Exotic Superfood Swap

Editor's note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published on July 31, 2017.

I can't count how many times I've read an article or study about some “superfood” that is only found on some exotic island or in the wilds of China. Information about many superfoods is everywhere, and they may be interesting and have impressive nutritional profiles, but are there any superfoods near you?

How strange is it that everything that seems to help us lose weight, prevent cancer, and improve our brain power comes from the other side of the world?

Every state in the U.S. has its own list of native foods that provide impressive vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients for good health, so no matter where you live, there are local foods that can boost your health. Below are five local-to-exotic superfood swaps that will not only surprise you, but also spark your culinary passion.

Super Swap – Lemon Balm Instead of Cacao

Not many people would think that these two are interchangeable, and the taste may not be all that similar, but the effects seem similar. If you like chocolate, you know one of the reasons why people crave chocolate. It has a calming effect and even relieves some stress. Lemon balm, on the other hand, focuses on the “balsam” and is said to improve mood without the stimulation of caffeine.

Native to the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia, Melissa officinalis, like many other herbs, has been used as a remedy for centuries for its antiviral, antibacterial, antispasmodic, and antidepressant properties. According to Natural Living Ideas, here’s how it works:¹ It has the effect of relieving stress, relieving pain caused by indigestion, and increasing appetite.

Another use for lemon balm is to promote sleep. Steep the leaves in boiling water to make a tea, or rub a few leaves on your skin to release the natural oils into your bloodstream and help you relax. In fact, a study published in Phytomedicine found that about 81 percent of participants who used lemon balm with valerian root slept better than those who used a placebo.²

And a study from Northumbria University found that taking capsules filled with the dried herb in a lemon balm experiment improved memory and problem-solving skills. The subjects also performed “significantly” better on a standardized computerized test of memory than those given a placebo.³

One of the great things about lemon balm, a perennial and member of the mint family, is that it is easy to grow, especially in the spring. You can sow it from seed, or buy a small plant at a farmers market or nursery, and you will be amazed at how quickly it grows and spreads.

Acai berries can be substituted with blueberries

Acai berries (pronounced ah-sa-ee) are a cross between grapes and blueberries, and are very similar to blueberries, although they taste, oddly enough, like berries dipped in chocolate. They have been used in traditional medicine to treat parasitic infections, ulcers, bleeding, ulcers, and diarrhea.

Acai berries come from the Amazon region. In addition to the berries themselves, the juice and pulp are commonly added to teas, fruit drinks, fruit bars, and other products aimed at health and vitality.

Nutritionally, these little berries contain high levels of antioxidants, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. However, as beneficial as acai berries are, their nutritional profile is very similar to that of blueberries, which are grown throughout the coastal and central United States. The two types of blueberries are distinguished as highbush and lowbush, the latter being a wild variety and higher in anthocyanins. According to the Blueberry Council:

“The first commercial crop of Little Blue Dynamo went from farm to table over 100 years ago… Native to North America, blueberries have been around for more than 13,000 years, so blueberries have deep roots in our nation's history. Today, we are still enjoying the health benefits of blueberries and discovering that they have more to offer than our ancestors could have imagined.”⁴

Blueberries are amazing for your cardiovascular health, brain, insulin response, and even cancer prevention. They are packed with vitamin C, which boosts your immune system and helps build collagen, fiber, which helps your heart health by increasing regularity, and manganese, a mineral known for energy conversion and proper bone development.

Chickweed – New Wheat Sprouts

Greener than any grass you've ever seen, wheatgrass has been a major event in the health food industry for decades. People line up to pay big money for a small shot, and it tastes just like you'd imagine, like the aroma of freshly cut hay. One company describes it as “strange, but not unpleasant.”⁵

The many properties of this product include activating skin cells to prevent aging, purifying the blood, and fighting tumors. Clinical studies have shown that it contains 90 minerals, 20 essential amino acids, 13 vitamins, and 80 enzymes.

But it’s the 70 percent chlorophyll that’s structurally similar to red blood cells (hemoglobin) that makes it a superfood. World Lifestyle notes that when ingested, it converts to hemoglobin, mimicking red blood cells and transporting oxygen to vital parts of the body, and can even kill cancer cells, “since cancer cells cannot survive and thrive in an oxygen-rich environment.”⁶

But know this: Stellaria media is a wild edible plant (and beautiful, by the way) that grows in abundance all over the world except the coldest places like Antarctica. In addition to reducing insect damage to other plants, it is also full of vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll, like wheatgrass.

The stems and flowers of the plant can be eaten raw in salads or sandwiches, added to soups and stews, or added to cooked dishes (but the stems and leaves are fragile, so they should be added at the end of cooking).

The pioneers found that gathering the plant almost exclusively in the spring was useful both as food and medicine. As a food, Foraged Foodie⁷ When raw, it is covered with a thin layer of fibers, but when lightly chopped and roasted or withered, the fibers are minimized.

