Every week it feels as if some scientist or other publishes a report on the benefits of superfoods. You could be forgiven for thinking that you need to pack your bags and go and live overseas in order to benefit from some of these miraculous products. This isn’t the case. Here are five wonderful superfoods that are grown in the UK.
1. Protect your tomatoes
The tomato is a fantastic superfood. Some claim it’s an excellent resource in the fight against cancer thanks to its abundance of vitamins and free radicals. If you’re the consumer and customer buying tomatoes, eat often to benefit from its fantastic properties. If you’re the farmer who is growing tomatoes on a commercial basis, protect your product carefully – click here to get more information about insuring your precious crop and guarding against misfortune. An unexpected summer storm could destroy everything.
2. Asparagus is good for you
Asparagus is a strange plant. It is alleged to be an aphrodisiac, but that’s not why it’s strange. It grows in an unusual way and can be difficult to establish. Persevere, though. The website British Asparagus extols its virtues and claims that this superfood can help in combating cancer, heart disease and build up your immune system. It isn’t just a health booster; asparagus can also improve your nails, skin, and hair. You can also use this vegetable if you’re planning a detox or want to improve your digestion.
3. Let broccoli become your new friend
Many people have an image of overcooked and soggy broccoli in their memories from revolting school dinners. It’s time to abandon those memories and learn how to embrace broccoli. The NHS suggests that broccoli is a ‘nutritional showstopper.’ Eating broccoli can ‘reduce the risk of some cancers,’ and can reduce cholesterol. You don’t have to boil this vegetable to death, in fact it tastes much nicer when eaten al dente with some toasted almonds scattered on its surface. The tender shoots of purple sprouting broccoli are delicious.
4. Beautiful beetroot
Beetroot is another vegetable that’s recently seen a rise in its popularity. Long valued by Eastern Europeans for its versatility and delicious taste, in the UK we tended to either eat it cold in salads or pickled. An article in The Daily Mail claims that it can reduce high blood pressure and improve the effects of exercise on the brain, as well as enhance athletic performance. This superfood is also an excellent source of folic acid and nitrates, all of which can help fight cancer. It also grows in abundance in the UK.
5. Stay in the UK and enjoy its wonderful superfoods
The UK doesn’t just produce health-boosting vegetables. Many traditional fruits grown in this country can also be called superfoods. Blueberries have long been awarded superfood status, but apples, blackberries, elderberries and blackcurrants all grow in abundance in the UK. These fruits are packed full of vitamins. Blackberries are good at ‘inhibiting the growth of skin tumours.’ Blackcurrants contain ‘four times the adult daily requirement of vitamin C’. These minute berries are also said to help in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Apples, meanwhile, contain some great terpenes – aromatic compounds that are great for adding different flavour profiles to your food. If you’re interested in pairing terpenes with meals, they’re a great addition to various sweet and savoury dishes!
There really is no need to flee abroad for superfoods, even the UK’s hedgerows are packed full with nature’s natural medicines. Eating berries every day might indeed keep the doctor away.
Wonderful