What is a superfood?

The term superfood isn’t actually scientific; it’s just a word commonly used to describe a particularly nutritious food started in the early 20th century as a marketing strategy for bananas by the United Fruit Company. (1)

To qualify as a superfood, it must contain compounds that are beneficial to human health. This can include antioxidants, fibre or fatty acids.¹ Here, we will be discussing 3 fruits that can be labelled as a superfood…and surprise! All of them can be found in our supplements!

Superfood 1 - Kiwi 

Kiwifruit is an absolute superfood - considered the most nutritious fruit, it’s well worth adding to your diet. 

In terms of vitamins and minerals, kiwi fruit flesh is pretty astonishing. 100-grams of kiwi contains 83% of the daily value of Vitamin C, as well as vitamins E and K, folate, copper, potassium and magnesium.2 This dense content of essential nutrients is what makes kiwi a superfood.

Although eating the skin isn’t very popular, it is incredibly good for you. Adding 50% more fibre, 34% more vitamin E and folate by 32% by eating the skin and the flesh, it’s well worth it if you can tolerate the texture.

Kiwis contain carotenoids, which can help protect you against heart disease and certain types of cancer. Kiwi is packed with fibre - just 2 kiwis are 20% of your daily fibre needs. Due to the high vitamin C content, kiwis can help to support the immune system. 

At The Gut Co, we truly value the kiwi and its incredible benefits for the body, including the gut; that’s why we include Actazin, a natural kiwifruit power, in our signature formula, Gut Care. 

Superfood 2 - Acerola Cherry Fruit

Acerola cherry fruit is another fantastic fruit that we appreciate the benefits of. That’s why we include it in our Immune Boost formula. 

Packed with vitamin C and phytonutrients, acerola cherry fruit can reduce oxidative stress caused by free radicals and improve the gut's immune function. Areola cherry benefits digestion and stimulates regular gut motility, helping to reduce the risk of constipation. 

As it is able to benefit the gut and improve the function of the immune system, acerola cherry is perhaps one of the most underrated fruits out there. It’s not actually a cherry; the edible seeds make it more closely related to berries.

Just 3 acerola cherries give you all of your vitamin C needs, making it by far the most nutritious for its size when it comes to vitamin C content. They are also high in anthocyanins, making them great brain food. Anthocyanins can improve the function of brain receptors and help to protect you from developing cognitive disorders or suffering memory loss.²

Superfood 3 - Grapes

Last but by no means least, the fruit your mum probably shoved in your lunch boxes…the grape. Grapes are a good source of fibre, vitamin K, copper, and vitamins B1 and B2. They also contain some potassium, manganese and vitamins C, E and B6.³

Grapes’ skin, flesh and seeds are edible, and all have nutritional benefits. Grapes are high in antioxidants, with the highest concentrations found in the skin and seeds. Consuming antioxidants lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and death from all causes.⁴

If you like a glass of wine, we have good news. The antioxidant properties of grapes are not impacted by the fermentation process. This means that wine is also a good source of antioxidants. As always, we encourage you to drink responsibly if you choose to do so! 

Our formula Skin Health contains grapeseed extract; abundant in anthocyanins, grapeseed helps to stimulate the production of collagen, which is responsible for maintaining skin elasticity. The antioxidant content translates into our supplements, which can reduce oxidative stress and signs of ageing. 

Conclusion

We understand the importance of consuming the essential nutrients available in fruits, so we’ve cherry-picked some of the best available to include in our supplements. Why not try including some of these fruits in your diet, too? Gaining your nutritional content from your food is essential for maintaining good health, even if you supplement on top of that. 

If you'd like to read more about the ingredients we include in our supplements,  click here. Each product page contains a full list of the ingredients and their benefits! If you have any questions about the ingredients we use, please email us at info@thegutco.com, where we'll be happy to help.