Superfoods List: 25 Superfoods to Eat and How to Use Them

Superfoods are whole foods that pack an unusually large amount of nutrients and protective compounds into a normal serving, such as wild-caught salmon, beef liver, leafy greens, berries and fermented foods like sauerkraut.12 I recommend building every meal around these foods, because food is the daily signal your cells read, and the right plate lowers oxidative stress and inflammation and supports the cleanup your body does every day.3

That matters because, as I've said on my show, aging itself isn't what slows you down; nutrient gaps and chronic inflammation do, and so does a modern diet built on ultra-processed foods.9 Superfoods work on those root causes, filling the gaps, cooling the inflammation and leaving less room on your plate for processed food. No single food can do all of that, which is why this list runs to 25.

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What are superfoods?

What makes a food a superfood is its nutrient density: how many vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients it delivers for its calories, and that's something you can measure.1 The word itself isn't one of the three kinds of claims the FDA regulates on food labels (health claims, nutrient content claims and structure/function claims).10 The foods on this list earn their place two ways, either by packing a lot of nourishment into very few calories, the way greens do, or by delivering nutrients in amounts that are hard to get anywhere else, the way liver, fish and eggs do. Our guide to nutrient-dense foods sorts them by food family.

Eating more of these foods shows up in how long people live. In a review of 95 prospective studies, the 15 that tracked death from any cause found a 10% lower risk for each extra 200 grams of fruits and vegetables a day, and the benefit kept building up to about 800 grams a day.11 Studies like this one follow what people already eat over many years, and the other long-term studies on this page are built the same way.

Vitamin counts only tell part of the story, though, because a whole food is hundreds of compounds arriving together, in the ratios God created them to be in, and that's why I'd rather you get those compounds from food first. Supplements that carry them can help, but they're always more powerful when you take them in as food.12

How do superfoods work in your body?

Your body was designed to heal, and most of that work happens quietly, cell by cell, every day. What you eat supplies the raw materials, and superfoods supply more of them per bite than almost anything else on your plate.

They feed and protect your gut

Fermented vegetables and cultured milk bring live bacteria into your gut, while fiber and polyphenols, the protective plant compounds in berries, cocoa, tea and pomegranate, feed the bacteria already living there. In a 10-week randomized study of 36 healthy adults, the people who built up to about six servings of fermented foods a day lowered 19 of the 93 inflammatory proteins measured in their blood and grew a wider variety of gut bacteria, though the study's main immune score didn't change.4 In a trial of 66 adults over 60 with signs of a leaky gut lining (51 finished), where each person tried a polyphenol-rich diet and a control diet for 8 weeks apiece, the polyphenol-rich diet lowered zonulin, a blood marker of leaky gut, and raised the gut bacteria that ferment fiber into butyrate.13

They switch on your detox enzymes

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, and its sprouts above all, help your cells clear pollutants, including the ones you breathe in. In a placebo-controlled trial of 291 adults in a region of China with heavy air pollution, 267 of whom finished, a daily drink made from broccoli sprout powder raised the amount of benzene by-products people excreted in their urine 60.6% above the placebo group's level from the first day, and the effect held through 12 weeks.5 Excretion of acrolein, another airborne pollutant, ran 22.7% higher, and a third, crotonaldehyde, showed no difference.5 Sulforaphane, the compound behind that result, works in a chain of steps:

They calm inflammation and protect your blood vessels

Olive oil, wild fish, berries, pomegranate, nuts and spices each bring compounds that help keep inflammation in check, and when you put them together the effect shows up in your blood. Across 33 randomized trials with 3,476 adults, a Mediterranean diet, built on many of the foods on this list, lowered three blood markers of inflammation, hs-CRP, IL-6 and IL-17.14

They help your body absorb more

How you eat a superfood changes how much of it you take in. Carotenoids, the orange, red and yellow pigments in sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and greens, dissolve in fat, so they need some fat in the meal to be absorbed. When 11 healthy adults each ate the same salad with and without 150 grams of avocado, adding the avocado multiplied the beta-carotene they absorbed 15.3 times, alpha-carotene 7.2 times and lutein 5.1 times.16 In another study, where 7 adults each ate the same salad with three different dressings, almost none of its carotenoids were absorbed with the fat-free one, and absorption climbed with the full-fat dressing.17

I recommend cooking most greens and vegetables gently, by steaming or sautéing, because gentle cooking makes certain nutrients easier for your body to use.18 Then finish them with a little olive oil. Turmeric works better with black pepper: in a small study of healthy volunteers, 2 grams of curcumin alone produced little or no curcumin in the blood, while adding 20 mg of piperine, black pepper's active compound, raised its bioavailability 2,000%.19

Superfoods list: 25 superfoods to eat

The numbers are places on the list rather than a ranking. It starts with wild-caught fish, number one on both the top 10 foods in my Mitochondrial Longevity Protocol and my list of the superfoods of the Bible, which our guide to the top 10 Bible foods that heal walks through, then moves from the proteins and vegetables you can build a meal around to fruits, fats, ferments, nuts and seeds, and the spices, teas and treats that round out your day.83 Every nutrient number is a USDA FoodData Central value calculated for the serving shown, with its share of the Daily Value on food labels.220

1. Wild-caught fatty fish: salmon, sardines and mackerel

Wild-caught fish is the food Jesus ate after the resurrection.8 Cold-water fatty fish bring protein and the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA together, along with antioxidants like the astaxanthin in wild salmon.8 Three ounces of cooked sockeye salmon carries 14 mcg of vitamin D (71% of the Daily Value) and 0.73 grams of EPA and DHA, and a can of sardines packed with their bones brings 351 mg of calcium.220

Those omega-3s matter for your brain as it ages. In a pooled analysis of 48 long-term studies with 103,651 people, eating more omega-3 fats went with about a 20% lower risk of dementia or cognitive decline.21 My prescription is at least three servings a week of omega-3-rich fish, such as wild salmon, sardines, herring or mackerel, in about a palm-size portion, 4 to 6 ounces.6 Choose wild fish with fins and scales, and our guide to the best fish to eat shows which ones carry the most benefit.

