Superfoods Besides the Acai Berry: Acerola, Baobob

sarita — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:59:59 +0000

FitSugar shared a great overview of five lesser-known foods that many people are talking about for their nutritional properties. Could they supplant the acai berry as the next big thing? We don’t think acai is going anywhere, but you may keep an eye out for some of these nutritious and tasty natural foods to supplement your diet.

The list includes acerola, a cherry-like fruit grown in warm climates throughout the world including parts of the southern United States, Mexico, India, Brazil, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. It has an apple-y flavor and has unheard of levels of vitamin C.

You may also be hearing about the baobob tree, found mostly in India, Africa and Australia. The baobob fruit is high in vitamin C and calcium. It’s leaves are enjoyed and used in soup, while its seeds are also used in cooking and seasoning.

FitSugar describes another newcomer to superfood lovers, the maqui berry:

“The maqui berry is an antioxidant wunderkind. Grown in Patagonia, it’s one of the highest ranking foods on the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) scale, a test that measures the antioxidant potency of foods.

To put that into perspective, maqui juice has an ORAC score of 40,000 and blueberry juice has an ORAC score of 3000. Antioxidants are important for ridding the body in toxins and may even help with weight control.”

Five New Superfoods | FitSugar

Acai Health Watch » acerola

Superfoods Besides the Acai Berry: Acerola, Baobob