Body

5 Foods That Really Are “Super”

124 Comments

Two weeks ago, I wrote an article in which I analyzed the so-called “superfoods” that are hocked by all the magazines. The conclusion I drew through my research was that, while none of those foods are truly harmful, and in many cases perfectly palatable, they are not any more healthy than comparable foods, and in some cases can cause harm in a non-dietary context.

Looking at the comments of that article as I usually do, I saw that several people were interested in a counterpoint article to that previous article, discussing foods that can actually be deemed “super”. So, using my two *ahem* superpowers of “Google searches” and “an external hard drive full of biology and anthropology notes from college”, I decided to write that article.

So here are five foods that can be truly considered “super”. And best of all, these are very easily accessible, much more so than the “official” superfoods. In many cases, these things are likely already on your shopping list, they just require you to overcome a lingering sense of childish “ickiness” and use your available resources to their fullest:

1. Organ Meats

Historically the offal meats have been some of the cheapest cuts of meat available due to them, admittedly, being kind of disgusting visually—at the very least compared to the more presentable cuts of meat from the muscles of the animal.

However, cooked properly, they are just as tasty as their more visually appealing counterparts, and at least just as nutritious as well. Depending on the organ you choose, offal may have a greater nutritional content than a typical cut of meat:

Liver, for example, is higher in Vitamins A and B and dietary Iron, than your average cut of meat. It also has high amounts of folic acid and trace elements like zinc. As a side note, eating the liver of predatory animals can lead to overdose of Vitamin A, a condition that can be fatal, but I doubt you were planning on eating the liver of dogs or bears.

Heart is entirely a lean muscle, and has a pound-for-pound higher protein content than muscle meat, as well as providing dietary collagen and elastin, which promotes skin health.

Kidneys have riboflavin, the B vitamins, and niacin, and the vitamin-packed goodness of organ meats goes on and on.

liver-meat-500x500

Overcome your childhood distaste for your mom’s liver and onions, and try some organ meats. On a similar note to offal…

2. Blood

Blood is even more aesthetically disgusting than offal, but even more nutrient dense. As blood cells use iron to bind to oxygen molecules, one can expect blood to be very high in iron—indeed, it is the most iron rich food you can buy, as well as having the typical nutrients of other meats such as protein and B-vitamins.

The problem is how does one prepare blood? I suppose you could drink it raw, but you’d likely rather make it into soup, blood sausage, or black pudding as various cultures around the world have done for thousands of years.

english_breakfast

3. Marrow

Continuing the “meat by product” train of thought that I’ve been on so far, marrow is a highly nutritious food—indeed, it is sometimes described as one of the pound-for-pound most nutritious foods, period. I must clarify here, that “most nutritious” refers largely to calories and fat—marrow is very calorically dense and rich in dietary fats. Indeed, some anthropologists believe that early hominids would regularly crack the long bones of prey animals to get at their marrow, and the fatty acid content therein directly caused the development of brain and nervous system tissues in successive hominid generations.

marrow

Since the body does need fats, I would suggest making like your hirsute ancestors and getting it from marrow rather than the junkfood of modernity. However, you can purchase pre-cracked marrow bones from a butcher or supermarket—Acheulean hand-axes are no longer required to break long bones.

acheulean-handaxe

4. Egg yolks

Yes, the humble egg yolk is something I would consider a superfood. This is mainly because I know a surprising number of prissy types who refuse to eat the yolks and only eat the whites, because “oh egg yolks have cholesterol” or whatever.

Screw that noise.

The yolk is the part of the egg that literally evolved to serve as a food source for the chicken embryo, nourishing the chicken-to-be until it hatches. How nutrient packed do you think a yolk has to be to nourish a little bundle of dividing cells until it becomes a living thing?

Answer: pretty nutrient rich.

Yolks are rich in vitamins, proteins, fats, and minerals. In fact, they have all of the fat soluble vitamins, AND all of the essential fatty acids.

What else can I say but: eat your egg yolks

egg-yolk

5. Cabbage

The only one on this list that isn’t some sort of animal product, the cabbage seems pretty mundane, and not very “super” at all. It seems to be your typical Brassica cultivar, not too different from broccoli or brussells sprouts.

Wrong.

