Nuts, seeds and superfoods

Superfoods have become a part of Italians’ diets. This has been certified by the Nielsen Institute Global Survey “Health/Wellness: food as medicine”, that involved 30,000 persons coming from 63 countries to photograph the evolution of eating trends throughout the world. The results of the survey regarding Italians describe a population that is very attentive to what it eats. This is why we find a growth in the consumption of blueberries and Goji berries (first in Europe with 16%) considered as “curative” by 68% of those surveyed, while turmeric, another superfood, is seen as a healthy substance by 62% of Italians.

Among the other superfoods, we undoubtedly find also the Baobab, a plant with precious qualities coming from tropical Africa; Acai, rich in antioxidants and fatty acids such as Omega-3 and the Moringa, originally from the Himalayas, rich in vitamins, protein and mineral salts. Even cocoa is considered a super food, given its high mineral and magnesium content.

There has been constant growth also in the number of people who choose to add seeds and nuts to their daily diet. A survey by Coldiretti found that in the past year the purchase of nuts has increased by 10%: every Italian today, on average, eats 3 kg of nuts per year. In fact, nuts and seeds are an important source of vitamins, minerals, fibre and, above all, essential fatty acids (such as Omega-3) like alpha-linolenic acid contained for example in flax and Chia seeds. Walnuts and hazelnuts on the other hand are rich in antioxidants, fatty acids and Vitamin E.