I have a girlfriend is who is a health nut. She recently started eating quinoa and told me about all the wonderful benefits in this little grain. I was actually surprised that this smart food (aka superfood) had so much nutritional value and could also help prevent certain health issues. I wondered whether maybe my meals should include more of these smart foods since they have such great benefits. So I decided to find out what the top smart foods were on AOL Search. I can see why salmon made it to the top of the list. Salmon is full of omega-3 fatty acids which can actually reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, prostate cancer and colon cancer.
Blueberries, spinach and broccoli are filled with antioxidants that can help decrease your risk of certain cancers. The antioxidants help neutralize harmful by-products called "free radicals" that can lead to cancer.
I was actually surprised to see foods such as pumpkin, ginger and sweet potatoes on the list. I didn't know these foods had any health benefits. After further research, I found out that pumpkins and sweet potatoes are actually great sources of alpha-carotene. This is a powerful member of the carotenoid family that helps prevent cataract formation and boosts immunity.
Do you know of a smart food that didn't make the list? If so tell us about it or try searching for smart foods on AOL Search. Also check out AOL Body for additional smart foods and AOL Food for great recipe ideas for smart foods.
Top Searched Smart Foods on AOL Search:
1. Salmon
2. Quinoa
3. Spinach
4. Broccoli
5. Sweet Potatoes
6. Green Tea
7. Pumpkin
8. Vitamin Water
9. Blueberries
10. Ginger
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 4)
21. Vitamin Water is NOT a superfood
Posted at 3:04PM on Apr 1st 2008 by logicpronnj
22. What's so great about quinoa? Typical fad. High in carbs (read the labels!), no higher in protein than most wheat, but higher in fat, tasteless, useless. Boy, we'll do anything to avoid eating real vegetables. If that's your only crop, of course it's great food. In America it's just high-priced birdseed.
Posted at 3:17PM on Apr 1st 2008 by Lora Lee
23. Are you serious? When you write "I didn't know these foods had any health benefits" What did you think they were for? Decoration?! Real live foods feed real live bodies! Get an education.
Posted at 3:19PM on Apr 1st 2008 by Launa
24. everyone does need to watch out for the water they choose! many vitamin waters contain huge amounts of sugar!
Posted at 3:27PM on Apr 1st 2008 by sarah
25. everyone does need to watch out for the water they choose! many vitamin waters contain huge amounts of sugar!
Posted at 3:29PM on Apr 1st 2008 by sarah
26. WWW.Frutamil-usa.com
will soon be distributing the all natural fresly frozen ACAI Pulp, Direct from the amazon. This should have been at top of the list. This amazing fruit. Has twice the AntiOxidants than blueberries and pomegrantes; It contains Omega 3,6,9; amino acids; carbohydrate; vegetable protein; Vitamin E, and other trace minerals. And it gives energy. This fruit is the ultimate healer. Natures Mutlivitamin.
Posted at 3:43PM on Apr 1st 2008 by Chuck
27. How about watercress? High in C ,Iron,
Posted at 3:53PM on Apr 1st 2008 by mike bresson
28. Potatoes are one of the worst vegetables for you because they have so much starch and vitamin water has almost 40grams of sugar per bottle, those deffenintely arent smart foods
Posted at 3:55PM on Apr 1st 2008 by dantheman2692
29. I agree, MonaVie is no questions ask is the best tasting, high antioxidant drink you can consume.With the wonder fruit Acai and 17 other fruits in it. it has given me so much more energy to workout, makes my recoveries so much quicker. My skin has never been better. Contact me for a free bottle to try.
brownron24@aol.com
Posted at 3:55PM on Apr 1st 2008 by Ronnie Brown
30. Vitamin water??? You are surely joking.
Posted at 4:16PM on Apr 1st 2008 by Glenn
31. I read that swiss chard is excellent. Never heardor see this food source before. What is it?
Posted at 4:36PM on Apr 1st 2008 by TheT5
32. google hemp hearts or hemp seed ive lost 16 lbs in about 5 weeks time its a super food & good for what ails you im eating it for life when u do 5 heaping tablespoons in the am it curbs your appetite till 2/3 pm easily but good for many of your health issues go here www.manitobaharvest.com
luckily my local health food store carrys them also loaded with omegas 3/6/9s & has GLA & the proportionment of the efa's are far more superior than flax seed also you do not crave carbs ( i have found the fountain of youth) THEY ARE TRULY A SUPER FOOD!!
Posted at 4:38PM on Apr 1st 2008 by aparrotluver
33. My husband who loves to cook just discovered quinoa and apart from being a superfood,it's delicious. I add it to cereal, soups, etc. etc. Even my dog adores it. Regarding #8, Vitamin water. I read in a health article recently that it has added sugar. So it makes better sense to taka a multivitamin with regular water.
Posted at 4:51PM on Apr 1st 2008 by Yvonne Imperiale
34. It's true. Among superfoods, the Amazon Rainforest's acai berry is one of the highest rated, and is the primary ingredient in a blend of 19 superfruits called MonaVie. Further information available at http://www.mymonavie.com/greenerie.
Don
Posted at 4:58PM on Apr 1st 2008 by Donald Greene
35. The best superfood is chia seeds that some people call by the trade name Salba. High in omega 3 fats and protein, and all the vitamins and minerals. Best to buy it as chia, because it is much better price that way. Google chia, and you will find places to buy, and nutritional info.
Posted at 4:58PM on Apr 1st 2008 by RE
36. Please remember that some of these foods have undesirable properties as well. For instance, blueberries, spinach and sweet potatoes are all high in oxalates - bad for kidney stones (ditto for all soy products, most berries, most nuts, plus tea and cocoa). Salmon, especially farm-raised, has plenty of bad fat in it as well as good. And acai comes complete with its own pyramid selling scam. :-)
Posted at 5:06PM on Apr 1st 2008 by Rich
37. The other day and my pharmacist was showing me articials from Men's Health Magazine (and a couple others), regarding the benefits of red wine extracts. Then, Barbara Walter's did a bit on living to be 150 years old and they also were giving the credit to red wine extracts. The product that he was recommending is made by gonsi.com. I of course, bought it, (I don't drink wine) 25.00 for a bottle containing a 3 month supply.
Posted at 5:24PM on Apr 1st 2008 by jenn
38. WWW.Frutamil-USA.COM
There is another fruit from Brazil, Acerola. This fruit contains the same AntiOxidant power of ACAI, but has TEN Times the Vitamin C than Oranges. This is another overlooked fruit from the Amazon. We will be introducing 10 Fresh fruit pulps from Brazil, in its closest to Nature's form. No processing or additives included. All Natural.
Posted at 5:26PM on Apr 1st 2008 by Chuck
39. Eating whole foods is the only way to vibrant health and healing from stress syndromes and diseases. For a complete list of the best foods in all the world for health and healing, visit www.thecaptainslady.com and click on "Eating, Naturally!" at the top of the page!
Posted at 5:27PM on Apr 1st 2008 by Mari
40. The Acai berry makes the blueberry look weak....Monavie has the highest orac factor and has shown in blind studies on rats to kill cancer cells..it has changed many lives in all different ways....http://mymonavie.com/sarchbold
Posted at 5:29PM on Apr 1st 2008 by mailman75