Super Fruits
In the past few years, the word superfruit has blared into the headlines
with alluring fanfare. What began as just a few curious exotic
juices in the American market has now evolved into thousands of products
in a multibillion-dollar global industry. From the start, the superfruit
category has been more about marketing than science. Beverages
made from rare, enchanting fruit species marketed with a message of
antioxidant benefi ts have beckoned consumers with a seductive array of
irresistible health promises.
Th e truth is that some fruits proposed as “super†really aren’t, and no
claims about antioxidant health benefi ts from fruits are actually established
by science or allowed by regulatory authorities. I’m going to expose
some misconceptions about this expanding category of superfoods and
give you a list of twenty fruits that are actually super based on nutritional
facts and scientifi c criteria. I’ll share with you how these twenty superfruits
can be easily added to your diet, not just because they are delicious,
but also for their nutrient properties—scientifi cally proved to have the
potential for lowering your risk of contracting major diseases.
Th is book stems from my teaching and research career in physiology—
the branch of biological sciences specializing in how organs of the
body work together moment by moment throughout life. Th is pursuit
demands an understanding of how foods are digested to supply essential
nutrients, which are then circulated via the blood to nourish all of the
body’s organs and cells. Nutrient-rich whole superfruits can give your
body a headstart for making this process effi cient and easy to repeat
through practice of a healthy diet over all years of your life.
As a physiologist, I am also interested in why organs fail and disease
develops. Having been a research director in a university hospital surgery
department and cofounder of a clinical trials management company, I
have been close enough to major diseases to know that many are preventable
by healthy living practices, including the right nutritional content and
amount of food. In nearly every developed country today, however, there is
a spiraling trend of obesity and its constellation of associated diseases such
as chronic infl ammation and pain, diabetes, blood and cardiovascular disorders,
psychological illnesses, and even several types of cancer—many of
these related to poor nutritional content and excessive food intake.
Th is book will show you how to use superfruits as delicious, whole-food
sources of essential nutrients your body requires for general well-being.