2. Beef liver and other organ meats

Beef liver is one of the richest foods in B vitamins and iron, and I recommend it for energy and detox.22 Three ounces of pan-fried liver carries 71 mcg of vitamin B12, 2,943% of the Daily Value, along with 12.4 mg of copper and more vitamin A than any other food on this list, for 149 calories, and gram for gram it has about fifty times more B12 than steak.22022

My guideline is about 3 ounces of beef liver once a week, unless bloodwork shows your vitamin A running high.6 If the taste is hard to get past, my wife and I buy ground grass-fed beef blended with liver and heart, so you don't even taste it.6 A chicken liver pâté is another easy start, and our guide to organ meats covers heart, kidney and the rest.

3. Grass-fed beef and lamb

Red meat done right, grass-fed and biblically slaughtered, is an incredible superfood, and it's number five on that same biblical list.8 It's high in carnosine, creatine, coenzyme Q10, B vitamins including B12, zinc and heme iron, and for most people I favor lean cuts over fatty ones.8 Three ounces of roasted lamb leg carries 3.9 mg of zinc and 2.2 mcg of vitamin B12, though USDA's record isn't specific to grass-fed lamb.2 My longevity protocol lists grass-fed beef and beef heart at 4 to 6 ounces twice a week.3

The WHO's cancer agency classifies processed meat of every kind, processed beef included, as Group 1, carcinogenic to humans, and red meat as Group 2A, probably carcinogenic to humans.23 As I've said on my show, the studies that link red meat to poor health mostly reflect grain-fed and processed meat, not the fresh, grass-fed red meat I recommend.8 Grass-fed lamb with onions is the dinner in the biblical longevity day further down this page.

4. Pasture-raised eggs

A large egg carries 147 mg of choline, 27% of the Daily Value, for 78 calories.220 My choline prescription is two pastured eggs a day, with the yolks a little runny, because the phospholipids your cell membranes are built from sit in the yolk and are better off lightly cooked.6 In The Biblio Diet, Jordan Rubin and I count eggs among our desert island foods, yolk and all.22 Soft-boil them, poach them or scramble them gently with chives and greens.

5. Bone broth for your gut lining and joints

Bone broth has been used for thousands of years for health, immunity and longevity, and it naturally contains collagen along with minerals.9 Chicken broth in particular may be the most beneficial, because along with collagen it carries glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid, key components of your gut lining, skin and joints.9 My Anti-Inflammatory Reset includes a cup of bone broth a day, for the glycine and collagen it brings.24 A cup of home-prepared chicken stock carries about 6 grams of protein.2 Simmer your own with our chicken bone broth or beef bone broth recipe, then sip it on its own or use it as the base for soups and stews.

6. Leafy and bitter greens

Wild and bitter greens are the most nutrient-dense of all the vegetables and herbs, and vegetables and bitter herbs together sit at number seven on my biblical list. The bitter herbs I connect with Passover are lettuce, endive, chicory, horseradish, dandelion, arugula and watercress.8 A cup of cooked spinach carries 889 mcg of vitamin K, 943 mcg of vitamin A, 263 mcg of folate and 157 mg of magnesium for 41 calories.2

Greens also show up in how your brain ages. In a study that followed 960 adults aged 58 to 99 for an average of 4.7 years, those who ate the most green leafy vegetables, a median of 1.3 servings a day, declined more slowly in memory and thinking, a difference equal to being 11 years younger, than those who ate the least.25 Rotate through kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens and dandelion greens, sauté them gently in olive oil, and our guide to bitter foods explains why their sharp taste is part of their value.

7. Cruciferous vegetables and Brussels sprouts

Cruciferous vegetables, the cabbage family that includes broccoli, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts, carry the sulfur compounds your body turns into sulforaphane, and my longevity protocol calls for 2 cups of cruciferous vegetables and sprouts.3 Brussels sprouts are one of my holiday superfoods, because they're very high in sulfur compounds with powerful detoxification properties, and they're an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K.26 A cup of cooked Brussels sprouts carries 97 mg of vitamin C, more than a day's worth, and 218 mcg of vitamin K.220

I'm not a fan of raw Brussels sprouts, because I think they're too hard on the digestive system, but I do like them steamed or baked.26 Drizzle them with olive oil and add garlic, or try our roasted Brussels sprouts with apples and pecans.

8. Broccoli sprouts and microgreens

I've called broccoli sprouts probably the single most powerful sulforaphane food on the planet, and I count them and watercress as maybe the best of the best among the greens.12 The step-by-step diagram above shows how they switch on your detox enzymes. I still want variety on your plate, so add a handful of sprouts to salads, eggs or a sandwich, chew them well, since chewing starts the conversion to sulforaphane, and rotate in microgreens of other kinds.1215

9. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin and winter squash

A medium baked sweet potato carries 1,096 mcg of vitamin A as beta-carotene, 122% of the Daily Value, and a cup of mashed cooked pumpkin carries 706 mcg along with 564 mg of potassium.220 These orange foods are the ones Chinese medicine favors in the fall, and the traditional medicine section below explains why. I like to season sweet potatoes, pumpkin and butternut squash with pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and ginger, which brings out their flavor and adds benefits of its own.26 Roast them with olive oil, or blend them into the holiday smoothie described below.

