Super Fruit for Super Fitness

On Saturday 21st of August 2010 11:51:32 AM

Super Fruit for Super Fitness

Robert Wildman, PhD RD LD FISSN

Superman is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. With the exception of flying, Superman is able to do ordinary physical tasks in an extraordinary manner. The same can be said of super fruits. They provide nutrients that nourish our bodies yet have at least one nutrient that is more potent or found in higher amounts than ordinary fruits, or they have unique health-supporting qualities. Since a super fit, super healthy body requires super nutrition, these types of fruits should be considered as strategic components of the diet. In this article we will explore the world of super fruits, as well as separate fact from fiction and provide some practical guidelines for making better food choices.

Super Fruit Lineup

Once you understand that super fruits tend to have special or distinct health benefits or nutrient levels, the next question typically asked by people is; which fruits are super fruits? The answer to that question is not as clear cut as say, which fruits are red or which fruit belongs to the citrus family? That’s because there really isn’t an established classification system by a body (such as the USDA) that separates super fruits from their fruit peers. Right now super fruit classification seems to be left up to the marketers of foods and supplements that leverages the super fruit in their formulas. However, we can safely say that the following fruits belong in the super fruit category: Acai, Mangosteen, Pomegranate, Noni, Goji, Seabuckthorn, Cacao and Maqui. More common fruits with unique levels of key nutrients and properties such as cranberries, blueberries and tomatoes can be and should be considered super fruits as well. (Yes tomatoes are fruits!)

Anatomy of a Super Fruit

Superman was easily identifiable because of the blue and red suit with the cape. Super fruits such as Acai, Mangosteen, Pomegranate, Noni, Goji and Seabuckthorn can also present a unique appearance based on size, shape or color. For instance, Acai is a small, intensely dark purple berry, while Goji looks more like a cross between a small red pepper and an oblong cherry tomato. However, these fruits are more easily spotted in the laboratory as scientists analyze their nutritional content and make the comparison to more common fruits such as bananas, apples and oranges.

Let’s take Acai as an example. Acai is grown in South America and has long been known as the Beauty Berry to the locals. Acai is a very unique super fruit: in addition to having many vitamins, minerals and fiber, it also has omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids and some protein which together makes it a very nutritious and unique fruit.¹But that’s not all. Based on its nutritional composition that includes polyphenolics, Acai has a relatively high antioxidant strength and other unique health-promoting properties.^1-4 Thus Acai juice is simply a better nutritional choice than juices such as apple and orange. For athletes and fitness enthusiasts (especially those striving for a super lean body where every calorie counts), the nutrition content of Acai makes it a great choice for vitality and a more fit appearance.

Goji, on the other hand, is rich with antioxidants⁵ and contains unique polysaccharide carbohydrates.⁶Legend has it that Goji is considered to be the happy berry; recently researchers have put that notion to the test and reported positive or “happy” results.⁷ Meanwhile other super fruits have noted positive health benefits as well: Mangosteen contains xanthones which have been shown in laboratory tests to reduce inflammation,⁸ Pomegranate is antioxidant-rich and support healthy circulation,² and tomatoes are packed with prostate and heart supporting lycopene,^9,10 while blueberries are loaded with anthocyanadins (antioxidants) which support eye health.^11,Simply stated, a super fit, super healthy body requires super nutrients, many of which can be obtained from super fruits.

Antioxidant Super Strength

Exercise alone is one of the biggest contributors of free radicals to your body.¹³ Free radicals are potentially harmful chemicals that are also found in tobacco smoke, other pollution, and charred foods; and are created as a normal by-product of your body metabolism. When you crank up your metabolism during exercise, more free radicals are produced. Luckily, your muscle bolsters its antioxidant arsenal to help manage free radicals and prevent damage.¹³ Also, by eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, you will supply your body with supportive antioxidants that can help manage free radicals generated during

One popular resource for comparing antioxidant levels is www.oraclevels.com, which provides the ORAC rating of different fruits, vegetables and foods. Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) is one laboratory method for assessing antioxidant levels in food sources. However, one important consideration when comparing different ORAC levels is to look at the unit of measurement of the sample. ORAC is typically expressed per 100 grams of the sample which can be dried versions of berries and not necessarily a juice or piece of fruit. Be sure that the manufacturer of the product you are reviewing is accurately stating the ORAC level and the unit such as 100 grams of dried fruit, 1 cup of natural fruit or juice or even the ORAC or an average berry or piece of fruit.

