Green Superfoods

Add these colourful foods to your daily diet to gain health benefits from each

Wheatgrass

Spinach

Chlorella

Moringa

Asparagus

Amalaki

Barley grass

Greens

Wheatgrass

Plant Phytonutrients

Glutathione, Green Pigment Chlorophyll and Minerals (especially high in Iron, Magnesium, Calcium), Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Antioxidants, Essential Amino Acids

Benefits

Has anti-inflammatory effects and has demonstrated reduced severity of ulcerative colitis.
Decreases the risk of bone marrow impairment, which is a common complication associated with chemotherapy.
Reduces total cholesterol and elevates good cholesterol HDL.

Source

Kothari S, Jain AK, Mehta SC, Tonpay SD. Hypolipidemic effect of fresh Triticum aestivum (wheat) grass juice in hypercholesterolemic rats. Acta Pol Pharm. 2011 Mar-Apr;68(2):291-4
Sethi J, Yadav M, Dahiya K, Sood S, Singh V, Bhattacharya SB. Antioxidant effect of Triticum aestivium (wheat grass) in high-fat diet-induced oxidative stress in rabbits. Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 2010 May;32(4):233-5.
Bar-Sela G, Tsalic M, Fried G, Goldberg H. Wheat grass juice may improve hematological toxicity related to chemotherapy in breast cancer patients: a pilot study. Nutr Cancer. 2007;58(1):43-8.
Ben-Arye E, Goldin E, Wengrower D, Stamper A, Kohn R, Berry E. Wheat grass juice in the treatment of active distal ulcerative colitis: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2002 Apr;37(4):444-9.

Greens

Spinach

Plant Phytonutrients

Chlorophyll, Carotenoids (Beta Carotene, Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Coumaric Acid, Violaxanthin, Ferulic Acid), Vitamins, Minerals.

Benefits

Has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous properties and has also shown role in eye health improvement.
Provides copious nutrients and health benefits for cardiovascular health, particularly dietary nitrates.
Prevents oxidative damage and various chronic illnesses due to the presence of various antioxidants.
Improves skin and hair health

Source

Top 5 health benefits of spinach By Jo Lewin – Registered nutritionist
Bunea A, Andjelkovic M, Socaciu C, Bobis O, Neacsu M, Verhé R, Camp JV. Total and individual carotenoids and phenolic acids content in fresh, refrigerated and processed spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). Food Chem. 2008 May 15;108(2):649-56.
Moser B, Szekeres T, Bieglmayer C, Wagner KH, Mišík M, Kundi M, Zakerska O, Nersesyan A, Kager N, Zahrl J, Hoelzl C, Ehrlich V, Knasmueller S. Impact of spinach consumption on DNA stability in peripheral lymphocytes and on biochemical blood parameters: results of a human intervention trial. Eur J Nutr. 2011 Oct;50(7):587-94.

Greens

Chlorella

Plant Phytonutrients

Carotenoids (predominantly Lutein), Dietary Antioxidants (α-Carotene, β-Carotene, Ascorbic Acid, α-Tocopherol), Niacin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Chlorophyll A, Chlorophyll B, Omega-3s, Fibres, Minerals.

Benefits

Helps lower the harmful chemicals and heavy metals in liver, brain, and kidneys.
Enhances immune function by increasing the activity of various immune system components.
Provides protection against ageing, respiratory disorders, and chronic diseases.
Enhances liver health and eye health.
Lowers blood sugar levels and regulates insulin sensitivity.

Source

Zhai, Q., Narbad, A., & Chen, W. (2015). Dietary strategies for the treatment of cadmium and lead toxicity. Nutrients, 7(1), 552–571. Dietary Strategies for the Treatment of Cadmium and Lead Toxicity by Qixiao Zhai,Arjan Narbad and Wei Chen
Kwak JH, Baek SH, Woo Y, Han JK, Kim BG, Kim OY, Lee JH. Beneficial immunostimulatory effect of short-term Chlorella supplementation: enhancement of natural killer cell activity and early inflammatory response (randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial). Nutr J. 2012 Jul 31;11:53.
Halperin SA, Smith B, Nolan C, Shay J, Kralovec J. Safety and immunoenhancing effect of a Chlorella-derived dietary supplement in healthy adults undergoing influenza vaccination: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. CMAJ. 2003 Jul 22;169(2):111-7.
Panahi Y, Darvishi B, Jowzi N, Beiraghdar F, Sahebkar A. Chlorella vulgaris: A Multifunctional Dietary Supplement with Diverse Medicinal Properties. Curr Pharm Des. 2016;22(2):164-73.

Greens

Moringa

Plant Phytonutrients

Antioxidants (Beta Carotene, Quercetin, Chlorogenic Acid), Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Minerals (Iron, Magnesium)

Benefits

Reduces arsenic toxicity through food contamination.
Has anti-inflammatory properties and helps prevent various chronic health problems.
Lowers blood sugar levels and diabetic levels.
Role in reducing risk of heart diseases by lowering the bad cholesterol level.

