Saturday 4 June 2016

5 Superfoods You’re Probably Not Eating, But Should Be



4. Mung Beans
(image: Lucky_elephant/Shutterstock)

A popular food in India, China and Southeast Asia, the mung bean has a nutty, sweet flavor that complements sweet and savory dishes. While they are packed with potassium, iron, magnesium and fiber, it's the protein content that is amazing: 24 percent. It's no surprise that they are popular, even for breakfast, in India, where 40 percent of the population is vegetarian.
While most other legumes lose their vitamin C content after cooking, mung beans retain most of it. Also, studies have shown that fermented mung bean extracts can help lower bad cholesterol levels and also blood sugar levels, which is good news for diabetics.
And there’s more: A 2012 study showed that mung beans have the ability to suppress the growth of cancer cells in the liver and cervix. A 2005 study revealed that mung beans have antifungal properties as well.
"Sprout mung beans overnight (using a simple sprouting vessel) and eat over rice,” suggests Rich Roll, a vegan athlete who Men’s Fitness Magazine dubbed one of the “25 Fittest Men in the World."
"Alternatively, you can make a broth with turmeric or even brew a coffee-like drink in a French press with nutritional yeast," he writes.
Learn how to grow mung bean sprouts at home with this video:



5. Maple Syrup

(image: showcake/Shutterstock)

It was hiding in plain sight all along. An American kitchen staple, maple syrup is now being hailed as a superfood because it contains anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory compounds that can also help manage type 2 diabetes. As a recent Daily Mail headline heralded, “Maple syrup joins the ranks of broccoli and blueberries as new 'one-stop shop' superfood.”
While you might eat it with pancakes, new research suggests you should be eating it a lot more. "We don’t know yet whether the new compounds contribute to the healthy profile of maple syrup," said Navindra Seeram, who led the research at the University of Rhode Island. "But we do know that the sheer quantity and variety of identified compounds with documented health benefits qualifies maple syrup as a champion food."
The finding puts maple syrup alongside such known superfoods as berries, red wine (in moderation), tea and flaxseed.
“We found a wide variety of polyphenols in maple syrup,” said Seeram. “We discovered that the polyphenols in maple syrup inhibit enzymes that are involved in the conversion of carbohydrate to sugar. In fact, in preliminary studies, maple syrup had a greater enzyme-inhibiting effect compared to several other healthy plant foods such as berries.”
Here are 11 new ways to ways to include maple syrup in your diet.
 
Do you have any superfood recommendations or recipes? Share them in the comments.

www.alternet.org/food/5-superfoods-youre-probably-not-eating


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