Growing your own superfoods can be easy with these tips. Photo / 123rf
Growing your own superfoods can be easy with these tips. Photo / 123rf
Superfoods are the health-boosting fruits and vegetables that claim to fight cancer and add years to our lives. But these so-called wonder crops often come with a hefty price tag.
However superfoods don't need to be expensive - especially if you grow-your-own, according to broadcaster and diet plan creator Dr Michael Mosley, and TV botanist James Wong.
According to the Daily Mail, the pair have teamed up to reveal the everyday superfoods from carrots to kale you should be growing in your garden in the June edition of Gardener's World magazine.
And these very ordinary foods contain just as many health benefits as trendy items such as goji berries, birch water and blueberries.
Here, Dr Mosley and Mr Wong list the very ordinary superfoods you can grow at home for a fraction of the price it would cost you to buy trendy alternatives at health stores.
There are many unsung hero superfoods that deserve more attention than some of the trendy fruits and vegetables out there.
You can easily grow them in your garden or even in a pot, and they are packed full of more nutrients than you might expect.
Blueberries get publicity for their health benefits, but as Dr Kirsten Brandt, a scientist at Newcastle University's Human Nutrition Research Centre has pointed out, blackcurrants have four times more of the antioxidant anthocyanin1, and are higher in vitamin C.
Studies carried out by Dr Brandt and her team have shown that not only do brassicas such as cauliflower and broccoli have the potential to prevent cancer, but the humble carrot also contains cancer-fighting properties.
The list below reveals the 10 very ordinary superfoods you can grow at home.
What makes them super: A study carried out at Newcastle University shows that a chemical compound called polyacetylenes in carrots can help reduce the growth of cancer cells. Carrots are also rich in fibre and beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A. Try growing purple carrots, too, as these are higher in anthocyanin.
How to grow: They can be grown in a pot or in the ground. Make a drill 1cm deep with your trowel and sow seeds 5cm apart. Sow thinly as the scent released when thinning seedlings will attract carrot fly. Cover with soil and water. Pull up any weeds to stop them competing with the carrots.
ROCKET
What makes it super: Rocket has more than three times the amount of nitrates that beetroot does.
"Most of our intake of nitrates comes from vegetables, particularly the leafy parts, with rocket being a rich source,' according to the British Nutrition Foundation.
"There is some evidence that nitrates may be beneficial to health by lowering blood pressure."
How to grow: Sow seed thinly in a drill or in a pot. Cover with soil and water. Rocket actually benefits from being grown in a slightly shady spot over summer. Sow every two weeks for a harvest throughout summer and autumn.
BLACKBERRIES
What makes it super: These berries have high levels of anthocyanin (the purple health-boosting pigments that blueberries get so much publicity for) but twice as much vitamin C, which we need for healthy skin and bones, as well as keeping our cells healthy.
How to grow: Buy pot-grown plants to plant now in rich soil. They can cope with light shade but will crop more in a sunny spot.
Plant in the ground, with 8cm soil above the rootball, next to a wall or fence, with horizontal wires spaced 45cm apart for support - tie the canes into the supports as they grow. Keep well watered in summer. Choose a compact, thornless variety such as Waldo.
BLACKCURRANTS
What makes it super: These easy-to-grow berries are high in vitamin C, with around 200mg per 100g. That's compared with blueberries, which have 6mg per 100g3.
How to grow: Grow in the ground or a pot for an easy, low- maintenance crop for a small garden - you only need one bush in a sunny spot to get a bumper harvest.
As they crop between June and August, you'll have to wait until next summer for your first proper harvest, so it's best to plant them this autumn.
Dig a hole twice as wide as the rootball. Plant the bush 10cm deeper than it was in its pot. Fill in around the roots with a mix of compost and soil, firm in well and water.
KALE
Kale contains glucosinolates - which are being studied for their potential to prevent cancer. Photo / 123rf
What makes it super: 'Dark-green kale has 30 times the vitamin K, 40 times the vitamin C and 50 times the vitamin A of iceberg lettuce,' says James Wong.
Kale is also low in calories but high in nutrients like fibre and folic acid.
How to grow: Kale is probably the easiest brassica to grow. It can cope with a bit of shade and needs less care than broccoli and cauliflower. This month is your last chance to sow seed or, to save time, pick up plug plants at the garden centre. Space plants 45cm apart, firm in and water well.
PARSLEY
What makes it super: Parsley is low in calories but high in vitamins C, A and K, and is a good source of folate and iron. It's a nutrient-dense veg, ranking number eight out of 41 fruit and veg tested for vitamins and phytonutrients4.
How to grow: Buy a small plant from the garden centre and grow it on in a pot in sun or partial shade on the patio or a sunny windowsill. Or sow seed direct in rich soil improved with compost, 1cm deep and cover with soil. Once it's growing, keep well watered.
CHERRY TOMATOES
Cherry tomatoes have superfood hero status because they contain lycopene, which is said to help reduce the risk of some cancers. Photo / 123rf
What makes it super: Tomatoes are a source of vitamin C and lycopene. Diets rich in lycopene may reduce the risk of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease. Studies on lycopene have found smaller tomatoes have higher levels.
How to grow: Bush-type cherry tomatoes are easy to grow as they don't require pinching out. Buy young plants now and plant up in pots or a hanging basket. Or sow seed indoors next spring. Keep plants well watered and feed regularly with tomato feed when the plants start flowering.
What makes it super: Beetroot leaves are more nutritious than the root - ranking 4th out of 41 vegetables in a study on nutrient-dense vegetables. Beetroot is rich in iron, folate and nitrates, which can help lower blood pressure.
How to grow: Beetroot is easy to grow, but likes fertile soil. Before you sow seeds or plant out plug plants, improve the soil by digging in compost. Sow seed in a sunny spot, 10cm apart, and water regularly. If you just want the leaves, grow in a pot - but you'll struggle to get large roots.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
What makes is super: Has glucosinolates, folic acid and fibre, and twice as much vitamin C as an orange, per 100g serving6. 'Brussels sprouts have five times the potentially cancer-fighting glucosinolates of close relatives like cauliflower,' says James Wong.
How to grow: Buy young plants now to start harvesting from September, although they are best left until after the first frost for a better flavour. Plant in full sun in a spot sheltered from strong winds with 60cm between plants. Feed in July with a high-nitrogen fertiliser and protect from birds with fine netting.
WATERCRESS
What makes it super: This peppery leaf ranks number one out of 41 fruit and vegetables tested for nutrient density. It's low in calories, and is an excellent source of vitamin K. It is also high in calcium, with the same amount per 100g as a glass of milk7.
How to grow: Grow in the ground or a pot, in a shady spot. Sow seed in the bottom of a shallow trench (8cm deep) and cover with a sprinkling of soil. Or sit a pot of compost in a deep tray that is kept topped up with water.
