrition and exotic, sweet flavor.

5 superfoods you should try