Superfoods: A Guide

Energy & vitality: Acai Berry

Acai is a small purple rainforest berry, regarded widely as one of the Earth's most nutritious foods. It combines abundant antioxidants, healthy omega fats, amino acids and dietary fibre, with a rich, cocoa-and-fruit taste. Adding Rainforest Foods Acai Berry to your food is rather like eating the fabled Mediterranean diet, in easily-managed form. Acai boosts energy and strengthens the immune system, which is why it has recently become a dietary sensation among world-class athletes.

Detox: Chlorella

Chlorella is a single-celled blue-green algae noted for its nutrient-richness, its ability to support detoxification and its role as a complete food. It is in fact one of the world’s greatest superfoods, making available much of the nutrients we require to maintain good health. Its broad spectrum of protein, carbohydrate and vitamin content makes it a highly useful supplement for people following a vegetarian or vegan diet. Chlorella is also a hugely effective aid to detoxification and the subsequent maintenance of an optimised system.

Anti-ageing: Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is one of the most effective natural health supplements available, because it heals, alkalises, detoxifies and energises our bodies. It is packed full of nutrients, including essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytonutrients and all the essential amino acids. It also contains chlorophyll, a natural detoxifying agent which helps purify the blood and regenerate the liver. Wheatgrass’ high antioxidant content makes it an ideal supportive supplement for a diet intended to protect against the ‘early-ageing’ effects of free-radical oxidation.

Focus & endurance: Maca

Grown high in the Peruvian Andes, Maca is a root plant renowned for its ability to enhance strength, stamina and even libido. It is sometimes called “the Superfood of the Andes”, because of its ability to help rebuild weak immune systems and increase energy and endurance. It has also been labelled “Peruvian ginseng” thanks to its reported positive effects on stamina and sexual function. It contains a huge array of nutrients and is popular with customers of all ages, including athletes in training.

Health & weight management: Spirulina

Spirulina is one of Earth’s oldest life forms, an algae. It provides a huge range of nutrition and has been enjoyed for centuries. Modern science has found that it is more than this - a true superfood. Rainforest Foods Spirulina gives you wide-spectrum nutrients, with additional benefits. It offers protection from infection, helps control inflammation and aids the maintenance of healthy cell structures in active people. It is ideal for those combining improvements in their dietary regime with exercise programmes, a low-calorie source of essential nutrition.

Wellbeing: Barley Grass

Barley grass is the leafy portion of the young barley plant. It has been reported that barley grass can help relieve the symptoms of various common illnesses including blood clots, arthritis, digestion problems, asthma and diabetes. Much of barley grass’ benefits come from its chlorophyll content. This is the same chemical that makes grass green, a potent antioxidant and a natural detoxifying agent, which helps purify the blood and regenerate the liver. Barley grass contains an easily digestible form of protein, plus a wealth of enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, pigments and phytonutrients. This is a very useful all-round diet booster.

Healing: Maqui Berry

Maqui berry is one of nature’s medical miracles. For centuries this purple berry has been a key part of the dietary, medicinal and ceremonial culture of Patagonia’s Mapuche Indians. They are on to a good thing. This miracle berry is packed with essential vitamins, dietary fibre, protein, carbohydrate, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Maqui is a tree that grows wild in the Patagonia region of South America. The Mapuche continue to this day to use Maqui as both foodstuff and medicine, and fortunately for us produce the crop which we use here at Rainforest Foods.

Flavour: Lucuma

Lucuma is an evergreen tree from the Andes. Its fruit has a dry, yellow flesh prized for its flavour – a combination of caramel, maple syrup, sweet potato and vanilla ice cream. It is used widely as a highly popular flavouring for ice cream and other treats. However, this delicacy is also an important nutrition source, rich in dietary fibre and protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Lucuma supports healthy skin and bone, good immune function and healthy foetal development during pregnancy, as well as being an effective anti-inflammatory agent. Its B-vitamin content also aids almost all our body’s systems.

Disease protection: Cacao

Although it is the raw material behind chocolate, Cacao can help protect against serious disease. It contains a huge range of antioxidants, amino acids and nutrients, and has been found to promote lower risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer in regular consumers. It also helps us metabolise sugar in a stable way, avoiding the symptoms of hypoglycemia and diabetes. As a bonus, cacao tastes delicious and is an easy superfood to add to our day-to-day diet. Cacao contains amino acids including tryptophan, good for relaxation and sleep, and argine, associated with muscle recovery and rebuilding after exercise. Cacao’s high magnesium content is also essential for musculoskeletal health, as well as good balance of brain chemistry.

Omega 3 and 6: Chia

Chia is the seed of a South American herb. It contains a wide range of vitamins, minerals, proteins and antioxidants, but its signature offering is large quantities of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, in a ratio believed by science to be dietarily optimum. This has several key benefits, including support of neurological cellular health and chemical communication, for better concentration and emotional stability. Chia has been associated with reduced symptoms in those suffering from depression. Its fatty acids maintain good blood health, aid the regulation of blood pressure and help reduce the hardening of the arteries and heart attack. It is also reported to help with autoimmune problems and blood sugar regulation.

Vitamin C: Camu Camu

Camu Camu is the berry of an Amazonian rainforest tree, and is simply the richest source of natural vitamin C on the planet. It also serves up a wide range of phytonutrients. Vitamin C is one of the human diet’s absolute essentials, required to build and maintain healthy skin, nerves, muscles and bone. It is available in fresh fruit and vegetables, but modern man rarely consumes enough to provide sufficiency. Synthesised vitamin C supplements are commonplace, but it is better to consume a more natural product whose vitamin C is easily absorbed by the body. Camu Camu also features the essential amino acids valine and leucine, antioxidant anthogens and and ellagic acid, health-promoting flavanols, blood sugar-stabilising myrtillin and antifungal gallic acid. Camu Camu is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antiviral and a stabiliser of the human system.

Overall health: Hemp

Cannibis sativa is becoming notorious as one of the world’s most valuable dietary supplements. It is one of the few foods that provide all the amino acids we require in our diets, including the essential ones that those the body cannot make for itself. Hemp also packs a significant antioxidant punch, has a wide-spectrum mineral and vitamin content, significant amino acid content and provides Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids in the ideal ratio for optimum dietary benefit. Hemp is a very talented all-rounder, and a food supplement that should be in the cupboard of anyone wanting to maintain good overall health.