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Health See other Health Articles Title: The Definitive Superfood Ranking Pocket... It seems like everything in the grocery store is labeled "super." We dove into which foods are actually proven, by science, to be good for you and which ones are all hype. Food marketers know that if they call their product a superfood, its sure to sell. Take quinoa, for example. In the early aughts, when the ancient grain first became trendy, quinoa prices tripled in the span of five years. (Many Bolivians, who had relied on it as a food staple for centuries, were soon priced out of the market.) The moral here: its important to question anything knighted with the superlative. From a health perspective, many dietitians would prefer we do away with the label completely. Theres just not enough substantiated evidence that there are superfoods, that these foods solve the problems they say theyre going to solve, says Suzanne Smith, a registered dietitian at the University of California, San Diego. Smith worries that since many of these so-called superfoods are expensive, they add financial stress to people already struggling to buy healthy food. Furthermore, no single food can undo an otherwise poor diet. But heres the thing: some really do stack up. A few have near-medicinal-like qualities, says Shawn Talbott, a biochemist, fellow at the American College of Sports Medicine, and author of The Secret Of Vigor. To him, a food is super if eating a normal quantity can deliver a research-backed benefit. The trick is knowing how to separate the good stuff from the chaff. With that in mind, we asked a few dietitians and researchers to help us rank some of this decades buzziest ingredients. Consider this your license to stop choking down kimchi and gluten-free bread and start hitting the blueberries and red wine hard. 21. Gluten-Free Flours If you thought eliminating gluten was your ticket to reducing inflammation, bloating, and losing weight, think again. Unless you have celiac disease or suffer from a true gluten intolerance (example: you are doubled over and running for the bathroom post-pizza), there are no proven physical benefits from going gluten-free. A 2012 paper in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that there was not a single study connecting gluten-free diets to weight loss in nonceliac populations. It also pointed to studies that showed limiting gluten negatively affected gut flora populations, while diets high in gluten resulted in a lowering of triglycerides and blood pressure. If you can firmly trace your stomach woes to eating gluten (preferably through doing a two-week elimination diet), then gluten-free flours may be a superfood for you. But for the vast majority of Americans, theyre nothing but expensive, unhealthy substitutions. 20. Orange Juice Have a glass of orange juice! Its the cry eternal of well-meaning friends and parents when youre under the weather. They arent totally wrong: vitamin C may help immune systems. A 2014 study in the journal Nutrients found that men who were low in vitamin C caught fewer colds once they increased their vitamin C consumption, but the difference was deemed statistically marginal. Furthermore, another 2014 study published in Clinical Nutrition found that drinking orange juice didnt lead to a strengthening of the immune system for healthy, well-nourished adults. So getting enough vitamin C is important, but slamming a gallon of orange juice wont helpit contains too much sugar. Instead, try red peppers, broccoli, or kale, which all have more vitamin C per serving than orange juice. Plus, they have more fiber and other nutrients. 19. Coconut Oil Coconut oil is the new snake oil. Youll find it included in the ingredient list of nearly every health food, from packaged granola to energy bars to Bulletproof Coffee. The big hype behind coconut oil is that it contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which could help our bodies burn more fat. However, at least for now, its best to view research on MCT with skepticism: a 2015 review of studies on MCT supplementation found that while most research did show some sort of weight loss, the studies were often flawed or commercial bias was present. The researchers concluded: Further research is required by independent research groups using large, well-designed studies to confirm the efficacy of MCT and to determine the dosage needed for the management of a healthy body weight and composition. 