10. Garlic, onions and leeks

Garlic, onions and leeks come in at number nine on that list, the foods the Israelites remembered from Egypt in Numbers 11:5.8 They contain sulfur that your body converts into glutathione, its master antioxidant, and onions are a rich source of quercetin.8 In a 2016 analysis of 20 trials with 970 people, garlic supplements lowered blood pressure, and in people with high blood pressure, systolic pressure fell 8.7 points and diastolic 6.1.27 I recommend about one medium clove of garlic a day, and onions and leeks belong in almost every soup, stew and sauté.22

11. Mushrooms: shiitake, maitake, reishi and lion's mane

Medicinal mushrooms act mainly as adaptogens and immunomodulators, and several of them are just as good in the kitchen. I add shiitake and maitake to soups and stews and sauté them with burgers all the time.28 Reishi is a calming mushroom, one you can take every day of your life.9

Lion's mane supports memory and thinking as you age. In a 16-week placebo-controlled trial of 30 Japanese adults aged 50 to 80 with mild cognitive impairment, 3 grams a day of lion's mane powder tablets raised scores on a cognitive scale at weeks 8, 12 and 16, and the scores fell again 4 weeks after people stopped; the researchers worked for a mushroom company.29 Fresh lion's mane cooks up like the others, sliced and sautéed until golden.

12. Lentils

On my show, I said lentils were the one I left off my list of biblical superfoods that probably should have been on it, because they're one of the highest-fiber foods on the planet and high in protein.8 A cup of cooked lentils carries 16 grams of fiber, 18 grams of protein and 358 mcg of folate, 90% of the Daily Value.220 Across 26 randomized trials with 1,037 people, eating about a serving a day of pulses (lentils, beans, chickpeas and peas) lowered LDL cholesterol by 0.17 mmol/L, about 6.6 mg/dL.30 Sprouting lowers their phytic acid and makes more iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium available to your body, so sprout or soak them before you cook them, then try them in our red lentil soup.18

13. Berries: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and goji

I call berries daily brain food, and my longevity protocol calls for a cup a day.183 In a 6-month placebo-controlled trial of adults with metabolic syndrome, 138 of whom started and 115 finished, a cup of blueberries a day, eaten as 26 grams of freeze-dried whole-blueberry powder, improved how well blood vessels relax (flow-mediated dilation rose 1.45 points) and lowered arterial stiffness compared with placebo.31 Insulin resistance, the trial's main measure, didn't change, and a blueberry growers' council funded the work. Half a cup a day made no difference, so aim for the full cup.31

A cup of fresh blueberries brings 3.6 grams of fiber and 14 mg of vitamin C for 84 calories.2 Goji berries belong in this group too, and the traditional medicine section below explains how Chinese medicine uses them. See the healthiest berries for blackberries, raspberries and the rest.

14. Cranberries for urinary tract health

Cranberries top my list of holiday superfoods, because their anthocyanins, a family of antioxidants, help keep your urinary tract, kidneys and bladder healthy.26 In a 2023 Cochrane review of 50 randomized trials, cranberry products (juice, tablets or capsules) lowered the risk of a urinary tract infection by 30% across the 26 trials with 6,211 people that could be pooled, by 26% in women with recurring infections, by 54% in children and by 53% in people prone to infections after a medical procedure, though older adults in care homes, pregnant women and people with bladder problems from nerve damage saw little or no benefit.32 In the two studies that compared them head to head, with 385 people, cranberry products prevented infections about as well as antibiotics.32

I suggest cranberries in a salad or a smoothie, and they're a natural fit for the holidays.26 Fresh cranberries are tart, with 14 mg of vitamin C and 3.6 grams of fiber in a cup for 46 calories.2 Try our cranberry sauce with pecans on your holiday table.

15. Pomegranate for your heart and blood vessels

Pomegranates are number two on my biblical list. The fruit decorated the tops of the bronze pillars of Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 7) and is one of the foods of the Promised Land in Deuteronomy 8.833 Pomegranates are high in ellagitannins, which your gut bacteria can turn into a longevity compound called urolithin A, and that's why I've called kefir or yogurt with pomegranate one of the best combinations you can eat.8

Pomegranate juice helps lower blood pressure, too: across 8 randomized trials, it lowered systolic pressure by about 5 points (4.96 mmHg) and diastolic by 2.34 My longevity protocol pairs half a cup of pomegranate with a quarter cup of walnuts.3 Whole arils keep the fiber, so choose them first and keep any juice to a small, unsweetened glass. Scatter the arils over a salad, a bowl of goat milk yogurt or your morning kefir.

16. Figs

Figs are a high-fiber food whether raw or dried, with a healthy dose of potassium, and they sit at number four on that list.822 A 100-gram serving of dried figs carries about 10 grams of fiber (9.8 grams by USDA's count), so five dried figs bring 4.1 grams of fiber and 286 mg of potassium.82 Eat them fresh in season and dried the rest of the year, with walnuts and kefir as in the sample day below.

17. Extra virgin olive oil

I recommend about 2 to 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil a day in place of other fats, and it's number three on my biblical list.8 Choose one with a harvest date, in a dark bottle, that tastes herbaceous and peppery and may tingle the back of your throat a little.8

One study I've shared on my show followed two U.S. cohorts of 60,582 women and 31,801 men for 28 years, and the people who used more than half a tablespoon of olive oil a day had a 19% lower risk of dying from any cause than those who rarely or never used it, and lower risks of death from cardiovascular disease (19%), cancer (17%), neurodegenerative disease (29%) and respiratory disease (18%).358

Use it on salads, drizzle it over cooked vegetables and fish, and cook with it over gentle heat.