Cabbage is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins C and K, and, due to containing certain phytochemicals that block estrogen production, cabbage can increase your testosterone levels as well. And, if you’re a man, that has so many benefits it’s easier just to link to them.

cabbage

So, there you have it, five “superfoods” that you are likely already familiar with. Go forth and eat.

Read More: 5 Easy Ways To Boost Your Testosterone

124 thoughts on “5 Foods That Really Are “Super””

    1. That’s how I knew this list was bullshit. Foods should have been:
      Kratom juice
      Kratom sandwich
      Kratom jelly
      Kratom pate
      Straight kratom

  2. Cabbage comes in a variety of “cultivars,” as botanists call them, which don’t even look like they belong to the same species: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels’ sprouts, kale, collard greens and probably some others I don’t know about. I’ve developed a taste for many of them.

    1. Those who don’t like Brussels sprouts might try them sauteed. (It works for the rest of these also.)
      I just half or quarter them, fry them up a bit in butter or oil, and throw in a little water at some point to steam.

  4. Dry beans. It’s about 50% of my protein source now, really cheap, easy to cook, doesn’t expire, add to any meal.

  5. I eat liver like every 6mo, purely for health. Also fed my kids bone marrow as soon as they transitioned out of baby food onto solids. Highly recommend it to future parents.

  6. Seafood is missing…very healthy for your nerval system.
    Moreover, I highly recommend eating Cabbage in all of its varities…idk if it is really a super food but you can fart like hell from that.

  7. All five are great, however if you want a natural HGH and test booster, try this cocktail: red cabbage + tomatoes + fava beans (huge green gonad looking -beans), blend them together into a mushy drink and chug away. Wake up the next morning ready to tear off some heads. Tastes pretty raw and may induce some heavy veggie farts but its great on nutrients.

    1. There’s nothing about the pickling process that should damage the proteins, fiber, or vitamins…
      But there are some nifty bacteria that improve digestion in sauerkraut.

      1. Pretty much anything that’s pickled, like sauerkraut, kimchi, or curtido, will be good for digestion.

    2. I’m not sure about that but it’s loaded with probiotics that are great for gut flora, I read studies on it and it’s a cheap and good alternative to buying probiotics themselves.

      1. Note that if you cook it you kill off all the friendly bacteria. This includes most of the sauerkraut from the store which is pasteurized.
        If you can find it unpasteurized in a store cooler or make your own, that’s the stuff you want.

  9. For liver, I’d recommend you learn a good pate recipe. It usually doesn’t take much more than some wine, onion, mushrooms, and butter, but the process takes some of the blegh out of the liver, and the result can be pretty damn tasty.

    1. I know liver is great for you but I have friends in the cattle industry and the stuff they feed and give them as far as chemicals is pretty bad and since the liver is the source for detox would eating liver from poorly raised cattle have any drawbacks?

      1. Calf liver, no. Generally, it is not recommended to eat adult cow livers for the reason you imply – younger livers filter toxins faster and more reliably, so they don’t have as much crap stored up.

    2. For me, liver does just fine on it’s own. Love the stuff. Have it with hash brown potatoes.

    3. The way I figure it, the liver is a filter, right? It cleans all the bad stuff out of your blood. How can a dirty filter be good for you?

      1. The liver is more of a processing plant than a filter. It’s supposed to take toxins and wrap them up to ship out of the system.
        The problem is that years of high exposure to these toxins can make the processing plant less efficient. Maybe there’s some “spillage,” and the toxins never leave the liver. Maybe there’s so much fructose (in the human body) that the liver starts mass-producing visceral fat.
        But either way, a younger liver hasn’t broken yet, so they’re usually alright.

