Care for a plate of broccoli and chlorella, with a tall glass of wheat grass juice? or how about some spirulina on the side, and a little Nova Scotia Dulse for flavor, garnished with a few sprinkles of bee pollen? and hey, Green Tea, anyone?
If you're wondering what that's all about—it's called Green Nutrition and all of those green foods are called green superfoods because they are tightly packed with health-supporting nutrients! And while Grandma knew the goodness of greens all along, science is just beginning to discover the wonderful world of nutrition through green superfoods.
Here's a list of ingredients that come from all over the world and how they function to support health:
Chlorella
The best chlorella comes from Japan.
Chlorella is a blue-green algae packed with protein. In fact, chlorella is 60% protein and also contains a good amount of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a pre-cursor of Vitamin A.
In Japan, chlorella is harvested in cultural pools hygienically maintained which renders it free from toxins and chemical additives. Japan has developed a technology called "Cracked cell chlorella" by which the cell walls of the chlorella are broken. This enables chlorella to release nutrients into your body as soon as chlorella is ingested.
Nova Scotia Dulse
Nova Scotia Dulse is a sea vegetable, mostly cultivated in Nova Scotia, near the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. It makes a good snack food but it also has medicinal properties. It has a high protein and fiber content and contains trace elements, minerals and vitamins.
Barley Grass Juice Powder
Barley grass juice powder contains almost a complete source of nutrition which include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, enzymes, chlorophyll, and phytochemicals. Clinical tests reveal that barley grass juice powder contains 11 times more calcium than cow's milk; and 7 times more Vitamin C than 7 oranges.
Wheatgrass Juice Extract
Wheatgrass juice extract consists of 70% chlorophyll along with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and powerful enzymes. Chlorophyll stimulates production of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is responsible for carrying oxygen to the body. More oxygen to the body helps to improve blood sugar levels, helps to combat toxins thus purifying the blood. The organs of the body, specifically the brain and tissues, work better when more oxygen is received.
The high vitamin content found in wheatgrass juice is believed to be of benefit to certain skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
Wheat Sprout Powder
Wheat sprouts are a rich source of chlorophyll and studies have demonstrated its potential in motivating tissue growth and in stimulating red blood cells. Wheat sprouts contain very high levels of organic phosphates and powerful flavonoids with antioxidant abilities.1-2
Spirulina Organic
Like chorella, spirulina is rich in protein content. It consists of 65-71% protein. The protein in Spirulina is five times more easily digestible than meat or soy protein. Spirulina is rich in chlorophyll which, among other benefits, helps to detoxify the body and help build up the immunity of the body.
Spirulina contains many trace minerals such as potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, selenium, iron, phosphorus. It is rich in B-complex vitamins such as pyridoxine (B6), biotin, cobalamin (B12), pantothenic acid, folic acid, inositol, niacin, riboflavin (B2), thiamine (B1), as well as tocopherol (vitamin E) and beta-cartenoids.
Kola Nut
Kola nut (Cola) grows in the tropical rainforests of Africa.
Clinical studies on humans indicate that kola nuts increase attentiveness and stamina.
Soy Lecithin
The United States grows 50% of the world's production of soybeans.
Soybeans are known to have high protein content, with essential fatty acids, and fiber. They also contain vitamins and minerals. Lecithin contains choline, a main constituent of every cell membrane. Lecithin and choline are being studied for their role in retaining memory and cognizance.
Bee Pollen
Major producers of bee pollen are Argentina, China, Mexico, and Brazil.
Bee pollen contains high amounts of B vitamin complex, as well as Vitamins A, C, D, E, 22 amino acids, 27 mineral salts, more than 5,000 enzymes and co-enzymes that are needed for the digestive system. It also contains rutin, a bioflavanoid needed to strengthen the capillaries.
Bee pollen is usually taken because of its ability to provide stamina, to build up the immune system, and for detoxification. Olympic athletes have used bee pollen to enhance their athletic performance.
Royal Jelly
Royal Jelly is another product of the bees. Royal Jelly is used to feed the Queen Bee. It is rich in nutrients—B-complex vitamins, nucleic acids, amino acids, lipids, phospholipids, carbohydrates and minerals such as zinc, potassium, magnesium and calcium. It is known to be the richest individual source of pantothenic acid, which works on the nerves helping to reduce the impact of stress on the body.
Barley Malt
Barley Malt originates from China.
It is a whole-food sweetner made from an extract of sprouted barley and contains vitamins, minerals and protein.
Green Tea Extract
The original Green Tea comes from China and other parts of the East.
Green Tea is known to speed up the metabolism of the body and is thus used in weight management programs. It is known to have anti-aging properties because of its high antioxidant power.
Kelp Powder
Kelp grows in the North Atlantic Sea, deep in the sub-tidal cold waters.
Kelp powder contains chlorophyll and essential fatty acids which enhance the youthfulness of skin. It also contains protein.