18. Fermented vegetables: sauerkraut and kimchi

Fermented vegetables bring live cultures to your gut, and my longevity protocol calls for 2 to 3 tablespoons a day.3 Kimchi and other fermented vegetables were part of the mix, along with yogurt, kefir and kombucha, in the fermented-food study described above that lowered inflammatory proteins in healthy adults.4 Look for raw sauerkraut and kimchi in the refrigerated section, where the live cultures are. Kimchi is often seasoned with salted seafood, which can be shrimp or anchovy. Shrimp doesn't meet the fins-and-scales standard I follow, so read the label and choose one made with anchovy or anchovy fish sauce and no shrimp, or a seafood-free style.3622 You can also make your own sauerkraut with the easy recipe in the recipes section below. Half a cup of sauerkraut also brings 10 mg of vitamin C.2

19. Cultured goat and sheep milk: kefir and yogurt

Fermented dairy, typically cultured goat milk or cultured sheep milk, rounds out my biblical top 10 at number ten.8 For myself, I tolerate goat's milk in small amounts pretty well, and I don't do as well with cow's milk.8 When people want to bring dairy back into their diet, I recommend they start with highly fermented goat's or sheep milk products, like a sheep milk yogurt or goat's milk kefir.37 A cup of goat milk carries 327 mg of calcium.2 If you avoid dairy, coconut kefir is a good option, and I suggest a couple of tablespoons in a morning superfood smoothie as an easy fermented food.12

20. Walnuts, pecans and other nuts

If you're choosing between nuts and seeds, walnuts are probably the single best you can eat, along with ground flaxseeds, and nuts as a group come in at number eight on that list.812 An ounce of walnuts carries 2.6 grams of ALA, a plant omega-3, and half the Daily Value for copper.220 In a review of 20 long-term studies, the 15 that tracked death from any cause found a 22% lower risk for each daily handful of nuts (28 grams).38 My guideline is about a handful a day at most, and pecans and almonds count too; soaking almonds makes them easier to digest.22

21. Seeds: flax, chia and pumpkin

Seeds bring fiber, minerals and plant omega-3s in a spoonful. Two tablespoons of ground flaxseed carry 3.8 grams of fiber, an ounce of chia seeds 9.8 grams of fiber and 5.0 grams of ALA, and an ounce of pumpkin seeds 168 mg of magnesium, 40% of the Daily Value.220 If your goal is to support your hormones and immunity, I've said pumpkin seeds may be the winner.12 Stir ground flax or chia into a smoothie or a bowl of yogurt, and sprinkle pumpkin seeds over salads and roasted squash.

22. Healing spices: cinnamon, turmeric and ginger

Gram for gram, dried herbs and spices are the most antioxidant-dense foods on earth, and I'd have you use more turmeric and ginger, as herbal teas or sprinkled on your food.12 I've called cinnamon probably the most powerful superfood to get around the holiday season, because of its ability to balance blood sugar.26 Across 28 randomized trials with 3,054 adults with type 2 diabetes, cinnamon supplements lowered fasting blood sugar by about 15 mg/dL (15.26) and HbA1c by 0.56 points compared with placebo or no treatment.39 For turmeric, in a network analysis of 23 trials with 2,175 people with knee osteoarthritis, curcumin, its main active compound, eased pain compared with placebo and came with about half the odds of side effects that anti-inflammatory painkillers caused.40 And across 16 randomized trials with 1,010 people, ginger supplements lowered three markers of inflammation: CRP, hs-CRP and TNF-alpha.41 Cook with all three, and keep a jar of homemade pumpkin pie spice within reach.

23. Green tea and matcha

My longevity protocol calls for 2 to 3 cups of green tea a day.3 Matcha is the whole tea leaf ground into powder, so you drink the leaf itself, and when I make my matcha green tea in the morning, I sweeten it with honey.8 Across 24 randomized trials with 1,697 people, green tea or its extract lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by a little more than 1 point.42

24. Raw honey and Manuka honey

Raw honey is number six on my biblical list, and my rule for it is simple: eat it, but not too much.8 My daily amount is 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of raw local honey, plus local bee pollen.43 Manuka honey is an everyday sweetener too, and as a sweetener I've called it by far the best.43 Stir it into tea, drizzle it over kefir and figs, or use it in place of sugar in a holiday recipe.

25. Dark chocolate and raw cacao

Dark chocolate at 85% cacao or higher is one of the top 10 foods in my longevity protocol, at 1 to 2 squares, because cocoa flavanols support blood flow and your mitochondria.3 An ounce of 70% to 85% dark chocolate carries 3.4 mg of iron, 65 mg of magnesium and 0.50 mg of copper, more than half the Daily Value.220 Raw cacao nibs give you the bean with no added sugar. Enjoy a square after dinner, or stir cacao into your morning smoothie.

