Are this year's self-styled super foods worth the hype? Food guru David Wolfe investigates.
Sprouts
What is it?
“Sprouts are an excellent source of free form amino acids,” Wolfe says. “Sprouts are great for detoxification and rejuvenation and are much richer in rejuvenating enzymes than raw fruits and vegetables – in some cases 100 times richer,” Wolfe says. “Sprouted broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables are an excellent source of geno-protective sulforaphanes and an excellent source of fibre.”
What do you do with it?
“Sprouts are an excellent food and excellent as a juice,” advises Wolfe.
Is it super?
“No, unfortunately sprouts don’t have enough extraordinary properties to consider them a super food,” states Wolfe. A 2010 Copenhagen University Hospital study supports Wolfe’s suggestions. During the research, 40 patients with high blood pressure ate 10 grams of dried, enriched broccoli sprouts for four weeks but data showed no significant improvement in the health of their blood vessels or atherosclerosis risk.
Acai berry
What is it?
“This is from a palm tree known for its cancer-fighting properties and is also one of the most important Amazonian trees that keeps indigenous people financially sustainable on their land,” says Wolfe, author of Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future (davidwolfe.com).
What do you do with it?
Buy the berries fresh or frozen. Add to your dessert, breakfast or take as a supplement.
How much to take?
One to three teaspoons daily.
Is it super?
“Yes, because this is a cancer-fighting super food destroying up to 86 per cent of leukemia cell types in vitro, assists with weight loss and is a stem cell producer,” Wolfe reveals. “It also has 19 amino acids, is a source of omega-3 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants and has a beautiful flavour,” he adds. A 2006 University of Florida study supports Wolfe’s claims that acai berries hold cancer-fighting properties. The study showed the acai berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86 per cent of leukemia cells tested.
Kelp
What is it?
“The queen of the ocean, this is a mineral-rich seaweed,” Wolfe says.
What do you do with it?
Not just for home-made sushi, kelp can be added to pasta, pizza, baked goods (for an alternative take on spinach muffins) or mixed into your omelette or falafel.
How much to take?
One to three teaspoons of kelp powder daily.
Is it super?
“Yes, this is a great source of immunity-supporting, digestive-friendly polysaccharides including the essential antiviral, antifungal, memory-improving sugars xylose, fructose and galactose,” espouses Wolfe.
“Overall, kelp is the best natural source of thyroid-nourishing and endocrine-protecting iodine.
“Additionally, kelp is rich in demulcent fibre (jelly-like fibre), which actually helps heal the digestive tract,” Wolfe says.
A 2003 double-blind clinical trial by the University of New Mexico Health Science Center supports Wolfe’s statements. During the study, 36 healthy participants with normal thyroid function were randomly assigned a non-kelp control supplement, low-dose kelp supplement or high-dose supplement. Scientists discovered short-term dietary supplementation with kelp significantly increases both basal and post-stimulation TSH, meaning kelp supplementation could help correct thyroid issues.
Black garlic
What is it?
“Black-coloured foods are typically high in zinc and known to increase longevity,” says Wolfe. “Black garlic is created through fermentation, which typically improves nutrient and medicinal compound bioavailability,” Wolfe explains. “Black garlic still retains much of normal garlic’s antibiotic properties.”
What do you do with it?
Used primarily in Asian dishes, black garlic can be used in a variety of dishes including salads and stir-fries and will last in a zip-locked bag for around three months.
Is it super?
“Although it has a delicious flavour, there are not enough benefits for black garlic to be considered a super food,” says Wolfe. Nevertheless, in a 2013 study published by BioMedical Central Journal, researchers did reveal a link between black garlic and the reduction of age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Hemp seeds
What is it?
The seed of the hemp plant is “an excellent source of minerals and has a delicious flavour”.
What do you do with it?
Drink it as a milk, sprinkle over salad or dessert, or even add it to your baked goods.
How much to take?
Three to five tablespoons or 15 to 25 g daily.
Is it super?
“Yes, it’s a great source of complete protein (35 per cent) and an excellent source of globular, highly absorbable edestin, which builds blood albumin,” says Wolfe. Albumin is the main protein in human plasma and ferries hormones, drugs and enzymes through the body. “Hemp seeds have the ideal ratio of 1:3 omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids and also contain the anti-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid GLA.” A 2010 review published in Nutrition and Metabolism concluded that hemp seed may positively influence heart disease. But beware big nights: A recent study at Sun Yat-Yen University suggests a hemp seed drink may make a hangover last longer.
Chlorella
What is it?
“Chlorella is the top chlorophyll-containing food on Earth, with 10 per cent chlorophyll, which is 40 times higher than wheatgrass juice,” says Wolfe. It’s basically a single-cell green, water-grown algae.
What do you do with it?
“Take chlorella to detoxify the brain and the liver while also improving your immune system against viruses and harmful bacteria,” says the self-taught nutrition seer.
How much to take?
