It all started with blueberries, those tiny, dark blue or even purple shaded berries that were suddenly hailed for the nutrition punch they packed, as well as their cancer-fighting properties. While the blueberry kept its popularity, more superfoods soon appeared: quinoa, chia seeds, seaweed, and coconut oil are just some of the exotic products that can now be found in many a supermarket. But are the health claims magazines and foodies often make about these foods true? Do superfoods really boost your health, or do they only boost the pockets of the food companies that sell them? And are they worth the extra money? The problem with superfoods There has been a lot of debate about superfoods. While promoted by many health gurus, the term is seldom used by nutrition scientists or dieticians, and many doubt these foods have the health benefits advocates often claim. In the EU, legislation introduced in 2007 banned the use of the term superfood by companies unless they accompanied it by a specific authorized health claim that explained to consumers why the product is good for their health. The law, however, has not resulted in a decreased popularity of these foods. So what is wrong with praising certain fruits, grains and vegetables as superfoods? Some scientists say the claims cannot be proven. While superfoods do contain important nutrients – vitamins and minerals – it is impossible to break a food down into what it composes of and study those one by one in order to know how healthy a food is. The effect of a whole food can be totally different from the sum of its parts, and each person reacts differently to a certain food. Take the example of antioxidants. While scientists agree that vitamin E – an important antioxidant found in nuts and seeds, avocados, tofu, and spinach, among others – helps slowing down cell damage, which can lead to cancer, if taken in a supplement it does not decrease mortality among adults and can even be harmful. Overdose of healthy = unhealthy This leads us to the next concern many nutrition scientists share. A certain food can be extremely healthy, but too much of it may do the body more harm than good. In the best case, the body excretes the excess nutrient, as is the case with vitamin C; in the worst case, your body stores all the surplus, which can then cause serious cellular damage or have a toxic effect on the organs. Vitamin A toxicity is a well-known example of this. As many superfoods are relatively new in the Western diet, nutrition scientists do not always know how much is safe. Seaweed, for example, is claimed to stimulate the immune system, boost brain power, increase good bacteria in the gut, and contain heart-healthy fats. However, large quantities of seaweed could cause liver damage in people and are thought to be carcinogenic due to the natural toxins it contains. When it comes to diet, everything in moderation is still key. Healthy non-superfoods Another concern health professionals often point to is that the superfoods hype often make people think that healthy foods that do not fall under the term are actually not that beneficial. Think of oranges, apples, carrots, or potatoes. Why are these fruits and vegetables, which can be easily found in any grocery store and won't cost you an arm and a leg, not labeled as superfoods? They are at least as healthy as their exotic counterparts, and a family that is tight on a budget could rather spend SR20 on a box full of oranges than buying a tiny quantity of goji berries from China. Adding some chia seeds to your daily smoothie is not likely to harm your health, but dieticians warn for a monotonous diet. Some people are going so far in their obsession with superfoods that they forget about all the other healthy stuff their body needs to function well. Should you avoid superfoods? Michael Pollan, an American author, journalist, activist, and professor of journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, perfectly summarizes the problem in a 2007 article in The Guardian: “If you're concerned about your health, then you should probably avoid food products that make health claims,” he said. “Why? Because the whole ideology of superfoods is misleading, for consumers and scientists alike.” After all, the superfoods business is a super lucrative one, and we wouldn't hear so much about them if some companies did not make millions of dollars marketing them as such. Superfoods may be healthy – civilizations have been eating seaweed, quinoa, and goji berries for centuries – but so are other fruits and vegetables that do not carry this label. In his book “In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto,” Pollan explains his food philosophy in 7 simple words: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Superfoods or not, this sounds like a useful guide.