Superfoods in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda

Long before anyone measured a vitamin, healers in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda were choosing foods by the season and by what the body needed, and many of the foods they chose are on this list. There's a principle in Chinese medicine that in the fall, especially early fall, you want more foods that are orange and yellow, such as spaghetti squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and pumpkin. As I've taught, these foods are very nourishing to your pancreas, and they're naturally sweet without having to tax your blood sugar.26

Goji berries, also known as lycium or wolfberry, are another Chinese medicine food. Chinese medicine uses them to bring moisture to the skin, and they're very building of the blood, which is why my wife Chelsea and I both put a tablespoon of goji berry powder in our morning breakfast smoothie.44 Goji is listed among the top 120 herbs in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, the oldest book on Chinese herbs, and it has been used ever since to strengthen the body and prolong life.45

Ayurveda pays just as much attention to which foods go together. An ancient Ayurvedic drink combined turmeric with a healthy fat, coconut milk or ghee, and a warming blend of ginger, black pepper and long pepper, all to help carry turmeric's compounds into your cells, and I drink a turmeric ginger tea regularly for the same reason.12 What I really love about Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine is that they don't think of a single food as medicine; they make the entire meal a form of medicine.12 Our guide to Chinese herbs and superfoods covers more of them, and eating seasonally shows how to put the principle to work at your own table.

How to use superfoods every day

You don't need all 25 every day, and my challenge on the show was to add more of these foods for the next 30 days and let them crowd out anything bad you're eating.8 That crowding-out matters, because in an umbrella review of the observational research on ultra-processed foods, covering 49 health outcomes, eating more of them was tied to worse results on 25 of those outcomes and to better results on none.46

A biblical longevity day

Here's what a day built on these foods could look like, the way I laid it out on my show:8

• Morning: Goat milk kefir with figs, walnuts and raw honey.

• All day: Extra virgin olive oil on everything.

• Lunch: Bitter greens with wild-caught fish, and a little pomegranate afterward.

• Afternoon snack: A handful of almonds.

• Dinner: Grass-fed lamb with onions.

• Before each meal: A prayer.

For more meals built this way, see our guide to the biblical diet.

My morning superfood smoothie

Every morning I make a superfood smoothie with one scoop of a protein powder made from bone broth and organ meats and a scoop of a superfood powder.9 To build your own, blend a cup of berries with a tablespoon of ground flax or chia, a couple of tablespoons of coconut kefir or goat milk kefir, a protein powder you trust and enough water to blend, and add a spoonful of goji powder if you have it. Our breakfast smoothies guide has more combinations.

Superfoods for fall and the holidays

Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, I recommend focusing on foods that are orange, yellow and a deep blue, purple or red, and my five holiday superfoods are cranberries, cinnamon, sweet potatoes and squash, nuts like walnuts and pecans, and Brussels sprouts.26 When I have people who struggle with constipation, which tends to happen around the holidays and when you travel, foods like sweet potatoes, pumpkin and squash in a smoothie can help. Rather than fruit, I'll blend half a sweet potato with some flax meal, a vanilla protein powder and a whole teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice in the morning, and it's really good for bowel health.26 When you're traveling, walnuts and pecans with a handful of dried cranberries or dried blueberries make an easy trail mix.26 Look for unsweetened dried fruit when you can find it.

Superfood recipes to try

These recipes put the list to work, from breakfast to the holiday table:

• Raw superfood carrot salad, with a handful of goji berries added for a sweet-tart bite
• Kale chips, baked with coconut oil and lemon
• Ginger tea, with lemon, a pinch of turmeric and raw honey
• Acai bowl, topped with berries, hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds
• Salmon kale salad, for wild fish and greens in one bowl
• Sauerkraut, made with cabbage, salt and caraway seeds
• Pumpkin pie spice, your own blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves
• Antioxidant trail mix, with pecans, almonds and dark chocolate

The roasted Brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce with pecans, red lentil soup, chicken liver pâté and bone broth recipes are linked in their entries above.

Are superfood powders worth it?

The superfood powder in my morning smoothie has beet juice powder, spirulina and chlorella in it, and I call it an insurance policy, because many of us aren't getting enough berries and vegetables.9

If you're taking an antioxidant supplement such as resveratrol, you're much better off with a superfood powder that has the whole foods in it, like blueberries, acai, maqui berries and pomegranate.44 The blueberry trial in the berries entry used a whole-food powder too, made from freeze-dried whole blueberries.31 A nutrient isolated from its food can behave very differently: in a randomized trial of 29,133 male smokers, 20 mg a day of synthetic beta-carotene for 5 to 8 years raised lung cancer by 18% compared with the men who didn't take it.47 That's why I recommend getting your vitamins and minerals from real, nutrient-dense foods rather than synthetic supplements.18

When you shop, look for a powder whose label names whole foods: greens like spirulina, chlorella and wheatgrass, reds like beets, acai, maqui berries and goji, and mushroom powder. Beets also help lower blood pressure: across 16 trials with 254 people, each of whom tried both, beetroot juice or nitrate lowered systolic blood pressure by 4.4 points compared with placebo.48 If you also take a multivitamin, I recommend a food-based one, since a low-quality drugstore multivitamin won't benefit you nearly as much.9

Superfood side effects: who should be careful?