  11. 1. Organ meats: Don’t forget tacos de lengua. Tongue easily beats most other organ meats. I had one yesterday.
    2. There is a wide variety of blood sausages (morcillas) in Latin America. I’ve had thick, grody ones in Spain that were mealy. In Buenos Aires I had one that spurted purple liquid onto my plate as soon as the knife touched it. In Puerto Rico they’re packed with rice so you can’t even taste the blood. Best ones I’ve had have been in the U.S., actually.
    3. Eating bone marrow turns me into an animal. I lose the ability to speak. There’s something very primal. I do ’em at home.
    4. Eggs. Yep.
    5. Savoy cabbage + sausage + chicken broth + slow cooker = great meal

    1. Tongue is disgusting, quite possibly the most disgusting part of nose to tail, then you’re mexican …
      Organ meats are overrated, the best organ meats are bread meats, thorax, adrenals glands
      Contrary to this article blood is average at best, not much in the way of nutrients, its meant to transport nutrients not act as a nutrient, chlorophyll is superior nutrient wise
      Shin is probably the best cut & most versatile meat you can get, combines the best of marrow & muscle meat & bone, shin literally rebuilds teeth & hips & joints

    2. Went to a home in Jamaica and the lady of the house had prepared for her guests a marinaded tongue. Thinly sliced, very tasty.
      The Europeans living in my neighbourhood when I was a child always did up sauerkraut for the winter months.

  12. Acts 15:28-29King James Version (KJV)
    28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
    29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

    1. That makes perfect sense for a culture of people who lived in a time with no refigerarion or, for that matter, underwear. A lot of the dietary laws in Deuteronomy are excellent rules if you happen to live in a desert 5000 years before the invention of a refrigerators

      1. No they are not good rules. Iranian food is better. Semites are retarded and have 70IQ. Kuwaitis are the fattest fucks on the planet.

        1. Ha. Yeah I read that Kuwait had the most fat asses. I was pretty surprised.
          I think you should be careful with the assumption, however, that IQ and heritage are linking. It is demonstrably false.

    1. Flavoured or not flavoured? Any particular brand? Do you sweat fish oil and smell? These are serious questions david, if you can answer them I would appreciate it. My MD always wants me to take statins and they make my liver hurt.

      1. Yeah bro, the company is called Natures Answer. Flavor is lemon lime. It tastes great! Its infused with some citrus flavor. I send a bottle to my 65 yr old dad every month. Hes a stubborn naysayer, but he likes the hair thickening he says. Honestly, for me, it healed a fucking cavity. Dont call me a quack just yet. Google cavities and cod liver oil. Youll see the vitamin d and omegas strengthen your bones, teeth, and hair, nails etc. My dentist wanted to drill, but i wasnt in the mood. 6 months later he said “no cavities.”
        The fermented stuff is nasty and not worth it fyi.
        Im in the health food industry (supplements technically) but cod liver oil is the one superfood i would recommend first.

        1. This is very true. Cod Liver Oil is a superfood. It will do wonders on skin complexion, provide healthy levels of Omega 3s, great for hair and nails, helps to reduce inflammation, and has helped many people who suffer from depression.
          I’ve been taking it for about 10 years now, and I have had glowing results from my blood works and cholesterol levels. My doctor thinks I eat a low-fat diet but, in reality, I eat lots of fatty red meat, organ meat, and lots of vegetables too. I use organic and real butter, olive oil, and I avoid like the plague vegetable oils. I try to keep carbs and especially processed foods to a minimum.
          Carlson’s Cold Liver Oil is one of the best!

  16. Trump is The President, and we have yet to see any solid article about him or what he’s done since. WTF? Especially now that he rattled the hornets nest of Muslim fucktards, any articles coming out on how to combat the situation?

    2. Yeah, big upset over the so-called “Muslim ban” now. Well, he campaigned on this and I can see the sense in implementing an immediate ban, although it caused much individual hardship for those in transit. How else could he do it? “We’re going to have a ban and then start vetting travelers from terrorist-torn countries better starting in 2018. (So get your cells in place now ISIS.)”
      The other night one local TV news show was featuring how abandoning TPP will affect local farmers (negatively, of course, somehow they won’t be able to export their products any more, it’s sad). I had to watch this segment because I couldn’t believe it! At least at the end they had the honesty to mention Clinton announced she was against TPP also (didn’t mention Sanders’ opposition as well).

