Nature's therapeutic and healing abilities are contained within every hue and color of different foods. You might have always heard how beneficial it is to include lots of colorful foods in your diet, haven't you? This is so because each color represents the abundance of a potent phytonutrient. In this blog, let's talk about a group of such colorful, nutrient-dense red foods called super reds!
What are super reds?
As the name suggests, super reds are reddish-orange superfoods rich in phytonutrients with red hues like beta carotene, lycopene, anthocyanin, etc. They are endowed with high antioxidants and therapeutic potential due to different phytonutrients, flavonoids, and polyphenols.
Super reds include fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, pumpkin, strawberries, raspberries, black currant, carrot, red grapes, etc. Including these red fruits and vegetables in your diet can restore your health and promote well-being.
Health benefits of top super reds
Beetroots
In terms of super reds, beets reign supreme. These are especially abundant in betalains, a kind of antioxidant that gives food its gorgeous red color. Due to its abundance in vitamin C, it boosts immunity. It is rich in dietary nitrates, which help to increase the nitric oxide levels in your body. The immunological response is strengthened with the assistance of iron, zinc, and folate.
Beetroots can detoxify the body, particularly the liver, which increases the creation of different immune cells as the liver is one of the primary immune system coordinators. Its potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities are attributed to vitamin E, C, beta-carotene, selenium, zinc, and betalains. Furthermore, it contains caffeic acid, rutin-like phenols, epicatechins, and other antioxidants such as carotenoids and carotenes.
Acerola
One of the richest sources of ascorbic acid in nature, acerola berries also include many phytonutrients such as carotenoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and phenolics. The fruit has a high ascorbic acid content of 1500–4500 mg/100 g, which is approximately 50–100 times more than that of an orange or a lemon.
It contains several bioactive chemicals that reduce apoptosis, intracellular free radicals, and lipid-protein deterioration, enhancing mitochondrial efficiency and antioxidant enzyme activity. It has also been discovered to have anti-aging, anti-multidrug resistance, and skin whitening effects.
Raspberries
Raspberries are bursting with healthy nutrients. As a result of their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, polyphenols enhance immunity. They are rich in antioxidants like ellagic acid, resveratrol, and anthocyanins that reduce oxidative stress. They are a good dietary fiber source, lowering cholesterol and blood sugar.
Berries dramatically lower blood pressure, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and plaque development. It looks after and safeguards the artery's cell lining. Raspberries make up a significant portion of red fruit supplements.
Strawberries
Minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants abound in strawberries. Ellagic acid and flavonoids such anthocyanin, catechin, quercetin, and kaempferol are the components of strawberries that are most abundant. Consequently, strawberry extracts have been shown to inhibit COX enzymes in vitro, which may aid in reducing inflammatory reactions.
Studies show that strawberry compounds have anti-cancer and anti-aging effects on the brain. By preventing LDL-cholesterol oxidation, enhancing vascular endothelial function, and lowering the propensity for blood clotting, strawberries assist in reducing the risk of cardiovascular events.
Research shows consuming at least two strawberries each week reduced a person's probability of having high levels of inflammatory markers in their blood by about 14%. There are no super reds supplements without strawberries.
Carrots
Carotenoids, vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, and polyacetylenes are all abundant in carrots, and each has various health advantages. The presence of carotenoids, polyphenols, and vitamins in carrots supports the old wives' tale that they are healthy for the eyes and act as antioxidants, anticarcinogens, and immune boosters. Carrots have also been shown to have anti-diabetic, cardioprotective, blood pressure-lowering, hepatoprotective, renoprotective, and wound-healing properties.
Blackcurrant
Blackcurrants are well known for their anecdotal use in conventional herbal therapy. Modern laboratories have shown that the components of blackcurrant have potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial effects on various diseases. The biochemical components of blackcurrants, some of which include anthocyanins, flavonols, phenolic acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, are what give them their unique properties. For red fruit supplements, black currant is a must-have.
Pumpkin
Another nutrient-rich veggie is pumpkin. It is one of the main components of super reds. It has been proven to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and other significant therapeutic benefits. Numerous phytonutrients from alkaloids, flavonoids, oleic, and linoleic acid groups, are present.
Red grapes
Grapes are a healthy choice for people with diabetes because of their low glycemic load and glycemic index. Flavonoids and polyphenols, potent antioxidants that can relax blood vessels and lessen inflammation, are abundant in grapes. Like aspirin, they diminish the ability of platelets to clot. Red grapes are incredibly heart-healthy as a result. Resveratrol, which is present, is well known for its range of health advantages, including its capacity to promote fat loss.
How to consume super reds supplements?
Super reds supplements can be in powder or capsule form. The powdered one can be diluted in pure water and consumed. One to two scoops of the super reds powder would suffice for a day. In the case of capsules, two to three capsules per day would be good to go.
Also Read: FREZZOR Super Reds-Manuka Honey Christmas Punch Recipe
How effective are super reds supplements?
Like other supplements, you must choose your super reds supplement's brand wisely. Get a supplement with no fillers, artificial sugar, gluten, preservatives, and GMOs. Supplements made from red foods from New Zealand are worth a try as these are the ones that have the highest concentration of phytonutrients in them.
Why? The ozone hole above the region exposes all the plants to powerful UV-B radiation. In response to the radiation, plants produce more protective substances like phytonutrients and antioxidants. New Zealand fruit supplements are worth it!
Super reds or super greens?
Both! Because they each offer different nutrients with varying health advantages, you cannot substitute one for the other. While reds primarily give you a lot of phytonutrients like anthocyanin, lycopene, etc., greens provide you with all the vital minerals like magnesium, iron, calcium, etc., and vitamins like vitamin A, C, folate, etc. Super reds improve your defense while super greens improve your vital functions. Whether you are eating natural sources or supplements, reds and greens are equally necessary.
That's all. Super reds can change the game. Also, remember to pick up the best in the market, like the New Zealand fruit supplements. Do you have any of them? Comment below and let us know!