The bottom line

Superfoods: frequently asked questions

References

1. Drewnowski A, Fulgoni VL 3rd. Nutrient density: principles and evaluation tools. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;99(5 Suppl):1223S-8S. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.073395. PMID:24646818
2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central (SR Legacy), per-100 g values with per-serving values calculated by DrAxe.com from each record's household measures: Fish, salmon, sockeye, cooked, dry heat (FDC 173692); Fish, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone (FDC 175139); Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried (FDC 168627); Lamb, leg, whole (shank and sirloin), separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, choice, cooked, roasted (FDC 174373); Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled (FDC 173424); Soup, stock, chicken, home-prepared (FDC 172884); Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt (FDC 168463); Brussels sprouts, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt (FDC 169971); Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt (FDC 168483); Pumpkin, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt (FDC 168449); Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt (FDC 172421); Blueberries, raw (FDC 171711); Cranberries, raw (FDC 171722); Figs, dried, uncooked (FDC 174665); Sauerkraut, canned, solids and liquids (FDC 169279); Milk, goat, fluid, with added vitamin D (FDC 171278); Nuts, walnuts, english (FDC 170187); Seeds, flaxseed (FDC 169414); Seeds, chia seeds, dried (FDC 170554); Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried (FDC 170556); Chocolate, dark, 70-85% cacao solids (FDC 170273). Accessed November 6, 2026.
3. Axe J. The Mitochondrial Longevity Protocol (Heal Your Cells: The Mitochondrial Longevity Protocol). DrAxe.com. 2026. p. 22, "Top 10 longevity foods" (food is the daily signal your cells read; build every meal around these ten: wild salmon and sardines, 4 to 6 oz, 2 to 3 times a week; berries, 1 cup daily; pomegranate and walnuts, ½ cup and ¼ cup; extra virgin olive oil; cruciferous vegetables and sprouts, 2 cups; green tea, 2 to 3 cups; pasture-raised eggs; grass-fed beef and beef heart, 4 to 6 oz twice a week; fermented vegetables, 2 to 3 tbsp daily; dark chocolate, 85% or higher, 1 to 2 squares, for cocoa flavanols that support blood flow and mitochondria).
4. Wastyk HC, Fragiadakis GK, Perelman D, Dahan D, Merrill BD, Yu FB, et al. Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status. Cell. 2021;184(16):4137-4153.e14. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019. PMID:34256014
5. Egner PA, Chen JG, Zarth AT, Ng DK, Wang JB, Kensler KH, et al. Rapid and sustainable detoxication of airborne pollutants by broccoli sprout beverage: results of a randomized clinical trial in China. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2014;7(8):813-823. doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-14-0103. PMID:24913818
6. Axe J. You Were Lied To About Fat — Your Cells Are Paying the Price. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. October 5, 2026. Lines at 11:05 (at least three servings a week of omega-3-rich fish, about a palm-size portion), 15:36 (two pastured eggs a day, yolks lightly cooked, for the phospholipids), 15:59 (3 ounces of beef liver once a week) and 16:10 (ground grass-fed beef blended with liver and heart). YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKHwG0I46k4
7. National Health Service (UK). Foods to avoid in pregnancy (liver and liver products).
8. Axe J. The Bible's Grocery List: 10 Foods That Slow How Fast You Age (podcast title: 10 Biblical Superfoods That Can Add Years to Your Life). The Dr. Josh Axe Show, Episode 393. September 28, 2026. Lines at 6:25 (wild-caught fish), 10:27 (omega-3s, protein and astaxanthin), 10:38 to 11:22 (pomegranates, Solomon's Temple, Deuteronomy 8, ellagitannins and urolithin A), 12:00 (kefir or yogurt with pomegranates), 13:21 and 15:04 to 15:21 (extra virgin olive oil, 2 to 4 tablespoons daily, how to choose it), 16:03 to 16:22 (the 28-year olive oil study), 16:25 (figs), 17:38 (fiber in dried figs), 18:48 to 19:36 (grass-fed red meat), 21:03 (studies of grain-fed red meat), 22:44 to 23:09 (raw honey), 25:00 (matcha with honey), 25:04 to 25:26 (bitter greens), 28:07 (nuts), 28:58 to 29:25 (garlic, onions and leeks), 30:32 (cultured goat and sheep milk), 32:34 (goat's milk), 32:55 to 33:08 (lentils), 33:53 (pull quote), 34:40 (a biblical longevity day) and 35:27 (crowd out). YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AnNi1umufc
9. Axe J. 11 Supplements Every 40+ Adult Should Consider. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026. Lines at 0:10 (nutrient gaps and chronic inflammation), 16:20 to 16:51 (bone broth and chicken broth), 25:52 (reishi), 28:00 (food-based multivitamin) and 28:26 to 29:11 (a daily superfood powder as an insurance policy; his morning superfood smoothie). YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNhI28uezc8
10. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Label Claims for Food & Dietary Supplements (health claims, nutrient content claims and structure/function claims).
11. Aune D, Giovannucci E, Boffetta P, Fadnes LT, Keum N, Norat T, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality-a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Int J Epidemiol. 2017;46(3):1029-1056. doi:10.1093/ije/dyw319. PMID:28338764
12. Axe J. How to Reduce Chronic Inflammation Naturally (podcast title: 7 Foods That Quiet Inflammation Better Than Supplements). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. August 10, 2026. Lines at 5:18 (a whole food is hundreds of compounds), 16:50 to 17:17 (food over supplements; broccoli sprouts, watercress and variety), 21:14 to 21:27 (walnuts, ground flax and pumpkin seeds), 23:11 (herbs and spices), 23:49 to 24:34 (his turmeric ginger tea; the ancient Ayurvedic drink of turmeric with coconut milk or ghee and a warming blend of ginger, black pepper and long pepper), 24:59 to 25:08 (Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine make the entire meal a form of medicine), 27:29 to 27:52 (fatty fish, berries, coconut kefir, turmeric and ginger). YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFeUM50IzBI