      1. I work with a Muslim, and he constantly pegged me about Trump until a recent conversation:
        “Look, we have nothing against Muslims. As a matter of fact, I’m well aware it was NOT Muslims that are responsible for 9/11. Going deeper, I’m aware America created ISIS. Nevertheless, if a Muslim-infested country decided to suddenly ban Americans from entering the country, based on their radical-Christian views, I would COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. I would simply get back on the plane, make like a tree, and get outta there. I would not be so arrogant to think that I, a Christian American (even if I had a legit Visa), had any kind of “right” to be in another man’s country, or had a “right” to tell that country how to think and how to make decisions. I’d be happy that said Muslim country had the decency to even allow me to get back on the plane and go home, rather than stringing me up on a noose while screaming, “Allatta-Kbar.”
        That was a few days ago, and not only has he stopped slandering Trump (at least in front of me), he was quite reasonable today. Usually, he’s quite triggered by the Fake Stream Media.

        1. Since there’s no Muslim ban you could reassure your co-worker he’s free to fly in and out of the US. (Good time for a European vacation-I believe hotel rates in Paris are very competitive nowadays due to the downturn in tourism.) Unless of course he’s from one of the 7 restricted countries, then it might be a bit more complicated depending on his immigration status. There’s 50 or so Muslim majority countries in all so travel is not restricted for most of them.

        2. He’s from India, so he should be good to go. I understand it’s not, lawfully, a Muslim ban — but it is intended to be a “radical Islam” ban. He’s not radical (I think). If it were me screening his entry, I’d let him through — because he and I have had numerous discussions on this: He’s not American, never intends to become one, and most importantly — he understands that completely. That’s pretty level-headed IMO. What seems to win him over everytime is how I compare myself in the opposite situation (into India, and an Islamic-part of Inida at that).
          Just a little more time, and I think I can turn him into a conservative, hah.

    3. You don’t want hoards of killer foreigners invading your cuntry? You must be a racist.

      1. Part of me wants to allow tons of immigrants into America. All those libtards that relinquished their guns will then be raped and murdered, leaving only the real Americans behind. At that point, it would be like shooting fish in a barrel when the immigrants eventually came to our doorsteps.

  17. The liver is basically a filter of toxins for the bloodstream. What happens when the toxins cant be evacuated? Well, the liver stores them. That’s right, heavy metals such as cadmium, arsenic and lead tend to accumulate in the livers of beef cattle during their lifespan. Thanks but no thanks, I pass.

    1. If you want to cook livers safely, you have to make them boil in water before cooking them in a classic way.

      1. And you really think that is all it takes to get rid of all the pesticides, heavy metal and other chemicals ? Not even grilling them is enough, especially for heavy metals. Not worth the risk IMO

    2. These morons just think eating meat is manly due to being Homer Simpson fat fucks. No factory farm meat is healthy. It is basically toxic shit.
      If anything let them eat the liver to poison them.

  18. For any of the animal products, I recommend buying from an ‘all natural’ or organic source. You avoid the antibiotics and estrogens found in conventional beef products.
    A local organic store near me has beef hearts, livers, and bones for $2.50 per lb. Certainly cheaper than factory farmed, estrogen-laden beef. I must state that the hearts are best slow cooked (preferably with bones) for at least 24 hrs. Texture will be sligbtly tough. (What do you think estrogens do to meat? Make it more tender for you soft men.) As for organic liver, you don’t have to soak it loke conventional

  20. Blood is bad because it has the waste products (that eventually get turned into shit in the animal). So you are eating cellular waste that hasn’t been converted to feces as well as the good things

    1. Not really. Feces is undigested food that has never left the digestive system, if you had said “urine”, you’d be closer to the truth.

    1. There is a Egyptian restaurant not too far from me that specializes in offal. The owner is a great and outgoing guy who says “to cook filet minon takes almost no skill whatsoever. You put it on fire then serve. But if you want to make a lambs teaticles and a goats hear delicious it takes thousands of years of practice and I have the best balls in New York”

    2. I love blood sausage and all of its national iterations from the Irish to the Colombian and everything in between

  23. I rarely eat meat. Just wild caught fish once in a while, and game meat when friends of mine have a successful hunt. When I’m in the US, most of what I eat is vegan, but I have some eggs or cheese once in a while for the vitamin B12. Now that I’m back in Latin America, I’m just vegetarian (don’t know any hunters here, and 99% of the fish is tilapia, which grosses me out).
    I realize that vegetarianism and especially veganism inspire an extremely hostile reaction in a lot of you, but on the other hand, I see trainers online who are very muscular and masculine and claim to be vegan. Supposedly there’s a vegan NFL player now too (don’t know, don’t follow pro sports). I myself have gotten some of my best gains on a diet that I would call 98% vegan and I feel better since mostly giving up meat, although I haven’t quite reached the levels of the guys in the link below yet. The only other time I discussed this here at ROK, aside from the vitriol, someone claimed that “the vegan muscleman thing is a hoax.”
    What say ye? If building muscle on a mostly plant-based diet is a hoax, who’s behind it? Soros or the Clintons or someone like that? Or is it a viable diet for someone who wants to build strength and size and cut fat?
    http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/

