Debunking the superfood myth

January is a prime time for marketing ‘health’ products, but Sioned Quirke from the British Dietetic Association wants to reveal the truth behind so-called ‘superfoods’.

Do superfoods exist?

There isn’t actually an official definition of superfood, nor any information about what one contains. So do superfoods even exist? 

Absolutely they do! But The British Dietetic Association's ideas differ greatly from what most companies claim, and what the general public may have been led to believe.

The main thing to keep in mind is that, despite its common usage, the term ‘superfood’ has no regulatory approval and is not a legally recognised term. 

The power of marketing

‘Superfood’ is simply a marketing term that has become trendy over the last few years. Companies will often put whatever they can on a label to hook you into a purchase. Marketing is a multibillion pound industry and health products are big sellers.   

Research has found that six out of ten people questioned about superfoods had purchased, eaten or drank a specific food because it had been labelled as a superfood. If you tell people often enough that something is a superfood, chances are some will start to believe it is. Claims around curing and preventing diseases, fighting off cancer, even prolonging your life make these foods sound like we couldn’t possibly live without them.

But anyone worth their degree in nutrition will tell you that no one food provides everything the body needs and so-called superfoods aren’t the magic wands they are made out to be.

Super store cupboard basics

When you think about it, most foods are ‘super’ in their own way: fruit and veg provide vitamins, minerals and fibre; meat and fish give protein; grains are good for energy; and dairy products are essential for calcium.

A superfood, in isolation, will never be the key to optimum health. Companies love to promote the health benefits of exotic foods such as goji berries, but closer-to-home basics such as salmon, eggs, berries, nuts and veg are just as super – they just escape the fancy marketing treatment.

The goji example

Some superfood products, especially the exotic varieties, are very expensive and have poor availability. We often find that people who can afford to buy these products are following a relatively healthy, balanced diet already and don’t need any additions. It’s also worth knowing that if a ‘scientist’ or ‘specialist’ endorses a product they are usually being paid to do so.  Even if a claim is made that a particular fruit has a high antioxidant level, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the human body is good at absorbing it. Also, it’s worth checking exactly how much of the product one would have to consume to see the ‘benefit’ claimed. Sometimes the amounts are very large. Consumer group Choice found that you would need to drink about 13 30ml servings of Goji juice in order to obtain the same antioxidant benefit of eating one medium-sized red apple! 

There is no magic wand

We live in a society that looks for a magical product that simply doesn’t exist. If it did, we would probably be providing it on prescription! It seems that good old healthy eating is too boring for some, although it’s certainly what we need to be doing. Don’t get caught up in trendy terms – if something seems too good to be true, it usually is!  

The bottom line is many foods are superfoods in their own way. But let’s ditch that phrase. No so-called superfoods will guide you to the Promised Land, so aim to have a healthy balanced diet with everything in moderation. Nothing can substitute for healthy eating, but many a marketing person can make your wallet lighter!

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