Half to one tablespoon a day.
Is it super?
“Yes, because it contains 65 per cent protein, which is nearly the highest of any food,” states Wolfe. On the immunity front, the scientific jury’s out, but there are good signs. Research reported in a 2012 edition of Nutrition Journal concluded that in vitro and animal studies had shown that chlorella is a potent biological response modifier on immunity. But there was no direct evidences for the effect of chlorella supplementation on immune/inflammation response in healthy humans.
Nutritional
yeast
What is it?
“Nutritional yeast is a cooked strain of saccharomyces cerevisiae,” says Wolfe. The saccharomyces cervisiae species of yeast has for centuries been considered useful in winemaking, baking and brewing.
What do you do with it?
“Nutritional yeast is able to impart a cheesy, delicious flavour when added to recipes as an ingredient or condiment,” says Wolfe.
Is it super?
“No, although it is a great source of complete protein and B vitamins, it’s not a good source of vitamin B12,” Wolfe says.
Twig tea
What is it?
“Kukicha twig tea is a green tea mix of the stems, stalks and twigs of the camellia sinensis plant,” Wolfe says. “It’s an excellent tea overall, with numerous herbal benefits including improving immunity, heart health, poor digestion, weight loss, sluggishness and fatigue.
“Kukicha green tea is also an excellent source of antioxidants (catechins), calming L-theanine, as well as amino acids and minerals: copper, iron, manganese, selenium, and zinc.”
What do you do with it?
Make a cuppa!
Is it super?
“No, but it is a super herb,” Wolfe says. A 2009 study by Kingston University supports Wolfe’s notion that twig tea may in fact be a super herb. The study showed that white tea, derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, has anti-inflammatory, high anti-collagenase, high antioxidant properties, which all slow the breakdown of elastin and collagen. That’s a win for your skin. Teatox, anyone?
Fermented
vegies
What is it?
“Probiotics (friendly bacteria) are some of the most underrated aspects of great health that are only now getting the press they deserve,” Wolfe says. “Fermented vegetables are made with live cultures, such as salt and/or whey, left to ferment and are not cooked or pasteurised.”
What do you do with it?
Mix your vegetables with salt or whey and let sit for three days in a sealed jar (think pickled goodness such as sauerkraut).
How much to take?
“One serving of a live, cultured, probiotic-rich food daily,” suggests Wolfe.
Is it super?
“Yes, because they can deliver millions or even billions of friendly bacteria to the digestive tract, which can aid immunity, digestive wellness, healing from injuries and overall feelings of wellbeing,” says Wolfe. A 2002 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry put cabbage at the top of the fermented vegies list when it showed the German favourite produces phytochemicals called isothiocyanates during fermentation. Why is that so good for you? Basically, it helps reduce the growth of cancer.
Wolfe warns, however, to choose your probiotic wisely as different strains have different perks. While many strains of L. casei are anti-inflammatory, others may be better for specific purposes. L. bulgaricus, for instance, may help to fight herpes.
Moringa
What is it?
A plant native to parts of Africa and Asia.
What do you do with it?
Add the seeds to your breakfast or drink moringa tea.
How much to take?
One tablespoon a day.
Is it super?
“Yes, as it is an incredible food-mineral resource,” says Wolfe. “Moringa is a pre-eminent blood-building super food that is also excellent for digestion. It possesses strong age-related anti-inflammatory properties and is a complete protein source containing 18 amino acids.
“It contains B vitamins, vitamin E, and may even contain traces of vitamin D2,” states Wolfe.
“Moringa is extraordinarily high in calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc and is one of the great feel-good super food products in the world.”
A 2009 study published in Plant Foods for Human Nutrition showed that the antioxidants in moringa were comparable to pharmaceutical-grade antioxidant supplements.
Jicama
What is it?
A root vegetable originally from the Mexican coast. “Jicama is an excellent probiotic food that contains fructo-oligosaccharides – long-chain health sugars,” Wolfe explains.
What do you do with it?
“With good, friendly bacteria in the gut, jicama is about as sweet and about as hybridised as your average carrot – meaning it’s a versatile food,” says Wolfe.
Is it super?
Despite a 2005 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition finding that foods containing jicama may lower colon cancer risk, Wolfe says its benefits are limited – especially considering that only the root is edible. “No, although it is a great source of fibre and a delicious root vegetable, there are not enough benefits for it to be a super food,” Wolfe says. “It is also susceptible to mould and therefore difficult to find organic,” he adds.
Adzuki beans
What is it?
A small Asian bean.
What do you do with it?
“These beans are best prepared by soaking them in water and cooking them,” advises Wolfe.
Is it super?
“Despite being considered an excellent source of iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium, zinc and folic acid, adzuki beans are not a super food,” says Wolfe. Still, with adzuki beans falling under the umbrella term ‘red beans’ and a 2004 study by the United States Department of Agriculture citing red beans as the top source of antioxidants, they’re still a great addition to your diet.
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