Why you shouldn’t believe the ‘superfoods’ hype
body needs to thrive. In fact, what’s more important than upping our consumption of one food dubbed as ‘‘super’’ is ensuring that we get a wide variety of whole, real foods, all different coloured.
The substances that give each vegetable their colour have health benefits (many are antioxidants), and unless we’re consuming that colour we aren’t getting the unique nutrient profile contained in that plant.
So why all the hype?
There are many reasons why a food might suddenly get a wave of admiration. It could possibly be because of the release of research that highlights the nutritional profile of that food. It could be that someone with a high profile shares their love of the food. Or a producer or manufacturer wants to promote their food as highly nourishing so we’re more inclined to purchase their products.
It is incredible how much the internet and social media influence our perceptions around food. The foods purported to be ‘‘superfoods’’ usually do offer us valuable nutrition. It’s just that we can just as easily get this same nutrition from a number of other foods as well.
And the consequences?
One problem with a food being labelled as a ‘‘superfood’’ is that it encourages people to falsely believe that they can eat as much of those foods as they like. We see it happening currently with the acai bowl craze. Did you know that the average acai bowl (one topped with fruit and granola) contains around 13.5 teaspoons of sugar? You can start to see how, if we’re eating it on a regular occurrence because we believe it’s highly nutritious, it might begin to undermine our health. And we may not even realise that it’s the culprit because we perceive it to be a ‘‘superfood’’.
Another thing to consider is the impact that a food being labelled as ‘‘super’’ in the Western world has on the local communities where that food is farmed and produced. For example, when quinoa surged in popularity, some South American populations were left without one of their staple traditional foods.
Prices soared and many farmers were not paid what they deserved. A whole host of sad situations arose from quinoa being dubbed a ‘‘superfood’’. Our love of all things chocolate is having serious implications for the Amazon rainforest with thousands of hectares being cleared to make way for cacao crops, not to mention that the vast majority of cocoa farmers earn less than $2 a day, putting them well below the poverty line.
I don’t share these facts with you to elicit guilt, only to bring awareness. We need to think beyond our own desires and lives when making repetitive food choices to consider how our choices impact others around the world.
So what foods are super?
To me, all whole, real foods are super. Humble parsley, lemons, spinach, broccoli – the list is almost endless. The act of shifting to a diet of whole foods, plenty of plants, and reducing our consumption of processed foods would have a far greater impact on our health than upping our intake of the latest ‘‘superfood’’.
Dr Libby is a nutritional biochemist, best-selling author and speaker. The advice contained in this column is not intended to be a substitute for direct, personalised advice from a health professional. See Dr Libby live during her upcoming ‘What Am I Supposed To Eat?’ tour throughout New Zealand. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit drlibby.com