Making the Super Choice

As more and more athletes and fitness enthusiasts are looking to include super fruits into their diets, one of the most common issues is to be able to make better, more informed choices. Hands down, the most important action you can take to ensure that you are getting more super fruit in your product of choice is to read the label. Start with the Ingredients declaration. Is the super fruit that you are looking for the first ingredient or at least in the top two or three? Ingredients must be listed in order of their dominance or contribution to the product that you are buying. Acai Berry Juice and Goji Berry Juice from Genesis Today, sold in stores such as Walmart and Sam’s Club across America, are great examples of a super fruit product with quality amounts of Acai and Goji in a 100% juice. These products list Acai and Goji berry juices as the first ingredients and even call out the amount of super fruit juice per serving. This kind of information allows consumers to make more informed choices. With the numerous super fruit products in stores, on the internet or sold through the multi-level marketing channels, consumers need to be absolutely critical when comparing different products; especially when it comes to quality, since super fruit products tend to be more expensive than more common fruit products.

Dr. Robert Wildman is the author of several books including The Nutritionist: Food, Nutrition and Optimal Health (Routledge 2009) and is the creator of www.TheNutritionDr.com.

References:

1. Schauss AG, Wu X, Prior RL, Ou B, Patel D, Huang D, Kababick JP.J Agric Food Chem. Phytochemical and nutrient composition of the freeze-dried amazonian palm berry, Euterpe oleraceae mart. (acai). 2006 Nov 1;54(22):8598-603.

2. Seeram NP, Aviram M, Zhang Y, Henning SM, Feng L, Dreher M, Heber D.Comparison of antioxidant potency of commonly consumed polyphenol-rich beverages in the United States. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Feb 27;56(4):1415-22.

3. Mertens-Talcott SU, Rios J, Jilma-Stohlawetz P, Pacheco-Palencia LA, Meibohm B, Talcott ST, Derendorf H. Pharmacokinetics of anthocyanins and antioxidant effects after the consumption of anthocyanin-rich acai juice and pulp (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) in human healthy volunteers. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Sep 10;56(17):7796-802.

4. Lichtenthäler R, Rodrigues RB, Maia JG, Papagiannopoulos M, Fabricius H, Marx F.Total oxidant scavenging capacities of Euterpe oleracea Mart. (Açaí) fruits. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2005 Feb;56(1):53-64.

5. Potterat O. Goji (Lycium barbarum and L. chinense): Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Safety in the Perspective of Traditional Uses and Recent Popularity. Planta Med. 2009 75: In Press.

6. Amagase H, Sun B, Borek C Lycium barbarum (goji) juice improves in vivo antioxidant biomarkers in serum of healthy adults. Nutr Res. 2009 Jan;29(1):19-25.

7. Amagase H, Nance DM. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi. J Altern Complement Med. 2008 May;14(4):403-12.

8. Bumrungpert A, Kalpravidh RW, Chitchumroonchokchai C, Chuang CC, West T, Kennedy A. Xanthones from mangosteen prevent lipopolysaccharide-mediated inflammation and insulin resistance in primary cultures of human adipocytes. McIntosh M. J Nutr. 2009 Jun;139(6):1185-91.

9. Chan R, Lok K, Woo J. Prostate cancer and vegetable consumption. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2009 Feb;53(2):201-16.

10. Campbell JK, Canene-Adams K, Lindshield BL, Boileau TW, Clinton SK, Erdman JW Jr. Tomato phytochemicals and prostate cancer risk. J Nutr. 2004 Dec;134(12 Suppl):3486S-3492S.

11. Mazza G, Kay CD, Cottrell T, Holub BJ. Absorption of anthocyanins from blueberries and serum antioxidant status in human subjects.Agric Food Chem. 2002 Dec 18;50(26):7731-7.

12. Prior RL. Fruits and vegetables in the prevention of cellular oxidative damage. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;78(3 Suppl):570S-578S.

13. Finaud J, Lac G, Filaire E.Oxidative stress : relationship with exercise and training. Sports Med. 2006;36(4):327-58.

Calendar