Here are the best natural health foods from different cultures!
8 – Kimchi - Korea
Kimchi is a staple in its home of Korea where it’s eaten with practically every meal.
It’s made of fermented cabbage and radishes, with garlic, salt, vinegar, chillies and other
spices.
Kimchi is the Korean national dish, and dates back to the seventh century.
It was even taken into space by astronauts in an effort to create a version that would
remain harmless even after cosmic radiation…..annnnd that they were able to do it!
They came up with a version which was called…...Space Kimchi.
Yep, that creative.
Loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, and C, Kimchi is high in fiber and low in fat.
This dish is also full of bacteria that help maintain a healthy gut.
Some people even say Kimchi prevents cancer, but hey, let’s not go crazy now.
Additionally, kimchi is known for its detoxification qualities helping the body get rid of wastes
and toxins, although I’d say having a functioning kidney and liver is the biggest key.
Kimchi supposedly also has anti-aging properties, fights obesity, boosts the immune system and
even helps against diabetes.
Seriously?
Is there anything kimchi CAN’T do?!
There are over 200 listed types of Kimchi which vary from mild to very spicy and some
varieties are better eaten during the heat of the summer whereas some should be saved
for the winter.
Koreans love it so much that they say Kimchi when having their photograph taken instead
of cheese, and let’s not forget that there’s a Kimchi Museum as well in Seoul South Korea!
7 – Maw-ca Root - Peru
Native to the high Andes of Peru, the maca root is a root crop similar to the turnip
family with a sprout of leaves above the soil.
Growing at high altitudes in poor soil, this plant can be traced back more than 3,000 years
when it was used in the area as a medicine and even as currency by the Incas.
Historically, maca often was traded for lowland tropical food staples, such as corn, rice,
tapioca roots, and papaya.
It also was used as a form of payment of Spanish imperial taxes.
When they imported it back to Europe, the maca root was so highly regarded that it was
used by the Spanish Royal court.
Unlike many healthy foods around the world, maca root actually tastes decently good so
it’s a great addition to any diet and you guessed it, it has plenty of health benefits
too.
The maca root is rich in calcium and potassium.
A 2011 study found that older women have positive effects taking maca root as it helps the side
effects of menopause.
As for the guys, a 2016 systematic review found evidence from a limited number of studies
supporting the use of maca for improvement in semen quality in men!
Pfffft, sign ME up!
Maca has been marketed for its supposed benefits for sexual performance, although there’s
insufficient evidence that it helps with sexual or erectile dysfunction in older people.
Maca is available outside South America in health food stores, usually in a powder form
which you can easily add to dishes for that extra boost that you may be looking for!
6 - Kasha - Russia
Kasha is Russia’s second favorite dish and it can be eaten on its own or as a side dish
at any time of the day with any meal.
Known in the west as buckwheat, the Russians have a long history of making kasha into a
kind of porridge and devouring literally tons of it every year!
The average russian eats 33 lbs of kasha every 365 days!
A century ago, the Russian Empire was the world leader in buckwheat production.
Areas for growing Kasha in the Russian Empire was estimated at 6 and a half million acres.
So why do Russians eat a lot of Kasha?
Well, Kasha is packed full of nutrients.
It’s rich in iron, zinc, and selenium.
It’s also a rich source of protein, dietary fiber, and four B vitamins.
Kasha, despite its western name buckwheat, is a wheat free source of whole grains which
helps to lower the risk of heart disease while being an excellent option for those with a
wheat intolerance.
And finally it’s low-glycemic meaning that it breaks down into sugars much slower than
many other heavy carb-laden foods, helping you feel fuller for longer.
Try some Kasha if you’re looking for another source of fiber.
Apparently there’s a saying in Russia – You can’t feed a Russian without Kasha!
Or something like that.
5 – Marmite - England
Marmite is a store cupboard staple in Great Britain yet it’s little known outside of
the British Isles.
This interesting food is made from yeast extract, celery, salt and spices, and is equally loved
and hated by Brits!
The only thing that even comes close to Marmite is the Australian Vegemite and again this
is something that’s peculiar to its own part of the world.
Apparently, when you open up a jar of Marmite and stick your nose in it, you’ll immediately
know whether you love it or hate it.
There IS no middle ground with this paste – you’re either on team Marmite or you’re
not.
Whether you love it or you hate it, what can’t be denied is the fact that plenty of people
still love it out there.
British soldiers were given Marmite in ration packs during the first world war.
Marmite is rich in B vitamins including B1, B2, B3, B9 and B12.
Marmite is a great source of magnesium which can help calm nerves and aid restful sleep.
It’s also been revealed recently that Marmite may be able to reduce the number of seizures
a person has and be particularly useful for people who can't take anti-epilepsy drugs,
or whose medicines haven't controlled their seizures.
This was an early investigative research study, and while some of the findings are interesting,
it's a long way from showing that marmite can definitely help with conditions such as
epilepsy or other neurological disorders.
If you can get used to the interesting taste and smell, it’s definitely an interesting
health food to try!
4 - Goji berries - China
Goji berries, also known as wolfberries, desert thorn, or Matrimony Vine can be traced back
to ancient China and Tibet.
