Super Foods

[Mike in Denver]

List is not complete. Please add to it. I've tried to restrict the list to fairly common foods. For instance beef spleen is one of the few animal foods high in vitamin C. It's unlikely that you would find spleen at any ordinary grocery. Ditto, rare fruits such as camu camu. This fruit is purported to contain gigantic amounts of vitamin C. Outside of a few urban hippy groceries it is unlikely you will find it.

I think a list like this is important. We are all likely to be somewhat deficient in needed vitamins and minerals. It is useful to know that there are some easy to find foods that are very, and in some cases, extremely high in nutrients.

mike

Super Foods

*) Calf Liver
- Vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid
- Iron, phosphorus, copper, selenium, zinc
*) Oysters
- Vitamin D, vitamin B12, Iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium
*) Mussels
- Vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B12, folate
- Iron, phosphorus, manganese, selenium
*) Sardines
- Vitamin D, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B12
- Calcium, iron, phosphorus, selenium
*) Salmon
- Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid
- Phosphorus, potassium, copper, selenium
*) Eggs
- Vitamin K2, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E
- Riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid
*) Cheese (aged, fermented – sheep and goat best)
- Vitamin K2, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B12
- Calcium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium
*) Butter
- Vitamin K2, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E
*) Turnip greens, mustard greens, spinach, any greens
- Vitamin K1, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate
*) Garlic, ginger, turmeric
- various benefits

--

[Steven L. Akins]

Originally Posted by Mike in Denver

List is not complete. Please add to it. I've tried to restrict the list to fairly common foods. For instance beef spleen is one of the few animal foods high in vitamin C. It's unlikely that you would find spleen at any ordinary grocery. Ditto, rare fruits such as camu camu. This fruit is purported to contain gigantic amounts of vitamin C. Outside of a few urban hippy groceries it is unlikely you will find it.

I think a list like this is important. We are all likely to be somewhat deficient in needed vitamins and minerals. It is useful to know that there are some easy to find foods that are very, and in some cases, extremely high in nutrients.

mike

Super Foods

*) Calf Liver
- Vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid
- Iron, phosphorus, copper, selenium, zinc
*) Oysters
- Vitamin D, vitamin B12, Iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium
*) Mussels
- Vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B12, folate
- Iron, phosphorus, manganese, selenium
*) Sardines
- Vitamin D, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B12
- Calcium, iron, phosphorus, selenium
*) Salmon
- Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid
- Phosphorus, potassium, copper, selenium
*) Eggs
- Vitamin K2, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E
- Riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid
*) Cheese (aged, fermented – sheep and goat best)
- Vitamin K2, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B12
- Calcium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium
*) Butter
- Vitamin K2, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E
*) Turnip greens, mustard greens, spinach, any greens
- Vitamin K1, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate
*) Garlic, ginger, turmeric
- various benefits

--

Strangely enough I avoid all of the above like the plague, with the exception of cheese, garlic and butter.

[Leonard Rouse]

Avocado
Unsaturated fats, potassium, magnesium, folate, beta sitosterol, fiber (high in calories; cheap. . .year round)

Blueberries
Antioxidants (expensive. . .buy in season)

Walnuts
Vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids, folate, zinc, fiber (high in calories; expensive. . .buy in shell)

[Mike in Denver]

Originally Posted by Leonard Rouse

Avocado
Unsaturated fats, potassium, magnesium, folate, beta sitosterol, fiber (high in calories; cheap. . .year round) [Expensive here in Colorado, though sometimes not - A botanical fruit. I like them a lot.]

Blueberries
Antioxidants (expensive. . .buy in season) [Buy them frozen at Costco - Not too expensive.]

Walnuts
Vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids, folate, zinc, fiber (high in calories; expensive. . .buy in shell) [Almonds even higher in vitamin E - I like both.]

Bananas - Believe it or not, bananas have a good spread of vitamins and minerals - not spectacular but good.

Mike

[Steven L. Akins]

Originally Posted by Mike in Denver

Bananas - Believe it or not, bananas have a good spread of vitamins and minerals - not spectacular but good.

Mike

What about olives and dates? Aren't those Mediterranean staples? They must be healthy and good for you.

[Leonard Rouse]

Yep. I forgot almonds. I actually eat them often and really like them!

Regarding blueberries, I meant to imply one could buy them in season when they're relatively cheap and freeze them. Thanks for the Costco tip.

[Leonard Rouse]

Originally Posted by Steven L. Akins

What about olives and dates? Aren't those Mediterranean staples? They must be healthy and good for you.

I think those go on the list, too.

Dates are sort-of like nuts in that they're calorie dense. But instead of fats, they're loaded with sugars.

Olives are fantastic, but tend to be high in sodium. [EDIT: . . .in the typical jars and cans.]

Olive oil could go on the list, I think.

[Mike in Denver]

Originally Posted by Steven L. Akins

What about olives and dates? Aren't those Mediterranean staples? They must be healthy and good for you.

Could be, and I'm working in that direction. I started looking at only very extreme high nutrition foods, almost all of which are animal products. I suspect our ancestors before they settled on farms ate meat, fish, fowl, eggs of wild fowl and rarely ate vegetables/fruits and only if they had to.

The parts of animals that have extreme nutritive value tend to be the organ meat. Mollusks also have extreme nutritive value.

Meat itself, say beef, is also very high in nutrients, as is lamb and goat. Poultry and pork a little less.

The ancient Egyptians had what a food hippy would consider a perfect diet -- lots of vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts, and seeds. Strangely their remains show evidence of arthritis, rickets, dental caries...generally lousy health. They had a very low consumption of meat or even fish.

Mike

[Sebastian]

Originally Posted by Steven L. Akins

Strangely enough I avoid all of the above like the plague, with the exception of cheese, garlic and butter.

You don't like greens? Most people from the south I know love them. I've never tried them.

[Steven L. Akins]

Originally Posted by Sebastian

You don't like greens? Most people from the south I know love them. I've never tried them.

No. I grew up in a family that had them regularly, but they always gagged me. Disgusting. I never developed a taste for them.

[Horseman]

The idea that there's some magical food you can consume that will improve your health is 1000's of years old. But in reality, there is no such thing. Food is all pretty much the same, when you break it down. But there are supplements that can improve you.