13. Del Bo' C, Bernardi S, Cherubini A, Porrini M, Gargari G, Hidalgo-Liberona N, et al. A polyphenol-rich dietary pattern improves intestinal permeability, evaluated as serum zonulin levels, in older subjects: The MaPLE randomised controlled trial. Clin Nutr. 2021;40(5):3006-3018. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2020.12.014. PMID:33388204
14. Keshani M, Rafiee S, Heidari H, Rouhani MH, Sharma M, Bagherniya M. Mediterranean Diet Reduces Inflammation in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutr Rev. 2026;84(9):1776-1790. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuaf213. PMID:41211687
15. Fahey JW, Zhang Y, Talalay P. Broccoli sprouts: an exceptionally rich source of inducers of enzymes that protect against chemical carcinogens. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997;94(19):10367-72. doi:10.1073/pnas.94.19.10367. PMID:9294217
16. Unlu NZ, Bohn T, Clinton SK, Schwartz SJ. Carotenoid absorption from salad and salsa by humans is enhanced by the addition of avocado or avocado oil. J Nutr. 2005;135(3):431-6. doi:10.1093/jn/135.3.431. PMID:15735074
17. Brown MJ, Ferruzzi MG, Nguyen ML, Cooper DA, Eldridge AL, Schwartz SJ, et al. Carotenoid bioavailability is higher from salads ingested with full-fat than with fat-reduced salad dressings as measured with electrochemical detection. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;80(2):396-403. doi:10.1093/ajcn/80.2.396. PMID:15277161
18. Axe J, Cole W. Heal Your Cells. Avery; 2026. ISBN 9798217181353. Chapter "Deficient by Design: Why Your Cells Are Starving for Support," pp. 80-82 (sprouting and fermenting lower phytic acid and make iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium more bioavailable; oxalates, p. 81; gentle cooking and nutrient availability, p. 82); "What to Do, Starting Now," pp. 180-181 (vitamins and minerals from real, nutrient-dense foods, not synthetic supplements; berries as daily brain food).
19. Shoba G, Joy D, Joseph T, Majeed M, Rajendran R, Srinivas PS. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Med. 1998;64(4):353-6. doi:10.1055/s-2006-957450. PMID:9619120
20. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.
21. Wei BZ, Li L, Dong CW, Tan CC, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Xu W. The Relationship of Omega-3 Fatty Acids with Dementia and Cognitive Decline: Evidence from Prospective Cohort Studies of Supplementation, Dietary Intake, and Blood Markers. Am J Clin Nutr. 2023;117(6):1096-1109. doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.04.001. PMID:37028557
22. Axe J, Rubin J. The Biblio Diet. Hachette Book Group; 2025. ISBN 9781546008439. Desert island foods: organ meats (ebook p. 52, liver with fifty times more vitamin B12 than steak) and eggs, yolk included; the liver entry in chapter 8, Meat as Medicine (ebook p. 85); nuts, about a handful at most a day, with almonds more digestible by soaking; garlic, roughly one medium clove a day; figs, a high-fiber food raw or dried with a healthy dose of potassium; the Sinister Six, beginning with the unclean meats of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, including sea creatures without fins and scales such as shrimp.
23. Bouvard V, Loomis D, Guyton KZ, Grosse Y, Ghissassi FE, Benbrahim-Tallaa L, et al. Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat. Lancet Oncol. 2015;16(16):1599-600. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00444-1. PMID:26514947
24. Axe J. The Anti-Inflammatory Reset: The 30-Day Healing Protocol. DrAxe.com. 2026. p. 22 (top foods: bone broth, 1 cup daily, glycine and collagen for the gut lining and joints).
25. Morris MC, Wang Y, Barnes LL, Bennett DA, Dawson-Hughes B, Booth SL. Nutrients and bioactives in green leafy vegetables and cognitive decline: Prospective study. Neurology. 2018;90(3):e214-e222. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000004815. PMID:29263222
26. Axe J. Top 5 Holiday Superfoods You Didn't Know You Needed. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. December 23, 2024. Lines at 2:23 (pull quote), 3:20 (holiday colors), 3:40 to 5:30 (cranberries), 6:44 (cinnamon), 8:12 to 8:52 (orange and yellow foods in Chinese medicine; seasoning with pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and ginger), 10:02 to 10:39 (sweet potato smoothie for constipation), 14:40 to 15:01 (traveling trail mix), 15:08 to 16:27 (Brussels sprouts) and 17:18 (five holiday superfoods). YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppj8vUGgLNI
27. Ried K. Garlic Lowers Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Individuals, Regulates Serum Cholesterol, and Stimulates Immunity: An Updated Meta-analysis and Review. J Nutr. 2016;146(2):389S-396S. doi:10.3945/jn.114.202192. PMID:26764326
28. Axe J. 7 Mushrooms You Should Be Taking Daily. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025. Lines at 12:04 (medicinal mushrooms act mainly as adaptogens and immunomodulators) and 54:04 (maitake and shiitake in soups and stews and sautéed with burgers) in the episode transcript.
29. Mori K, Inatomi S, Ouchi K, Azumi Y, Tuchida T. Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2009;23(3):367-72. doi:10.1002/ptr.2634. PMID:18844328
30. Ha V, Sievenpiper JL, de Souza RJ, Jayalath VH, Mirrahimi A, Agarwal A, et al. Effect of dietary pulse intake on established therapeutic lipid targets for cardiovascular risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. CMAJ. 2014;186(8):E252-62. doi:10.1503/cmaj.131727. PMID:24710915
31. Curtis PJ, van der Velpen V, Berends L, Jennings A, Feelisch M, Umpleby AM, et al. Blueberries improve biomarkers of cardiometabolic function in participants with metabolic syndrome-results from a 6-month, double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;109(6):1535-1545. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy380. PMID:31136659
32. Williams G, Stothart CI, Hahn D, Stephens JH, Craig JC, Hodson EM. Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023;11(11):CD001321. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001321.pub7. PMID:37947276
33. The Holy Bible, King James Version. 1 Kings 7:15-20 (the two cast brass pillars of Solomon's Temple, with two hundred pomegranates in rows on their chapiters).
