Super fruits are not regular hybridized fruits, but are fruits that offer a complex array of nutrients that you can’t get from a banana or an apple. Some of these fruits contain unique components such as high amounts of antioxidants, polysaccharides and other phyto-nutrients, in addition to adaptogenic attributes.
Many superfruit varieties naturally grow in more remote arid regions or tropical rainforest locations, producing fruit with an abundance of antioxidant enzymes and metabolites to protect against oxidative cellular damage to various constituents such as lipids, proteins and actual DNA of the fruit species.
According to the Natural Health Research Institute, studies indicate that plants yield higher amounts of antioxidants as a protective mechanism in response to environmental conditions and challenges. This may involve competition with other plants, soil nutrient availability, droughts or weather fluctuations, mold or bug infestation, amount of accessible sunlight and other factors.
This produces a highly resilient and adaptable fruit bearing plant that is extremely high in protective nutrients when the fruit is consumed.
Today we need more from the food we eat to balance the high amounts of pollutants, from plastics to radiation exposure. These poisons are not going away overnight so it is good to do everything we can do to boost our immune system and shield ourselves against these toxins on a regular basis.
Antioxidants are the "building blocks of a healthy immune system" and most of the superfruits on this list have them in large quantities.
Many are not as sweet in taste, like other traditional fruit varieties but, on the upside, they are superfoods for enriching the diet with a concentrated source of energy charging ingredients. They can be easily enjoyed in smoothies and drinks blended with more common fruits, like mango, blueberry or banana.
Each possess their own particular set of health promoting qualities. Some super fruits are great for the skin, helping to counter the effects of damaging "free radicals" and what causes aging, while others work primarily as tonic adaptogens to restore deep immune health.
Top Superfruits List
Many are not as sweet in taste, like other traditional fruit
varieties but, on the upside, they are superfoods for enriching the diet
with a concentrated source of energy charging ingredients. They can be
easily enjoyed in smoothies and drinks blended with more common fruits,
like mango, blueberry or banana.
Each possess their own
particular set of health promoting qualities. Some super fruits are
great for the skin, helping to counter the effects
of damaging "free radicals" and what causes aging, while others work primarily as tonic adaptogens to restore deep immune health.
Top Superfruits List
(Not in order of importance.)
1) Maqui Berry
Maqui berries (Aristotelia chilensis) are an amazing South
American fruit, like the acai berry, but are native to the Patagonian
mountain range of southern Chile.
They contain tremendously high
levels of antioxidants and are often used dried in powdered form in
other parts of the world. The bright purple powder is another great
super fruit ingredient to include in a smoothie or raw pie recipe.
2) Camu Camu Berry
Also included on our list of top 10 superfoods, this powerful berry is a tropical super fruit from the Amazon with an unmatched form of naturally occurring vitamin C.
In fact, camu camu IS the most concentrated supply of natural plant based Vit C in the world, surpassing even the acerola cherry.
Camu maintains protective effects on the nervous system and heightens brain performance, shielding against "brain fog",
dementia and reduces the build up of plaque on brain nerves, a condition
associated with Alzheimer's.
Consuming camu camu berry is known to benefit the skin, enhancing collagen levels that tighten and rejuvenate skin elasticity.
3) Durian
Durians are one of the rare fruits, aside from olives and avocados that contain the good fats
along with a creamy sweet custard-like texture. Although the fruit
is not high in antioxidants, like the other superfruits, it is an
excellent source of these raw fats that can fuel the body for extended
periods
of time.
Durian fruit (Durio
zibethinus) contains high levels of the amino acid tryptophan, in
addition to high levels of Vit E. It is excellent for nourishing the
skin and has a well known reputation as a powerful aphrodisiac.
4) Goji Berries
Goji berries
are another superior "tonic" fruit on our top 10 superfoods list for their anti-aging effects and
trademark as one of the only foods scientifically proven to promote
levels of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in the body.
They have an outstanding amount of polysaccharides to help build
the immune system as well as a full range of antioxidants. Goji is also
works as a adaptogen tonic and is often used in conjunction with tonic
herbs to replenish deep immune health.
5) Noni Fruit
Noni fruit
is a tropical fruit (Morinda citrifolia), known for it's incredible
anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties. Noni has extremely high levels of polysaccharides that help to increase the ability of white blood cells to rid the body of pathogens.
It
is valued for its many unique health promoting components and is a well
known treatment for skin conditions of all kinds. It is tradition to
ferment noni and drink the juice, but powdered forms of noni are also
available. It is helpful to consume noni as well as use it topically for
skin repair and rejuvenation.
6) Schizandra Berry
Schizandra
(Schizandra chinensis) is one of the most common sexual tonics known in
Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Several months of drinking
schizandra berry tea is known to provide youthful, supple glowing skin.
As a famous "beauty tonic", it is said to "hold moisture within the
cells of the skin."
Schizandra also works with the liver organ as a
blood purifier and is a powerful restorative for the eyesight. It is especially helpful at increasing
range of vision and clearing the eyes of redness.
7) Amla Berry
Amla berry, also called Indian gooseberry or amalaki, (Phyllanthus emblica
or Emblica officinalis) is a tree fruit and powerful antioxidant that
rejuvenates and detoxifies the body.
It is considered an Ayurvedic herb
working primarily as a digestive and bowel tonic to improve "digestive
fire", aid in elimination and promote a healthy intestinal tract.
Amla is known to stimulate the production and regeneration of red blood
cells and is beneficial to many of the primary organs of the body.
Amalaki fruit is a great source of vitamin C and another fruit
powder supplement option to consider for recharging immune health. It
is specific for soothing pain caused
from inflammation of the joints and great for those with autoimmune
disorders.
8) Mangosteen
Mangostein or mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) has become very popular
in recent years due to it's level of Xanthones that occur in the outer
rind of the fruit which are a super rich source of antioxidants.
Known
to help
everything from reducing nerve pain to lowering blood pressure, it is
one of the great super fruits commonly eaten fresh in Indonesia, but
mostly sold as a concentrated extract in other parts of the world.
9) Red Jujube Dates
Red jujubee dates (Zizyphus jujube) are an Asian fruit known to
"clear the 5 openings" which include the eyes, ears nose, throat and
sinuses. They are specific in Traditional Chinese Medicine for toning
and purifying the stomach, the body's center and earth element.
Jujubee's
can be eaten fresh but are commonly used dried and brewed with other
Chinese herbs. They help to harmonize and balance tonic formulas and
are also considered a major tonic herb.
10) Acai Berry
Acai berry
is a traditional fruit of the Brazilian Amazon region.
It is a palm fruit species (Euterpe oleracea) that has been extensively
researched and tested for it's long list of health benefits.
Claiming fame as a "top superfood" on the Oprah Winrey Show by Dr
Perricone for a good reason, you can read more about the benefits of acai
berry on the link above.
11) Baobab Fruit
Baobab fruit comes from the massive African baobab trees (Adansonia
Digitata L.). The baobab fruits have a hard shelled exterior, like that
of a coconut. The fruit inside the large pods naturally dries in the
heat of the sun and produces a powder that tastes like “caramel pear and
vanilla with subtle tones of grapefruit."
Baobab is an
antioxidant-rich fruit with significantly high amounts of nutrients,
including iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C. It is
also naturally high in pectin and fiber content
