Vitamins: It’s better to get these organic compounds from natural foods - like superfoods - than from supplements.Minerals: These essential nutrients (think calcium, potassium, iron and the like) help your body perform at its highest level.Antioxidants: These natural compounds protect your cells from damage and may lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases.“Superfoods are those that offer exceptional health benefits, beyond what you’d expect based on just their nutritional profile,” Czerwony explains. But not every healthy food is a superfood. Superfoods are, in a sense, exactly what they sound like: a category of foods that are super-healthy. “Superfoods help promote health by increasing your immune function and decreasing your chance of disease prevention or progression,” Czerwony says.Įach superfood has different nutritional properties, but overall, they’re associated with: But the title is typically reserved for natural foods that are especially nutrient-dense while generally being low in calories. Superfoods aren’t a nutritionally recognized category of foods, so there are no specific criteria a food must meet to be considered one.

Registered dietitian Beth Czerwony, RD, talks about superfoods, a category of super-charged, super-healthy foods, and what they can do for your body. PolicyĮven among healthy foods, though, some stand out. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.

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