Epichanea Augustifolia
This herb is native to Southern Canada and is also found in Texas.
Research indicates that it has a positive effect on the immune system. It does this by stimulating white cell production.3
Acerola OrganicThe Acerola plant grows in the Amazon Rainforest. The berries from this plant are known to have the highest Vitamin C content.
Quercetin
Quercetin is a flavonoid found in many plants. Clinical studies demonstrate that is has anti-inflammatory properties. It also is known to inhibit the production of histamines and other allergens. It is a powerful antioxidant.
Suma Powder
The Suma plant is commonly found in Brazil, Peru, Ecuado and Venezuela. Suma is considered to assist in the metabolism of glucose, as well as help build up the immune and endocrine systems.
Eleuthero Root
Eleuthero is grown in southeastern Siberia and in the peninsula of Korea. It has also adapted itself in the forests of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and northern California.
Eleuthero aids the body to combat stress. It helps to boost the immune system and also helps to add stamina.
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo biloba is among the oldest living tree species, each tree can live up to 1000 years! It grows in 2 small provinces in eastern China.
Ginkgo leaves contain two powerful antioxidants—flavonoids and terpenoids. Flavonoids are believed to protect the nerves, blood vessels, especially the retina and heart muscles. Terpenoids help to improve blood circulation by vasodilation and also help to reduce blood clots.
Bilberry
The Bilberry plant grows wild in parts of England, Scotland, Wales, Poland, and in the northern parts of Russia.
Bilberries contain high levels of anthcyanin pigments which research connects to lowered risks of cardiovascular disease and eye disease.4-6
Concord Grapes
This variety of grapes originated from England and was made famous in America by Welch. It grows in the Pacific northwest USA.
Concord grapes are known for their rich flavor. They contain potassium, vitamin C, flavonoids and anthocyanidins. These support healthy blood vessels.
Cinnamon Powder
Cinnamon originally comes from Sri Lanka. As a medicine, cinnamon is used for combating the common cold. Cinnamon exhibits antimicrobial properties and has high antioxidant activity.7-8
Turmeric Rhizome
Ninety percent of the world production of turmeric comes from India. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin which is largely known for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
DGL Licorice
Most of the licorice production is in Greece, Turkey, and Asia. Licorice has been used to aid digestion. It is widely used as a flavoring agent, being 50 times sweeter than sugar.
Stevia
Stevia is a member of the sunflower family and grows in South and Central Americas. Stevia is used as a natural sweetner because it has 300 times the sweetness of table sugar. It is popular in weight management programs and is known to enhance glucose tolerance levels and help to maintain normal blood pressure.9-11
Spearmint
Spearmint is known to be a stimulant. It is also used as a carminative and exhibits anti-spasmodic properties.
A convenient way to get a blend of the world's best green superfoods is through green superfood supplements. These supplements combine green vegetables, fruits, probiotics, and other health-supporting ingredients to give you the perfect balance of complete nutrition you need to support good health. Most importantly, in spite of the combination of so many suspiciously healthy ingredients, Royal Greens Ultra still manages to please the palate!
References:
- Antioxidant Activity of Wheat Sprouts Extract In Vitro: Inhibition of DNA Oxidative Damage, Journal of Food Science, Vol, 67, No. 8, 2918-2922, 2002.
- Nutritional Relevance of Wheat Sprouts Containing High Levels of Organic Phosphates and Antioxidant Compounds. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2004 Jul;38(6 Suppl):S123-6.
- A proprietary extract from the echinacea plant (Echinacea purpurea) enhances systemic immune response during a common cold. Phytother Res. 2005 Aug;19(8):689-94. PMID: 16177972.
- Direct vasoactive and vasoprotective properties of anthocyanin-rich extracts. J Appl Physiol. 2006 Apr;100(4):1164-70.
- Efficacy of troxerutin on streptozotocin-induced rat model in the early stage of diabetic retinopathy. Arzneimittelforschung. 2005;55(10):573-80.
- Anti-angiogenic property of edible berries. Free Radic Res. 2002 Sep;36(9):1023-31.
- Antioxidant activity of cinnamon (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, Breyne) extracts". Boll Chim Farm 137 (11): 443–7. PMID 10077878.
- Solid- and vapor-phase antimicrobial activities of six essential oils: susceptibility of selected foodborne bacterial and fungal strains. J. Agric. Food Chem. 53 (17): 6939–46. doi:10.1021/jf050709v. PMID 16104824.
- Immune up regulatory response of a non-caloric natural sweetener, stevioside.Chem Biol Interact. 2008 May 28;173(2):115-21. Epub 2008 Jan 31.PMID: 18405890
- A double-blind placebo-controlled study of the effectiveness and tolerability of oral stevioside in human hypertension. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2000 Sep;50(3):215-20.PMID: 10971305
- Effect of Stevia rebaudiana on glucose tolerance in normal adult humans. Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res. 19 (6): 771–4. PMID 3651629.