Superfood Supplements: What Are Superfoods and Why We Use Them in Our Supplements
From time to time, media outlets or dietary sites will proclaim a new “superfood”: a one-size-fits-all perfect food choice that’s packed with so many vitamins and nutrients you won’t need anything else. Needless to say, this isn’t really the case with true superfoods.
However, highly nutritious food choices are very much real, and they play a significant role in the organic, healthy supplements we offer at Hope Health. Today, let’s dispel some of the mystery behind superfoods and explore why we use superfoods in our supplements.
Superfoods Explained
Are superfoods a real thing? Yes and no.
In a nutshell, a superfood is any nutritionally dense food that may provide excellent health benefits when eaten properly and in conjunction with other dietary staples. Most superfoods are plant-based, though they can also include dairy products or fish. Some of the most popular superfood examples include salmon, açai berries, and kale.
That said, superfoods aren’t necessarily better or worse than other foods or supplements. Instead, think of superfoods as nutritionally dense food options you might consider when putting together a healthy meal to make sure you hit all your dietary requirements.
What “Super” Food Doesn’t Mean
Some people imagine that superfoods are so good that they don’t have to eat anything besides their favorite super snacks. That’s just not true. In addition, a superfood isn’t good enough that you can simply eat as much as you want without regard for your weight or other dietary requirements.
For example, salmon is a well-known superfood because it includes protein and various micronutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids. Because of this, it’s generally considered to be a slightly to moderately healthier option than red meat like beef.
But just because salmon is a so-called superfood doesn’t mean you can replace all your other dietary needs with salmon, nor does it mean that different types of meat are literally off the table. It just means that salmon is better, on average, than many other foods you could eat.
Examples of Superfoods
Not sure what counts as a superfood or not? Here are some of the most common superfoods used in our supplements and recommended in popular dietary regimens:
- Berries, including raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and more. Blueberries are naturally packed with vitamins and minerals, but they also come with high levels of antioxidants: compounds that reduce free radical damage to various bodily tissues.
- Dark leafy green vegetables, including kale, collard greens, spinach, and more. Dark leafy green vegetables are packed with fiber, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and a variety of other micronutrients your body needs to be at its best.
- Green tea, an antioxidant-rich, caffeinated beverage long known for its medicinal properties. It's fantastic for boosting energy, assisting with weight loss, and preventing free radical molecules from impacting your body’s tissues.
- Eggs, which are one of the healthiest foods due to their vitamin content and high-quality protein. Exercises and athletes alike can benefit from eating eggs regularly, but so can folks with vitamin B or vitamin A deficiencies.
- Legumes, which include beans, peanuts, peas, lentils, and alfalfa. Legumes are one of the best sources of B vitamins, protein, and fiber.
- Nuts and seeds are packed with antioxidants and are a great source of vegetarian protein and heart-healthy fats. Some of the most popular superfood seeds include almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, Chia seeds, and more.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it shows you just how wide-ranging and flexible the superfood category really is.
Why Use Superfoods in Supplements?
If superfoods are so good, why do we include them in our supplements? Superfoods can indeed be healthy and very nutritious, especially when eaten in the right amounts. However, supplements are still necessary from time to time, especially if you have one or more dietary weaknesses or if you follow a very rigid diet.
For example, vegans often need supplements since they don’t always get the minerals they need from plant-only diets.
At Hope Health, we’re dedicated to crafting organic, healthy supplement choices for people just like you, with each ingredient derived from sustainable sources. We use superfoods as major ingredients in many of our supplement choices for a variety of reasons.
Healthy Alternatives to Other Nutrient Vectors
For starters, the nutrient-dense nature of most superfoods means that they are great sources of vital nutrients and vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, iron, calcium, and much more.
Since we don't want to put anything in your body that doesn't belong there, we use superfoods to obtain those nutrients and mix them into our organic tablets.
One great example is our Organic Greens+ Tablets. This superfood blend comprises ingredients like organic alfalfa grass, organic broccoli, organic cauliflower, organic kale leaf, and more. Each of these organic ingredients provides a wealth of nutrient content for those who take it, including:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin C
- Folate
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Iron
But because each of those nutrients is included in the blend from organic, plant-based ingredients, you never have to worry about chemical-based side effects or unnecessary additives that act as toxins in your system.
In short, superfoods make some of the best organic supplement ingredients overall due to their naturally high nutrient content.
Extra Micronutrients
Even better, superfoods often contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients. When other supplement companies put together their tablets or gummies, they might use synthetic or laboratory-derived vitamins.
That’s all well and good, but it means that the vitamin C in a synthetic tablet is only vitamin C. Broccoli provides not only vitamin C but also vitamin K, lutein, zeaxanthin, and more.
By adding just a single ingredient, our supplements get even more micronutrient goodness you can use to fuel your body and ensure its wellness for a long time to come. In business terms, our supplements benefit from each ingredient providing more bang for the buck.
Better Flavors
On top of all that, superfoods are often some of the tastiest bites to eat. Just take many of the above-mentioned fruits, for example; who doesn't want to taste blueberries or cranberries in their supplements? It's a much better choice than supplements that are tasteless or tough to swallow.
In using superfoods as our key ingredients, we ensure each tablet from Hope Health is delightful and a reminder of the good stuff you’re putting in your body.
Summary
In the end, superfoods may not be quite as sensational as the media makes them out to be. But they’re still excellent dietary choices more often than not, and they play a key role in each of the health supplements we create at Hope Health.
If you want to see what other superfoods we use in our supplements, you're in luck. Our online store is packed with supplements you can take for cognitive assistance, immune system support, and more. Check it out today and see what superfoods you can spot in those supplements' ingredient lists!
Sources:
What makes superfood so super? | UC Davis