Welcome to the final post in Souperb’s Superfood Sunday Series, where we explore the benefits of functional ingredients in each of Souperb’s flavors. Almost every single ingredient in Souperb soups is a functional ingredient; meaning anytime you eat Souperb your body is getting antioxidant and anti inflammatory benefits! Today we’re focusing on one of Souperb’s newer flavors, Black Bean with Cactus. This protein-packed flavor has a robust, chunky texture and a delightful surprise of sautéed cactus. Souperb’s Black Bean with Cactus is delicious served hot, and it is also great served straight out of the fridge as a cold dip. You can top it with additional cactus or sliced avocado. Yum! Check out the nutrition label below for the full list of whole food, recognizable ingredients.
Black Beans – Black Beans are delicious fiber-filled legumes that contain a surprisingly high amount of phytonutrients, which are powerful antioxidants that help prevent damage to cells throughout the body. They also magnesium, which supports maintenance of normal muscle and nerve function, immune health and bone health. Additionally, reduced risk of all of the following cardiovascular diseases has been associated with overall bean and legume intake: coronary heart disease, ischemic heart disease, hypercholesterolemia, and atherosclerosis.
Onion – Onions are a great source of unique antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. They contain high amounts of the antioxidant quercetin; several studies have shown quercetin to have beneficial effects against many diseases and disorders including cardiovascular disease as well as breast, colon, ovarian, gastric, lung, and bladder cancers. Onions also help manage gut health due to the probiotic inulin, which promotes a healthy gastrointestinal tract and reduces constipation.
Cactus – Aside from its unique, tart flavor, Cactus is known for its potential to reduce blood sugar levels and cholesterol, and is a great natural source of antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties. It is also an anti-viral, and can help to protect nerve cells from damage. One of its biggest nutritional benefits is its hearty amount of dietary fiber.
Olive Oil – The functional highlights of this Mediterranean staple is its anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular effects thanks to an extensive list of phenols and polyphenols. These phenols and polyphenols are nutrients responsible for reducing inflammatory processes within our blood vessels, which then reduces our risk of inflammation-related cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis.
Jalapeno – Are you surprised to see Jalapeno on this list of functional ingredients? Who knew that this delicious, spicy pepper would hold so many benefits for the body. Jalapenos contain capsaicin, which is a compound that has been shown in lab studies to kill over forty types of cancer cells. This powerful compound can help stop cancer cells from growing and dividing, can slow down the formation of blood vessels around tumors, and can even stop cancer from spreading to other parts of your body. Jalapenos are also an excellent source of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, which we have previously discussed and neutralizes free radicals while bolstering cellular antioxidant defenses. Aside from its antioxidant benefits, jalapenos are rich in folate, vitamin K, and B vitamins.
Garlic – Garlic has long been touted for its nutritional benefits, and you may be aware of some of them. While garlic provides an excellent source of manganese and vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B1, and calcium, it is the sulfur compounds in garlic that serve as its spotlight nutrients. This is because the sulfur-containing compounds in garlic have been shown to provide us with health advantages in a wide variety of body systems, including: our immune system, inflammatory system, digestive system, endocrine system, detoxification system and mostly our cardiovascular system. The sulfur itself specifically is critical to the health of our cellular detoxification system, the health of our joints and connective tissue, and oxygen-related metabolism.
At Souperb, we believe in the power of food as medicine and are committed to using purposeful ingredients in our soups. If you’ve been following this series, we hope you’ve learned something new about functional ingredients. Souperb will continue to highlight their nutritional benefits in many posts to come. Make sure you catch up on our entire Superfood Sunday Series and use our Find Us tool to locate a store or delivery option near you.
References
Onion and Garlic Intake and Breast Cancer, a Case-Control Study
Anti-Oxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ginger in Health
A comprehensive review of the carcinogenic and anticarcinogenic potential of capsaicin
