What is a Superfruit and Why Are They Important?

First, there were superfoods and now there are superfruits but what exactly makes a food super? While there is no official scientific definition, the Oxford English Dictionary describes a superfood as a “nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being.”¹** 

Superfruits are now an important sub-category of superfoods. Why have superfruits become so popular?

Benefits of Superfruit Foods

Foods have compounds that can either help or harm health. Fruits happen to contain a variety of important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals that promote health in a variety of ways.² The more of these health-promoting compounds the fruit has, the more beneficial it is and that’s what makes it a superfruit.

It’s long been known that eating more fruit is good for health. Research continues to show that eating fruit, especially superfruits like pomegranate, cranberries, and citrus, helps support the immune system, cardiovascular health, blood sugar balance, and more.³ One of the reasons superfruits are some of the most nutritious foods available for good health is because they have high antioxidant activity.⁴

Some of the more popular superfruits to consider include acai berry, acerola cherry, gooseberry, pomegranate, goji berry, banana, apple, strawberry, peach, papaya, cranberry, and mango. Combining these superfruits with important nutrients like zinc and vitamins A, C, and E, will help boost antioxidant levels even further and provide additional immune system support.

Superfruits to the Rescue

There is a reason the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend adults consume 1.5 to two cups of fruit each day and yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2019 that only about 12% of adults in the United States are eating that amount.⁵ 

If it’s challenging for you to get the recommended amount of fruit daily and you are looking to increase your consumption of superfruits, consider taking a high-quality dietary supplement in the form of a tasty gummy that contains a wide variety of superfruits. If you prefer to take a gummy that is vegan-friendly and made with no added sugar and only natural flavors, consider Superfruit Max Gummies.

Superfruits are some of the most nutritious foods on earth. In addition to eating more fruit in your daily diet, adding more superfruits to your routine will help support health on many levels.

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References

1. Bajramova A, Spegel P. A comparative study of the fatty acids profile of common fruits and fruits claimed to confer health benefits. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 2022;112. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157522002757
2. Liu J, Xu D, Chen S, et al. Superfruits in China: bioactive phytochemicals and their potential health benefits—a review. Food Science & Nutrition. 2021;9(12):6892-6902. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8645738/
3. Abobatta W. Nutritional and healthy benefits of fruits. Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research. 2021. 40(2):31979-31983. https://biomedres.us/fulltexts/BJSTR.MS.ID.006412.php
4. Chang S, Alasalvar C, Shahidi F. Superfruits: phytochemicals, antioxidant efficacies, and health effects—a comprehensive review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2019;59(10):1580-1604. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29360387/
5. Lee S, Moore LV, Park S, et al. Adults meeting fruit and vegetable intake recommendations — United States, 2019. CDC. 2022;71(1):1-9. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7101a1.htm