18. Chia Seeds Many runners began incorporating these small seeds into their diet after Christopher McDougalls 2009 bestseller, Born to Run, described them as nutritionally equivalent to a mix of salmon, spinach, and human growth hormone. But a few recent studieslike one in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research and one in the journal Nutrientshave found that the seeds offer runners no performance benefit. Talbott says these popular seeds are good from a general nutrition standpoint. That is, they provide macronutrientsincluding omega-3sbut there isnt much super about chia seeds beyond that. 17. Kimchi This pickled Korean dish has been recently hailed as a superfood due to its high probiotic content. However, Talbott says our understanding of how probiotics work is just too rudimentary to call kimchior any food whose main selling point is probioticsa superfood. Probiotics are like the Wild West; no one really knows whats best, he says. A 2007 review on probiotics published in the journal Current Sports Medicine Reports found that, at least for athletes, scientific evidence for an ergogenic effect of probiotics is lacking. Still, the super-funky condiment is made up of all healthy things, like cabbage, garlic, ginger, and daikon. If you love it, go ahead and eat it, but its too soon to start stocking up. 16. Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes have become the darling of endurance athletes looking for a natural fuel source, but the types of good carbohydrates that you can get from a sweet potato can be found in any number of other whole foods, like bananas, oatmeal, or dates. If you like sweet potatoesand they are admittedly delicioustheres no problem with eating them. Just know theres nothing super about them. 15. Almonds While almonds are great, Talbott takes issue with their designation as a superfood. Most nuts are created equal, he says. Theyre healthy and full of good fats, and research shows that regular nut eaters tend to have healthier weights. Almonds are no more more super than their other nut relatives. 14. Beets While most of us have heard that beet juice can help with oxygen uptake, Talbott thinks the ergogenic benefits of this plant have been largely overblown. Research on the topic is all over the place: in a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, beet juice didnt improve the performance of cyclists. But in a 2014 paper, beet juice did improve cycling performance in athletes at altitude. And in 2015, another study found no benefits from beet juice for runners at altitude. So the jurys still out on the exact performance benefits of this vegetable, but the bottom line is that many of the antioxidants in beets are available in other fruits and veggies like lettuce, spinach, and strawberries. 13. Acai Its basically the Brazilian blueberry, says Talbott. Like blueberries, acai berries are full of great antioxidants (and absolutely delicious). But they are expensive and hard to find. Because of this, research on acais benefits is still sparse. Youre better off just buying frozen blueberries for your smoothie. 12. Eggs This is where I draw the line between healthy foods and superfoods, says Talbott. Eggs are greattheyre full of protein and vitamins and minerals, plus theyre cheapbut theyre not actively working to lower your blood pressure, fight cancer, or make you smarter. Eat them often, but if you dont like their taste or the sulfur smell, dont sweat it. 11. Tart Cherry Juice There is good research showing that tart cherry juice can relieve post-exercise muscle soreness and may even help prevent post-race colds in endurance athletes. But its relatively low on our list of superfoods because its such a specialized use. Sure, some athletes may see benefits, but most people would be better off using turmeric for relieving daily aches and pains and post-exercise soreness. Plus, tart cherry juice is expensive, and if you get the real, no-sugar-added variety, its more sour than sweet. 10. Broccoli If youre surprised to see broccoli and not kale on our list, dont be. Broccoli is cheap, full of fiber and vitamins, and contains sulforaphane, a compound that actually helps cells fight cancer. Sure, it smells like a fart while steaming, but broccoli activates pathways inside the cell so the cell starts creating its own antioxidants, explains Talbott. Recent research has shown that some organs respond better than others to broccolis anticancer properties, but the fact that any of them respond at all is pretty remarkable. 9. Coffee It makes me shake my head when I hear people say theyre trying to quit coffee, says Talbott. Sure, too much of it isnt good for you, but at the right dose, coffee does have real benefits. Caffeine is the most-researched performance product on the planet, and it has the same [beneficial] flavonoid content as tea. Plus, theres research showing regular coffee drinkers may have a lower risk for dementia, diabetes, and maybe even Parkinsons. 8. Apples That apple a day adage is not total bunk. The flavonol quercetin makes these boring old fruits worth adding back into your lunchbox: quercetin has been shown to lower blood pressure, open blood vessels, and improve endurance athletic performance. 