Extract:
Super Foods
Super foods are whole, unprocessed foods such as blueberries, walnuts, beans, oats, and broccoli. Spinach, yogurt, and pomegranates are also super foods. They are classified as such because they contain high levels of essential nutrients, are low in calories, and can often help prevent, and even reverse, some of the common effects of aging including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer. Super foods help lower cholesterol levels in the blood and, some researchers believe, even improve a person’s mood.
High on the list of super foods are blueberries, fresh or frozen, which are loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants, and potassium. Blueberries are also an anti-inflammatory, which many researchers and nutritionists believe is beneficial. Lentils are a super food that helps prevent a spike in insulin levels that can increase body fat. Lentils are high in both fiber and protein, each of which contributes to stabilizing blood sugar levels and reducing excess fat, especially in the stomach area.
Walnuts are a plant-based source of essential unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease by as much as 50 percent. All oats are healthful. Oats, even instant oatmeal, are digested slowly while providing up to five grams of fiber per serving.
As physicians and nutritionists continue to study super foods and their effects, consumers continue to educate themselves about the variety of benefits. In an era when consumers question the origin and nutritional value of much of the food on store shelves, super foods are some of the most healthful and natural whole foods available.
What is the meaning of the word unprocessed as used in the first paragraph?
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A
Natural and untreated
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B
Made of vegetable matter
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C
Home grown
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D
Uncirculated or undigested
Unprocessed means natural and untreated, foods in their original state without industrial refinement, additives, or significant alteration.
A) Natural and untreated
This precisely matches unprocessed foods' definition exemplified by blueberries, walnuts, beans, oats, and broccoli, all consumed close to their natural state without significant industrial modification.
B) Made of vegetable matter
Incorrect, the passage includes yogurt (dairy) among super foods, demonstrating they aren't exclusively plant-based. "Unprocessed" describes preparation state, not botanical origin.
C) Home grown
The passage never specifies cultivation location. "Unprocessed" concerns food preparation state, not whether items are commercially or domestically grown.
D) Uncirculated or undigested
These meanings apply to information distribution or gastrointestinal processes, not the state of whole foods prior to consumption.
Conclusion
Contextual examples clarify meaning: blueberries, walnuts, beans, oats, and broccoli represent foods consumed with minimal industrial intervention. Only "natural and untreated" captures this state of minimal processing while remaining accurate across all listed examples including dairy products.