Fresh superfoods and extracts, like lion’s mane and Siberian chaga, contain an unusually high concentration of antioxidants, vitamins and other nutrients that are beneficial for health and overall well-being. When they’re combined with regular exercise and a balanced diet, incorporating these superfoods into your daily routine can really have an impact on your overall health.
But which is better — fresh superfoods or extracts?
While both options are great choices, you may be surprised to find that there are several reasons to supplement your fresh food intake with superfood extracts. W
Bioavailability
Superfood bioavailability refers to the portion of nutrients absorbed when introduced into the body in order to have the desired, nutritional effect. Bioavailability of nutrients is actually one of the most important factors of good nutrition. One’s ability to absorb nutrition from food depends on the nutrition source quality, preparation, age and even your biochemistry’s ability to break it down using enzymes, gut bacteria and hydrochloric acid.
Not all superfoods can be broken down properly into the body. For superfoods that are less easily absorbed by the body, consuming them in a more concentrated form, like extracts, can help ensure that you’re getting enough. This also means you can get more benefits and nutritional value in much smaller portions.
Convenience
Fresh superfoods are great; they provide you with all the good nutrients we’ve been discussing. But while superfoods are indeed super, they may not be practical to get, store and use regularly. It can be a hassle to hoof it to the grocery story every week and purchase a bunch of superfoods, only to take them home and watch them go bad within days. It also can be draining to try to come up with recipes to utilize your superfoods every day.
Superfood extracts, however, are the epitome of convenience. They’re easy to store, don’t go bad after a week and are super easy to toss into whatever you’re eating or drinking.
Taste
While some fresh superfoods are delicious and can be eaten raw or incorporated into a recipe with ease, others are not that, well, tasty. For example, while some people love the taste and texture of kale, others can’t stand it. So how do you reap the benefits of superfoods if you can’t stand to swallow them?
Well, did you know that some superfoods, in extract form, can actually taste better when blended with other foods? Take lion’s mane extract. This organic extract powder can be cooked with mushrooms and shallots to create an incredibly rich and decadent side dish. Or create a comforting, pho-like reishi-ginger broth with seared bok choy and rice noodles using reishi mushroom extract. The possibilities, and tastes, are endless.
Variety
Fresh superfoods, like we mentioned, can be eaten or drunk. That’s about where the options end. Clearly you need fresh foods to function, but you probably don't want to eat the same exact thing all the time.
Superfood extracts, like Siberian chaga and lion’s mane, allow you to use the same superfoods in more versatile ways. Extracts can be combined into smoothies or drinks, cooked with, baked with and can even be taken in capsule form. Extracts make it easy to get the nutrients your body needs.
To find superfood supplements and extracts that can help boost your diet and daily well-being even more, shop Superfoods Australia. Enhance your nutrition today.