They have a sweet and slightly sour taste and are usually dried for consumption and
eaten like raisins.
A 1/4 cup serving of goji berries contains 90 calories and 4 grams of protein per serving,
which is pretty high for a fruit.
It also contains 4 grams of fiber, as well as 180% of the daily recommended value of
Vitamin A.
The Goji berry is mentioned in ancient medicine books claiming that it can help restore lost
body liquids and rejuvenate skin.
It was also claimed that it can help to repair muscles and tendons, and provide protection
from illnesses.
Welllll…...the placebo effect is definitely an amazing effect!
It should be common sense that Goji berries should be used to help prevent illness rather
than cure anything, but their supposed health benefits include increased testosterone levels
in men and improved vision.
Hong Kong scientists found that male rats fed goji-berry significantly uh…...increased
their sexual performance.
Google rats wolfberry polysaccharides and you can read that report yourself!
Not too sure if the same thing happens in us guys, but hey…..it’s worth a shot!
Goji berries are pretty versatile too as far as taste goes.
You can add them to smoothies, eat em raw as a snack, and even add em to soup for extra
flavour.
In recent times the goji berry has become somewhat of a celebrity staple.
Actually, that makes me less likely to try it, but ummmmm, that rat research would get
me to do it more than anything else!
3 - Acai Berry - Brazil
The Acai berry is native to the Amazonian rain forests and like many of the items on
our list, it has a broad range of supposed health benefits.
In 2004, it started to become a trend to eat açaí berry, and the proliferation of various
açaí supplement companies often misused celebrity names such as Oprah and Rachel Ray
to promote açaí weight loss pills online.
Marketers of these products made unfounded claims that açaí and its antioxidant qualities
provided a variety of health benefits, none of which has had any scientific confirmation
to date.
Açaí is consumed in the fresh form in Brazil, along with cassava flour and fish.
It serves as a dietary staple in Amazonian riverside and urban center populations, especially
for those who are poor.
In a study of three traditional populations in the Brazilian Amazon, açaí palm was described
as the most important plant species because the fruit makes up a major component of their
diet, up to 42% of the total food intake by weight!!!
Whew that’s a lotta fruit.
What exactly are the supposed benefits though?
Acai berries are supposedly great for your heart, as its antioxidant properties aid blood
circulation, relax blood vessels, and help to maintain balanced cholesterol levels.
It’s also claimed that Acai berries can slow down or even reverse the aging process.
Their antioxidant properties are twice as high as blueberries and ten times as high
as grapes, so they do have that going for them.
2 – Sauerkraut - Europe
Sauerkraut is known all over as a German dish made up of fermenting cabbage but did you
know it’s thought to have originated in the North of China among the Mongols?
Back then though, it was fermented with rice wine and apparently it was standard food for
people building the Great Wall of China more than 2,000 years ago.
Some say Genghis Kahn is responsible for bringing it to Europe about 1,000 years later, while
others say it was the Romans – we may never know for sure who it was, but one thing’s
for sure.
It arrived in Europe and it’s still incredibly popular today.
The Germans use salt to dry cure the finely cut cabbage rather than rice wine.
The salt draws moisture out of the cabbage and forms the liquid that accompanies the
sauerkraut, and then over eight weeks later, boom, the sauerkraut is finished.
It’s a source of vitamins B, C, and K.
The fermentation process increases the bioavailability of nutrients, which makes sauerkraut much
more nutritious than the original cabbage.
It’s low in calories and high in calcium and magnesium.
It’s also a very good source of dietary fiber, folate, iron, potassium, copper and
manganese.
Whew, you guys get all that?!
But remember, you want the raw sauerkraut, as it’s distinctly different from store-bought,
canned sauerkraut.
While many food manufacturers can or jar their kraut using heat in order to extend shelf
life, raw sauerkraut is lacto-fermented and is alive with all that good bacteria and probiotics.
1 – Cacao - Central and South America
Cacao and Cocoa might look the same, and yes, they’re from the same plant, but there’s
one important difference.
Cocoa is the roasted form of Cacao.
Raw cacao powder is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans which keeps the living
enzymes and removes the fat – otherwise known as cacao butter.
Once roasted at high temperatures it becomes cocoa.
Confused?
Yeah me too.
Anyway, we’re talking about cacao here.
Did you know it has more calcium than cow’s milk?
Scientific research has shown that it’s an antidepressant that helps to elevate your
mood!
Google cacao antidepressant pubmed to read up on the study!
Cacao is packed full of antioxidants, as well as plenty of magnesium, which is great for
the brain.
On top of all that, it’s the highest plant-based source of iron.
The Cacao tree can live up to 200 years in the rainforest and was revered by the Aztecs
and Mayans of Central America hundreds of years before Columbus set foot on the shore
of the New World.
Cacao beans were used both as a beverage for rituals and also as currency in pre-Columbian
Mesoamerican civilizations.
At one point, the Aztec empire received a yearly tribute of 980 loads of cacao, in addition
to other goods.
Each load represented exactly 8,000 beans.
Who can do the quick math there?!
The use of cacao beans as currency is known to have spawned counterfeiters during the
Aztec empire!!
I wonder how you can fake cacao beans?!
Here’s what’s next!