Reviewed By Susan Schenck

We’ve all heard of superfoods. In fact, I have an entire shelf filled with books whose sole focus is superfoods, some common and some exotic—but all packed with so much nutrition that they warrant being a base of one’s diet.

What sets Superfruits (McGraw-Hill/ 2009) apart is that the 20 superfoods are all fruits. Nowadays hybrid fruit is often so sweet and high in sugar that it might be little more than junk food. The impact on blood sugar often makes it only a step above a sugary dessert. But these superfruits are packed with antioxidants, and 9 of them are berries, making them low-glycemic (little impact on raising the insulin levels). The 7 criteria the author uses to pick the 20 top fruits are that the fruits should be rich in the Vitamins A, C, E; rich in B vitamins; rich in minerals; rich in amino acids and protein; rich in fiber; rich in omega fats; and rich in phytosterols. (We are given a page or so explanation of each of these 7 categories.) The author warns us that superfruit juices (diluted with concentrates) or supplements cannot replace eating the fresh superfruit in its natural state. I absolutely agree—processing nearly always diminishes the nutrients.

The book is divided into 3 parts and 4 appendices. Part I enlightens us on essential nutrients and what the author calls “superfruit signatures” –a specific nutrient feature that makes it exceptional among other plants. The four he cites are dietary prebiotic fiber, Vitamin C, carotenoids and polyphenols. 6 of the fruits contain all four of the signatures in high amounts (mango, red guava, dried goji berry, orange, seaberry and papaya).

In part I we also learn about the phytochemicals and the health value of the different colored fruits. For example, red-tan, blue-purple-black colored fruits, such as dark berries or red grapes, often contain resveratrol, the nutrient being hyped up as a longevity factor. It has helped in avoiding cancer, Alzheimer’s and metabolic syndrome. Page 41 provides a chart on the colors, with their phytochemicals and what they are good for.

Part II is all about the 20 chosen superfruits. Each fruit is given several pages. At the top of the page we learn where it is grown. Below is an “info-box” titled “Superfruit Snapshot” which provides its nutrient content, phytochemical content, and color code (so we can refer back to page 41 to see what it is good for). Some of the fruits also have an info-box entitled “Fun Facts” in which we learn interesting tidbits about the fruit. (For example, in the University of Maine, hamburgers mixed with blueberries were preferred over regular hamburgers, and leftovers lasted longer in the refrigerator due to the antioxidants!)

Next, each fruit has a section explaining why they are super, followed by a section on what health benefits the research has shown the fruit to have, followed by a section that discusses how or what research has been done on the fruit. Near the end is a section giving us suggestions of how to get it into our diets (where to find it, how it tastes, how to use it—as in smoothie, yogurt, fruit plate, etc.) Finally, we have a “Superfruit Score” info-box. This gives us 7 rankings for each fruit, including nutrient content, phytochemical content, rank among the 20 in the book, medical research activity, popularity and more.

Part III gives us practical uses for the fruits. We learn which fruits fit under the color codes, and to go shopping for all colors for a well-balanced diet. We learn to think about the superfruit signatures while shopping.  As a raw fooder, I would only buy them in fresh or sundried form. But for those who still buy processed, bottled things, we are given info on how to navigate various brands of bottled smoothies, 100% juices (better than the highly processed, nutrient-poor juices we are warned to avoid early in the book), and even superfruits in cereals, granola bars and packaged products. There is a chapter with suggestions on incorporating the fruits into your daily diet (ex: use of jams, sauces, side dishes, salads, etc). Finally, we are presented with a recipe chapter: 75 simple recipes in 6 categories (smoothies, breakfast and snacks, salads, sauces, seafood entrees and of course, desserts). Though there are no pictures, just reading some of these smoothie recipes makes my mouth water!

At the back of the book are 4 appendices, including one on 10 superfruit candidates for the future, 8 of them of which I have never even heard of! There are some advantages to the day and age we live in; we import exotic fruit from all over. (Note: the 20 tops fruits are ones that can easily be found in the USA, though you might have to go online for a few, such as goji berries, if you don’t live in a city.)

This makes a great reference book. Everyone serious about adding antioxidants and phytochemicals to their diet needs to get a copy! This book will definitely inspire you to eat more of these fruits.

Paul Gross, Ph.D. received his doctorate in physiology from the University of Glasgow, Scotland and was a post-doctoral fellow in neuroscience at the Laboratory of Cerebral Metabolism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. A former Research Scholar for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, he published 85 peer-reviewed journal reports and book chapters over a 25 year career in medical science, and was recipient of the Karger Memorial Award, Switzerland, for publications on brain capillaries.

Susan Schenck is author of The Live Food Factor

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