      1. Yes, fanatic vegans are insufferable. When I was still in the US, I’d sometimes eat at a local vegan restaurant, and the staff was pretty much 100% the stereotype: skinny, low T hipster-looking guys, thick, masculine looking girls.
        That’s not what I’m going for or encouraging at all. If you read what I wrote, I’m not vegan and I seriously doubt that a strict vegan diet is natural or healthy (if it were, you’d be able to get vitamin B12 from such a diet). If I were a hunter, I’d eat meat a lot more often. If I lived on the ocean shore and had a boat, I’d eat fish a lot more often.
        On the other hand, there are guys like this. This is what I’m going for (I know his race will turn some of you off, but even if you don’t like the blacks, you can’t argue with his physique):

        1. No animal biproducts in the oil that his test-e or tren is packed in?

        3. There are quite a few posters here who dislike black people and react negatively to posts referencing them in a positive light. Not nearly as much as Heartiste, but I’ve seen it several times. Probably not as bad with this particular guy because his girl appears to also be black.

        4. To be clear, are you saying that it would be impossible for a vegan to get his results without performance enhancers?

        5. I’d never want to say impossible. I don’t know everything. However, looking at his diet and results I think it would at least be a safe bet to say he is on gear

        6. Cool, I appreciate your opinion. If he were eating meat along with the food in the video, would you believe that he’s natural? If not, and you think that the vegan muscle man thing is a hoax, who do you think is behind it? What’s the motivation behind pretending to get impressive natural gains with a vegan diet? It’s hardly only this guy, there are hundreds of ripped guys online claiming to have done it all on a vegan diet.

        7. With a healthy diet it is possible to do it natural but it requires excellent genetics as well. Can it be done without gear? Sure, there are natty guys who can pull it off but it is rare. Doing this without animal protein? Possible? I guess, but I have to think very unlikely. As to motivations I would not even venture a guess.

      3. That is great: you could also add “I do crossfit” lol. Great pic

    2. I eat vegan sometimes but like you it’s not a life commitment to be vegan. The issue with vegans is that they walk around like being a vegan is some kind of serious identity. They would compare their plight to a minority. Overly drama queens.
      If the food has viable nutrients you eat it that’s my philosophy

      1. It’s interesting that your immediate response to such a benign statement is hostility and snark. It points to some underlying issues revolving around childhood trauma, rebellion against parental figures, and an unfounded disdain for sagely, if not admittedly cliche, advice.
        TL;DR – You’re not getting up from this table until you eat your vegetables, Junior.

        1. I am a vegetarian, you dumb fuck. I eat vegetables like your mom for breakfast, dinner, and supper.

  25. Great article. I would also recommend Tripe (Stomach). Slow cooked it is absolutely delicious, with onion, peppers, etc. Also it’s effectively a work-out to clean it properly (some people use a clothes washer.. hah).

  26. So glad you mention egg yolks. People are avoiding them like they are filled with cancer which has aids. It’s absurd. Get your cholesterol checked. If you do not have a cholesterol issue eat a lot of whole eggs.

      1. You know, this would usually be my first thought too but yolks are the tasty part of the egg! Ha. Maybe just me.

  27. Larsen (and other fellas of course), curious what you think about getting colonics.
    My general rule of thumb is that a man should strive to have as few things put in his asshole in life.
    Dr Melfi: have you had a colonoscopy
    Tony Soprano: I don’t even let people out their finger in my face!
    But I have been reading about health benefits of colonoscopy and they sound pretty legit.
    Any thoughts

    1. I think that it’s highly over-rated and dangerous and even potentially fatal (some people have died due to incompetent administrators of the activity).
      A lot of misinformation out there about the digestive system/colon, most of it based on pre-19th century rationales. If you hit WebMD or other more science based medical places, they generally say that at best, they’re useless and a waste of money.

