The terms “functional food” and “super food” are popping up everywhere nowadays, but just what do these terms mean? How does a food qualify as a “super food”? That certain foods have healing powers is a concept that is as old as civilization, but it is only now making a splash in the West. However, it is important to note that not all foods that are advertised as “super foods” are proven as having healing properties, and as such, one must be very careful about what they believe in the avalanche of hype sprouting up on the Internet and elsewhere.

Why the Sudden Interest in Super Foods?

There are a number of reasons why the functional foods industry is growing at incredible rates every year. First of all, the populations of many industrial nations, such as the United States, Canada, Japan, China, Britain, and elsewhere, are aging rapidly. Baby boomers are beginning to taste their own mortality and are taking notice of how they treat their bodies.

“In the U.S., baby boomers who started turning 50 in 1996 are doing so at a rate of 300,000 per month. The interest in retarding the aging process and remaining healthy will continue to drive the market demand for functional food products,” noted Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada.

Another reason for the surge in the functional foods industry is the increasing scientific research being done into the effects of certain foods on the body and mind. It has long been known in Asia that certain foods have incredible medicinal value, and with the sharing of research between world scientists, this knowledge is beginning to make its way to North America and elsewhere. Foods that have a long history of medicinal use are only now being verified as having medicinal value through peer reviewed research. An example of this is the goji berry (a.k.a. Wolfberry, a.k.a Himalayan Goji Juice).

Just a few short years ago this berry was virtually unknown in North America. However, nutritionists and other researchers have since added countless studies to the medical databases involving the berries, and this has fueled a flurry of marketing websites from marketing networks and natural foods companies. These studies have been published in a number of peer-reviewed medical journals in Asia and elsewhere, and a number of natural healers and doctors have promoted the use of goji juice or berries.

What to Watch For

Unfortunately, there are many products available that have little or no scientific backing, and if you enter a health food store, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the dizzying array of choices you are faced with. It is therefore extremely important to first consult with a doctor who is familiar with the medicinal properties of plants (not many regular doctors are, so you’ll have to find a good naturopathic doctor or traditional Chinese doctor, etc.). Take a good look in the PubMed medical database online, and do your research. Don’t depend on companies who sell the products to get your information, find the skeptics. This is very important, as some plants may actually be damaging to your system. Other plants are very healthy for some people, but do not work well for others. Since everyone’s body chemistry is different, it is important to get the advice of someone who is knowledgeable about such natural healing products. Using goji berries or goji juice as an example again, they may overstimulate the liver if used in excess. Although they are very beneficial to the liver, it may be wise to start off with around 20 berries per day and then slowly increase the dosage, according to naturopathic doctor Michelle Garieri of the Kingston Wellness Centre in Kingston, Ontario.

Food vs. Pharmaceuticals

The truth is, if everyone ate optimally, it would not be uncommon to see people living to be well over 100 years old. Most of our aging takes place due to our eating habits. Eating cooked foods, processed foods, and downright synthetic foods is the main cause of aging, according to many doctors. Most people simply do not get enough natural foods in their diet, specifically fresh fruits and vegetables. Instead, drugs are often prescribed to cover the symptoms that were initially caused by eating poorly. Unfortunately, our bodies are better adapted to foods than pharmaceuticals, so functional foods have few side effects, whereas pharmaceuticals do little except cover the symptoms while supporting a “disease economy”.

Take it Over Time

Another aspect of the functional foods industry that often goes unmentioned is the fact that health foods are much more effective if used over time. Many Asians are well aware of the beneficial effects of using certain “tonics” over the long term. Such plants as He shou wu, Gotu Kola, American Ginseng, and Astragalus are examples of herbs that, used over a period of time, can help to boost the health of specific bodily systems, or the overall health of the body in general.

Whereas our health system and its medicines focus on treating the symptoms, many functional foods are used to prevent the illness to begin with by providing the body with materials it can use to repair existing damage, improve communication between cells, fortify the immune system and protect against free radicals. A number of herbs have symptom-treating functions as well, but these are used only when preventative measures have failed.

In conclusion, many benefits can come from exploring the so-called “super foods”, many of which have been adopted from the ranks of traditional Asian medicinal herbs and foods. As long as one remembers that many of these herbs are indeed medicine, and should be treated as such, this is a relatively safe area to explore. There are many foods that you can begin eating immediately, and besides the aforementioned goji berries, one can also achieve many benefits from eating such super foods as sea buckthorn berries, acai berries, garlic, kale, pomegranates, cinnamon, flax seed and oil, turmeric, algae and brown basmati rice. This is by no means a comprehensive list, however.

For more information, visit http://www.antiagingaid.net and http://www.gojijuices.net, where you will find articles with extensive information on functional foods, comparisons of the companies selling certain natural health products and general information on anti-aging, including anti-aging advice on everything from how to eat to how to breath. At the later website, you will find extensive information about goji berries and goji juice, a highly nutritious, anti-oxidant rich plant with a lot of research backing its natural anti-aging properties.

Tags: goji juice, goji juice research, goji berries, functional foods, super foods, natural health, anti-aging

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