Rosehips can replace wolfberries

Goji berries are known for their high vitamin C content. Originally from Asia, the berries were used by the ancients to replenish fluids, improve skin, and calm the nerves. This bushy plant belongs to the nightshade family, along with tomatoes and peppers, and is said to help with insomnia, tuberculosis, and increasing testosterone.

On the other hand, rose hips, the fruit or seedpods of wild roses that grow throughout the United States in late summer or fall, are very high in vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, and are actually known as the world's richest source of this. This makes rose hips popular in many markets.

It was only in the past few decades that people began to wonder if rose hips actually had any nutritional value. Once used as animal food, today they are used as an ingredient in jams, jellies, pies, soups, breads, and wines. Bon Appetit adds:

“Rose hips are rich in flavonoids, just like flower petals. They are small but powerful antioxidant friends. Like nettles, rose hips are anti-inflammatory. The pectin in rose hips is also a heart-healthy medicine…”⁸

Tree hugger⁹ Adding vitamins A and E to the benefits of rose hips, you can make them into tea or even eat them to treat colds and sore throats. They also contain free radical-fighting antioxidants, so their anti-inflammatory properties can help treat rheumatoid arthritis.¹⁰

Odd-numbered pods also contain heart-healthy pectin. Organic Facts¹¹ Rosehips have been shown to have a number of benefits when consumed in any form, including optimizing cholesterol, strengthening the immune system, preventing chronic diseases such as cancer, regulating blood sugar, and eliminating toxins.

Comparing Nettle and 'Superfood' Spirulina

Spirulina is technically grown in the 'USA', but it's only found in Hawaii and other exotic places around the world, so it's understandable that many people don't think it's right up their alley. But what is it anyway? If you've heard of blue-green algae, you're halfway there.

Spirulina's deep blue-green color clearly shows off its active ingredient, chlorophyll. Health.com¹² It is described as one of the oldest living organisms on Earth and was likely included in the diets of the Aztecs and Africans centuries ago.

Today, it is known for its ability to strengthen the immune system, reduce fatigue, and fight allergies. Nettle is another plant with chlorophyll that rivals the amount found in spirulina, but is often found in ditches, forests, and riverbanks.

Sometimes called “stinging nettle,” if you touch it without gloves, the tiny hairs on all surfaces sting like a bee because of the formic acid, leaving a small red bump. Internally, however, it acts as a tonic, claims Bon Appetit.

“Over time, nettle strengthens the circulatory, immune, and endocrine systems to help them function at their best. The stronger these systems are, the better positioned our bodies will be to handle whatever comes next.”¹³

But when cooked or dried, this annoying stinging problem is completely eliminated. According to Mother Earth News, this free-foraged food is very nutritious, containing fiber, lecithin, chlorophyll, sodium, iron, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, and vitamins A and C. It was used in birthing chambers and on battlefields to stop bleeding, and was used both internally and externally, and was believed to purify the blood. As a tea:

“It has been found to help treat mucus congestion, skin irritation, water retention, and diarrhea. It stimulates the digestive glands of the stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. Applied externally, nettle tea relieves rheumatism in both humans and animals, makes a first-rate gargle for mouth and throat infections, clears up acne and eczema, and helps heal burns.”¹⁴

The top two or three pairs of leaves are the most tender. Put your gloves back on and use tongs to collect the serrated leaves from the bag into the sink, rinse them, and transfer them to a pan and sauté them with butter or ghee, sea salt, and Parmesan cheese along with the onion and garlic.

What about superfoods that are common, locally grown, and easy to grow?

Of all the vegetables grown in the United States (and elsewhere), broccoli is arguably one of the most nutritious. And you don’t have to look far to find out why. Sulforaphane, an organic sulfur found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, not only supports normal cell function and division, but also helps detoxify the body and reduce inflammation and damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Broccoli sprouts are a nutrient-dense superfood starter from the broccoli seed that can help prevent many serious diseases, from heart disease to diabetes. They can also help detoxify environmental pollutants like benzene and help prevent cancer.

In addition to sulforaphane, it’s also thanks to powerful compounds like the glucosinolate glucoraphanin, which helps improve blood pressure and kidney function, and isothiocyanates, which are known to normalize DNA methylation.

Arugula is another powerful vegetable, often called “rocket” because of its spicy flavor. It is very versatile as a green vegetable. Another member of the brassica family, along with cabbage and broccoli, arugula has many of the same nutrients and healing properties, including fiber, vitamins A and C (boosting the immune system), K (strengthening bones), folate, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese.

A study found that arugula has a powerful effect on stomach ulcers, psoriasis, skin cancer, lung cancer, and oral cancer. Its many vitamins and minerals help lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function. The amazing thing is that this gorgeous green vegetable is very easy to grow and, like many other vegetables, can be mixed with other nutritious vegetables.