34. Sahebkar A, Ferri C, Giorgini P, Bo S, Nachtigal P, Grassi D. Effects of pomegranate juice on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Pharmacol Res. 2017;115:149-161. doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2016.11.018. PMID:27888156
35. Guasch-Ferré M, Li Y, Willett WC, Sun Q, Sampson L, Salas-Salvadó J, et al. Consumption of Olive Oil and Risk of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality Among U.S. Adults. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022;79(2):101-112. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2021.10.041. PMID:35027106
36. Jung MY, Kim TW, Lee C, Kim JY, Song HS, Kim YB, et al. Role of jeotgal, a Korean traditional fermented fish sauce, in microbial dynamics and metabolite profiles during kimchi fermentation. Food Chem. 2018;265:135-143. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.05.093. PMID:29884364
37. Axe J. The #1 Supplement to Heal Your Gut, Burn Fat, and Boost Immunity. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025. Line at 8:05 in the episode transcript (introducing dairy: start with highly fermented goat's or sheep milk products such as sheep milk yogurt or goat's milk kefir).
38. Aune D, Keum N, Giovannucci E, Fadnes LT, Boffetta P, Greenwood DC, et al. Nut consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer, all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMC Med. 2016;14(1):207. doi:10.1186/s12916-016-0730-3. PMID:27916000
39. de Moura SL, Gomes BGR, Guilarducci MJ, Coelho OGL, Guimarães NS, Gomes JMG. Effects of cinnamon supplementation on metabolic biomarkers in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Rev. 2025;83(2):249-279. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuae058. PMID:38917435
40. Zhao J, Liang G, Zhou G, Hong K, Yang W, Liu J, et al. Efficacy and safety of curcumin therapy for knee osteoarthritis: A Bayesian network meta-analysis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2024;321:117493. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2023.117493. PMID:38036015
41. Morvaridzadeh M, Fazelian S, Agah S, Khazdouz M, Rahimlou M, Agh F, et al. Effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on inflammatory markers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Cytokine. 2020;135:155224. doi:10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155224. PMID:32763761
42. Xu R, Yang K, Ding J, Chen G. Effect of green tea supplementation on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020;99(6):e19047. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000019047. PMID:32028419
43. Axe J. What Happens In Your Body If You Eat Honey Every Day? The Dr. Josh Axe Show. October 20, 2025 (a teaspoon up to a tablespoon of honey a day, in the 20:40 segment; local honey with local bee pollen, in the bee pollen segment; Manuka "by far the best" as a sweetener, in the 19:20 segment).
44. Axe J. The BIGGEST Causes of Fast-Aging Skin (How to Reverse Aging). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025. Lines at 22:47 to 23:12 (a superfood powder of whole blueberries, acai, maqui and pomegranate over a single antioxidant extract; pull quote at 23:05) and 32:00 to 32:25 (goji berries in Chinese medicine; a tablespoon of goji berry powder in his and Chelsea's morning smoothie). YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsTht-zHz-U
45. Axe J. Ancient Remedies. Little, Brown Spark; 2021 (goji berry among the top 120 herbs of the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, used to strengthen the body and prolong life).
46. Dai S, Wellens J, Yang N, Li D, Wang J, Wang L, et al. Ultra-processed foods and human health: An umbrella review and updated meta-analyses of observational evidence. Clin Nutr. 2024;43(6):1386-1394. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2024.04.016. PMID:38688162
47. Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group. The effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers in male smokers. N Engl J Med. 1994;330(15):1029-35. doi:10.1056/NEJM199404143301501. PMID:8127329
48. Siervo M, Lara J, Ogbonmwan I, Mathers JC. Inorganic nitrate and beetroot juice supplementation reduces blood pressure in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Nutr. 2013;143(6):818-26. doi:10.3945/jn.112.170233. PMID:23596162
49. Institute of Medicine (US) Panel on Micronutrients. Vitamin A. In: Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2001. Chapter 4 (tolerable upper intake level for preformed vitamin A, 3,000 mcg a day for adults, pregnancy included). doi:10.17226/10026
50. Violi F, Lip GY, Pignatelli P, Pastori D. Interaction Between Dietary Vitamin K Intake and Anticoagulation by Vitamin K Antagonists: Is It Really True?: A Systematic Review. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016;95(10):e2895. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000002895. PMID:26962786
51. Taylor EN, Curhan GC. Oxalate intake and the risk for nephrolithiasis. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2007;18(7):2198-204. doi:10.1681/ASN.2007020219. PMID:17538185
52. Leung AM, Braverman LE. Consequences of excess iodine. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2014;10(3):136-42. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2013.251. PMID:24342882
53. U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Advice about Eating Fish (Best Choices list; 2 to 3 servings a week of Best Choices, 4 ounces each, in pregnancy and breastfeeding).
54. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Selecting and Serving Produce Safely (raw sprouts). Content current as of March 5, 2024.
55. DrAxe.com. Best Dark Chocolate 2026 (lead and cadmium test results from Consumer Reports and As You Sow; cadmium tends to rise with cacao percentage). DrAxe.com Healthy Home. 2026.
56. DrAxe.com. Bee Pollen: Benefits, Nutrition, Dosage & Side Effects (who should be careful: asthma or past reactions to pollen, bee stings or bee products; hay fever; pregnancy and breastfeeding; warfarin). DrAxe.com. 2026.
57. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit (Infant and Toddler Nutrition: honey before 12 months).
58. Tanzi MG, Gabay MP. Association between honey consumption and infant botulism. Pharmacotherapy. 2002;22(11):1479-83. doi:10.1592/phco.22.16.1479.33696. PMID:12432974
59. The Holy Bible, King James Version. Psalm 104:14.

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

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