HEALTH: Super Fruits And Other Health Food Trends

BY keri Glassman

March 9, 2009

(CBS) Early Show contributor and registered dietitian Keri Glassman stopped by to discuss the latest super fruits and other health food trends.

Glassman says there are more super fruits making it to markets this year, like mangosteen and goji and acai. They're in more products -- in soaps, cereals and granola. There are tons of juice blends out there, too.

There are also tons of new products for kids like bite-sized peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, healthier cookie and baking mixes, healthier instant French toast that fortified with vitamins.

Gluten free is also still going strong. Pre and probiotics are big -- in everything from bars to baby food to frozen food, so are omega 3s with an emphasis on omega 3s for athletes. There are new ways of getting omegas -- from flax, to chia and hemp! A lot of products for kids and baby nutrition and also new products for school systems.

Trends for 2009

1. SUPER FRUITS:

Acai, goji, pomegranate, and more and in many new places. Some examples of products:

Acai Powder - sprinkle on anything!

Zola juice - acai blueberry

Supplement - Real Food women's daily nutrition - multi with real fruits

Alba Acai Facial scrub

Crofters Superfruit Jams

Queen Helene pomegranate scrub

2. PRO/PREBIOTICS:

Cascade Fresh Activ8 Bar - blueberry acai (many crossovers in the trends like Probiotics w/super fruits!).

GoodBelly probiotic fruit drink and multivitamin - sort of like a juice shot but comes in a little yogurt like container.

Gluten Free Cafe frozen meals with prebiotics.

PreBhealth supplement - prebiotic for healthy bowel movements.

Nancy's Kefir - lowfat cultured milk - a probiotic beverage.

PHD probiotic health daily water.

3. OMEGAs:

We know omegas from salmon and walnuts are healthy for everything from burning fat to improving mood to being anti-inflammatory agents but they are also found in hemp, chia and flaxseeds -- these ingredients being put in many new places:

Hemp Shake by Nutiva - shake packet - also has acai in it

Hemp Powder - same as the acai powder - sprinkle anywhere!

Chia - in Balance Bar

Chia flaxseed powder

Hemp Milk

Omega 3 muffins

Dylan's Chia - granola with chia

4. NEW SWEETENERS:

Purevia - stevia and erythritol mix

Erba Dolce Stevia

Xylosweet Xylitol

BENEFITS

SUPERFRUITS:

New ones to look out for Acerola, Graviola and Caja

Acerola - Type of cherry - very high in antioxidants, 80 times the vitamin C and 2 times the magnesium, and potassium of oranges.

Caja - Looks like a small mango and has juicy pulp, contains vitamins A, B, C and calcium and iron.

COCONUT:

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) - isn't stored in the body as fat as readily as oils composed of long-chain triglycerides (LCT).

MCTs also boost metabolism and satiety and therefore may promote weight loss.

Improves immune system due to the presence of lauric acid and caprylic acid.

PREBIOTICS:

May improve gastrointestinal health. May improve calcium and magnesium absorption

The principal characteristic and effect of prebiotics in the diet is to promote the growth and proliferation of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract and thus potentially yield or enhance the effect of probiotic bacteria.

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