Few nutrients are held to such high regard in the West as vitamin C. This essential antioxidant, which is commonly called the “anti-aging” vitamin, performs a large number of important roles in our bodies, from scavenging free radicals, aiding collagen production, healing wounds, and more. Despite its biological importance, however, our bodies cannot store it like most other vitamins. This means that we must consume vitamin C-rich foods on a daily basis in order to…
Few tropical fruits are as versatile as coconuts. These unique, round drupes, whose name derives from the sixteenth century Spanish word for “head” or “skull,” are processed around the world to make coconut milk, flour, sugar, and butter, countless soap and cosmetic products, and, of course, coconut oil – one of the greatest superfoods on Earth. In fact, coconut products have become so popular in the West that we often overlook the fruit in its…
Maqui is a tree that is native to the temperate rainforests of Chile and certain regions of southern Argentina. Its sweet-tasting berries, which resemble blackcurrants in size and color, have been consumed by Mapuche Indians for hundreds of years. Indeed, Mapuche warriors attribute renowned stamina and vigor to their consumption of maqui berries. Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional profile of these little-known fruits and find out why Chile’s indigenous people hold them…
Aronia berries, also called chokeberries, are dark purple-colored fruits that are native to eastern North America. They grow on green-leaved deciduous shrubs that are commonly found in swamps and wet woods. Although aronia berries are not well-known, even in their native continent, their reputation has increased of late due to some well-publicized campaigns declaring them to be the “world’s healthiest fruit.” List of Health Benefits Unsurpassed antioxidant activity – The aronia berry’s biggest draw is…
Goji berries, also called wolfberries, are the fruits of the Lycium barbarum and Lycium chinense plants. Native to southeastern Europe and Asia, these fruits are characterized by their bright orange-red color and raisin-like shape. They have been cultivated in Asia for over 2000 years, and have been nicknamed “red diamonds” due to their unusually high nutritional value. Traditional Chinese medicine was perhaps the first healing system to understand and utilize the berries for medicinal purposes,…
