JUST HOW SUPER ARE SUPERFOODS?
GRAPEFRUIT
With obesity levels trebling inside the last 30 years and now two in
every three people having weight issues wouldn’t it be good if there existed a
food that could actually burn fat? Well
according to what some are telling us, there is; the humble grapefruit. A fruit, inexpensive, abundantly available and
quick and simple to prepare. Sounds too
good to be true? So can we believe what
we are being told about grapefruit actually having fat burning properties which
lead to weight loss?
The food we eat is separated into fat, sugar and protein which is absorbed
into our bloodstream, any excess is then stored as fat. Some of these fats are found in the liver and
it is here (the liver) where the grapefruit fat burning miracle is said to occur.
So should we all be signing up to The Grapefruit Diet as many thousands
have been doing since the 1930s?
Are these fat burning claims hype or fact? Well, yes grapefruit does contain a flavonoid
called Naringenin, which intense scientific study has confirmed does have fat
burning properties. However, just before
you rush off to the supermarket to stock up on this miracle superfood the bad
news is that for the compound to become activated and effective you would have
to consume around 40 grapefruits per meal.
WHICH IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
KALE
If asked to name one of the new big time centre stage ‘superfoods’ it is quite likely
that many people could nominate kale. We know
it’s a leafy green vegetable and as such provides a hit of essential vitamins,
nutrients and fibre but what may surprise you is that kale can help to maintain
good eyesight into old age. The primary
cause of age related sight impairment in the UK, is a condition called Macular
Degeneration. The macular, a region at
the back of the eye becomes worn with age and prolonged exposure to sunlight. Kale
contains pigments which can actually help in shielding sunlight from reaching
the back of the eye and therefore avoid erosion and so delay for some time
(though not permanently) the onset of this loss of sight.
CHARCOAL
Don’t get burned by claims around activated charcoal being the ultimate
in quick fix detox as supported by some celebrity websites and endorsements. It is true that charcoal contains cleaning
properties and it is also true that it is used in extreme cases in Emergency Room
scenarios to flush the system maybe as a result of an overdose.
However, this is the very effect that has
become such a hot potato among those researching clinical studies because it is believed
that the compounds in charcoal very likely have the effect of attaching onto
medications it may meet inside the human body, binding to them and effectively
removing them from the system. So if you
suffer from diabetes, hypertension or a thyroid condition or are taking
medication for HRT or contraception, unbeknownst to you the charcoal you ingest
via your £6 smoothie-shot could actually be eradicating all essential medication
from your body.
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