Source

Cheenpracha S, Park EJ, Yoshida WY, Barit C, Wall M, Pezzuto JM, Chang LC. Potential anti-inflammatory phenolic glycosides from the medicinal plant Moringa oleifera fruits. Bioorg Med Chem. 2010 Sep 1;18(17):6598-602.
Mbikay M. Therapeutic Potential of Moringa oleifera Leaves in Chronic Hyperglycemia and Dyslipidemia: A Review. Front Pharmacol. 2012 Mar 1;3:24.
Chattopadhyay S, Maiti S, Maji G, Deb B, Pan B, Ghosh D. Protective role of Moringa oleifera (Sajina) seed on arsenic-induced hepatocellular degeneration in female albino rats. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2011 Aug;142(2):200-12.

Greens

Asparagus

Plant Phytonutrients

Antioxidants, Glutathione, Polyphenols, Flavonoids, Folate, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Minerals, Fibres.

Benefits

Helps protect pregnant ladies against neural tube defects, including spina bifida.
Presence of bioactive compounds dilate blood vessels and help in lowering blood pressure.
Promotes immune health, digestive health as well as reduces the risk of heart problems, blood sugar, and diabetes.

Source

Li B, Li F, Wang L, Zhang D. Fruit and Vegetables Consumption and Risk of Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2016 May;18(5):468-76.
InterAct Consortium. Dietary fibre and incidence of type 2 diabetes in eight European countries: the EPIC-InterAct Study and a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Diabetologia. 2015 Jul;58(7):1394-408.
López, P., González-Rodríguez, I., Gueimonde, M., Margolles, A., & Suárez, A. (2011). Immune response to Bifidobacterium bifidum strains support Treg/Th17 plasticity. PloS one, 6(9), e24776. Immune Response to Bifidobacterium bifidum Strains Support Treg/Th17 Plasticity by Patricia López, Irene González-Rodríguez, Miguel Gueimonde, Abelardo Margolles, Ana Suárez
Czeizel AE, Dudás I, Vereczkey A, Bánhidy F. Folate deficiency and folic acid supplementation: the prevention of neural-tube defects and congenital heart defects. Nutrients. 2013 Nov 21;5(11):4760-75.
Pitkin RM. Folate and neural tube defects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan;85(1):285S-288S.
Sanae M, Yasuo A. Green asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) prevented hypertension by an inhibitory effect on angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in the kidney of spontaneously hypertensive rats. J Agric Food Chem. 2013 Jun 12;61(23):5520-5.

Greens

Amalaki

Plant Phytonutrients

Antioxidants, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Flavonols (Quercetin, Myricetin, Kaempferol, Isorhamnetin), Anthocyanins, Aromatic Acids (Chlorogenic, Coumaric, Hydroxybenzoic, Ellagic Acid), Organic Acids.

Benefits

Reduces the risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, viral infections, stroke, ageing, and heart problems.
Helps reduce blood sugar by preventing sugar absorption into the bloodstream.

Source

Nile SH, Park SW. Edible berries: bioactive components and their effect on human health. Nutrition. 2014 Feb;30(2):134-44.
Zhang YJ, Gan RY, Li S, Zhou Y, Li AN, Xu DP, Li HB. Antioxidant Phytochemicals for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases. Molecules. 2015 Nov 27;20(12):21138-56.
Grosso G. (2018). Effects of Polyphenol-Rich Foods on Human Health. Nutrients, 10(8), 1089. Effects of Polyphenol-Rich Foods on Human Health by Giuseppe Grosso
Romagnolo DF, Selmin OI. Flavonoids and cancer prevention: a review of the evidence. J Nutr Gerontol Geriatr. 2012;31(3):206-38.
Keenan BM, Robinson SR, Bishop GM. Effects of carboxylic acids on the uptake of non-transferrin-bound iron by astrocytes. Neurochem Int. 2010 May-Jun;56(6-7):843-9.
Marcia Da Silva Pinto, Young‐In Kwon, Emmanouil Apostolidis, Franco Maria Lajolo, Maria Inés Genovese Kalidas Shetty. Evaluation of red currants (ribes rubrum l.), black currants (ribes nigrum l.), red and green gooseberries (ribes uva‐crispa) for potential management of type 2 diabetes and hypertension using in vitro models. Journal of food biochemistry, 2010, 34, 3, 639-660.

Greens

Barley grass

Plant Phytonutrients

Antioxidants, Tryptophan, Saponarin, Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), Polyphenols, Fibres, Vitamins, Minerals.

Benefits

Boosts immunity, promotes weight loss and overall health.
Aids in reducing blood sugar and improves insulin sensitivity.
Improves heart health, decreases blood pressure, and reduces inflammation.

Source

Chandalia M, Garg A, Lutjohann D, von Bergmann K, Grundy SM, Brinkley LJ. Beneficial effects of high dietary fiber intake in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med. 2000 May 11;342(19):1392-8.
Zeng, Y., Pu, X., Du, J., Yang, X., Li, X., Mandal, M., Yang, T., & Yang, J. (2020). Molecular Mechanism of Functional Ingredients in Barley to Combat Human Chronic Diseases. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2020, 3836172. Molecular Mechanism of Functional Ingredients in Barley to Combat Human Chronic Diseases by Yawen Zeng, Xiaoying Pu, Juan Du, Xiaomeng Yang, Xia Li, Md. Siddikun Nabi Mandal, Tao Yang, and Jiazhen Yang