7. Green Tea This ancient beverage has been recently co-opted by the diet industry, which makes it seem gimmicky. While green tea diet pills are certainly worth being wary of, plain green tea is not. There is research showing that it can boost your basic metabolic rate by 3 to 4 percent, and its profoundly anticancer, says Talbott, thanks to compounds called catechins. In fact, research in the journal Cancer Prevention found that daily green tea consumption could delay the onset of cancer by more than seven years for women and three years for men. A large-scale population study published earlier this year in Cancer Science followed nearly 90,000 Japanese citizens for more than a decade and found that those who drank large amounts of green tea had lower risks for biliary tract cancer, gallbladder cancer, and bile duct cancer. 6. Black Beans If you compare the diets of every culture with a beyond-average life expectancyincluding the original Blue Zones of Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, Californiathe one shared food tradition is a hearty doses of legumes. Theyre high in fiber, iron, and B vitamins, says Talbott, and research has shown that diets rich in legumes (plus lean meats and vegetables) can lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and your total risk of morbidity from all causes. While all legumes are worth including in your diet, black beans are packed with polyphenols, giving them an extra nutrient boost. 5. Dark Chocolate To get the reported benefits from chocolate, Talbott says you really need to eat the super-dark stuff70 percent cocoa or higher. Studies have shown that just a few ounces can deliver a heart-healthy dose of flavonols that lower LDL cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar levels, and improve blood flow. Plus, as we all anecdotally know, theres research showing that eating chocolate can boost your mood. 4. Red Wine Go ahead and rejoice: there is evidence-based research showing that wine may have anti-inflammatory and blood pressurelowering benefits, thanks to the polyphenol micronutrient called resveratrol, which research has linked to a host of cardiovascular benefits (although many of these studies were performed on rodents, not humans). A 2009 review in the Journal of Nutrition found a significant body of research pointing to a lowered risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality for populations that consume resveratrol-rich foods such as red wine. If you arent an alcohol connoisseur, a serving of red grapes may be just as good. Although be wary of resveratrol supplements: one study was actually suspended because participants reported kidney complications. Not that youd ever want to skip that glass of red wine for a pill, of course. 3. Salmon The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon contain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which help boost brain and heart health, respectively. Omega-3s help with blood vessel compliance and have a nice blood-thinning effect, which can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, says Talbott. A 2012 paper published in Epidemiologic Review found that women who increased their fish intake, including salmon, late in life had significantly fewer incidences of coronary heart disease. Additionally, salmons DHAwhich you can get only through diet, since your body does not naturally produce itacts as a membrane to neurons in the brain, protecting them from damage or inflammation. A 2015 meta-review in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Review found that an increase in fish consumption could reduce the risk of Alzheimers by more than 30 percent. 2. Turmeric This powder, which comes from the rhizomes of the Curcuma longa plant, has been used in ancient medicine and Southeast Asian cuisine for centuries. Turmerics clearest benefit is that it is profoundly anti-inflammatory, says Talbott, thanks to curcumin, a natural polyphenol that also gives the powder its bright yellow hue. The body of research on turmeric is fairly deep, with several large-scale studies, and turmeric may have more benefits than researchers yet realizeearly results from one small study in the UK showed a potential for turmeric to change gene expression in a way that might help fight cancer. Talbott says its best to eat turmeric at a suggested dose of one-fourth teaspoon three times a day along with some fiber and fat for maximum absorption. (He sprinkles turmeric on sandwiches, adds it to salad dressing, and even puts it in his coffee.) A word of caution: turmeric is very pungent. 1. Blueberries It almost sounds ridiculous to list the research-backed benefits you can get from blueberries, Talbott says, pointing to their ability to lower your risk for heart disease, reduce joint and muscle pains, and curtail oxidative stress (the naturally occurring stress produced by cell respiration). Blueberrys power comes from the compound oligomeric proanthocyanidins, and Talbott says that you dont need a ton of it to get results: a half-cup per day of fresh or frozen blueberries results in a significant longevity benefit. Plus, theres plenty of research showing that blueberries can reduce post-exercise stress and inflammation among athletes. As for the general population, in 2013, researchers revealed thatat least for womengetting three servings of berries per week cut heart attack risks by one-third. Did you enjoy this story? 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