      1. I checked out web md but found conflicting stuff. I tend to agree with you and think it is just a fad but then I wonder maybe I am not absorbing all the nutrients I should.

        1. I believe that such procedures flush out a lot if not all of your helpful flora and fauna, plus, I believe it’s actually a myth that you have some kind of giant repository of meat that has been accumulating since you got your first molars and chomped down on your first cheeseburger. IOW, I suspect you’d get just as much, or as little, benefit from a day or two doing a laxative.

    2. If I start spewing blood out of that orifice, I will have the doctor take a look at it. Otherwise, I’ll leave well enough alone.

  28. The problem is how does one prepare blood? I suppose you could drink it raw, . .

    Horrible advice. One does not “prepare blood” at all unless they employ ignorant, heathen dietary practices that , at best, are sub-optimal for overall health, and at worst, the root cause of any of the multitude of diseases/afflictions with unknown origins humanity suffers from today:
    “You shall not eat anything with the blood, . . ” – Leviticus 19:26
    “Only you shall not eat the blood; you are to pour it out on the ground like water.” Deuteronomy 12:16
    “Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.” – Genesis 9:4
    I encourage everyone to study and employ the food laws found in the Bible. They are much more than just an arbitrary test of obedience, they are for your own good and overall health. Science has been catching up to the Bible throughout the Bible’s entire history. Ignore the food laws at your own peril.

  29. I’m with you on the cabbage. I make salads out of shredded cabbage instead of lettuce.
    But you left out fish that’s full of protein and the kind of oils that are good for heart & mental health. A bit of olive or sesame oil and dusted with old-bay or curry powder for a meal easy and ready to grill…

  31. Excellent recipe for the fumes of death. Cabbage, liver, eggs, blood and marrow? Any gain you have in vitality will be quickly lost on your date when you break wind.

    1. I’ve been eating Paleo for several months now including cabbage and other cruciferous veggies and am never bothered by wind. Grains, beans and carbs are the real culprits for gas making.

  34. 1. Liver contains high traces of ldl the “bad” cholesterol but I’m a huge fan.
    2. Blood, while I was a big fan – a warning to my fellow Christians – you are forbidden to consume blood. It is not just some old Jew law, this was mandated by the messiah.
    3. Huge fan of marrow but the above *may* apply.
    4. I’m a 6-7 eggs a day sometimes.
    5. Cabbage

  35. Great article. Nordics eat blood pancakes. Actually hot dogs may not be so bad if you leave out the nitrates. Pink slime gets a bad name from all the anti-bacterial ammonia and other additives. Avoid beef spinal fluid though to avoid ‘mad cow’. There’s no good ‘whole beef’ product but ‘whole hog’ has always been an unkosher staple for many a Christmas.
    http://youtu.be/VlIlDpR7kAQ
    Bones and all. Hog bones are harder than shit. They must have to grind the piss out of the mixture. Then there’s ‘chicken dogs’, er ‘bird dogs’

  36. I don’t live organ meats. Had some goose-liver last week because I got some at the dinner. Rather didn’t eat it but ok, it was a free meal from a family member. You know what could be even better? Insects. Like mealworms.

  37. I love eggs. I find that eating a few eggs truly helps restocking lost nutrients from a night of drinking.

  38. Bone marrow is tasty. I just heat a bone in the oven for 10 minutes then spread it on toast. And black pudding is delicious.

  39. I hear that dogshit cleaned off your shoes with your brothers toothbrush is good for you
    and most likely better tasting than offal

  40. Yeah, eat nothing but meat and cabbage. Great idea.
    Enjoy fake yolks coloured with paprika in the chicken’s diet and deprived factory farm meat with none of the nutrition you mentioned.
    Also you know very well lazy fucks are going to buy burgers and not go hunt a deer. A retard is better off buying a multivitamin.

  42. If there is a safe way to eat offal raw I would do it. Is there a strain of bacteria I introduce to my system to help me digest it or what

  43. One word on blood sausage… Eat the Spanish kind which uses rice instead of wheat. Much healthier.

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