NOT WHAT THE LABEL SAYS…

These trendy foods aren’t all that they’re hyped up to be

Bee Pollen Gwyneth Paltrow’s

Goop website might celebrate bee pollen as an all-round nutritional powerhouse, but you should ignore the buzz. ‘It’s cited as being a complete protein source that boasts anti-ageing and detoxifying effects, but there’s little evidence for any of this,’ says Tilt.

Green Juice Juicers and smoothie-makers strip away insoluble fibre. ‘Without fibre, the beneficial bacteria in the colon aren’t able to metabolise your vegetables properly, which means they might not deliver the benefits you chose them for,’ says Shah.

Coconut oil The backlash against coconut oil began after a Harvard professor declared it has no proven benefits. ‘And one tablespoon has 10g of saturated fat and 90kcal,’ says Shah. •

Iced tea

Bottled teas are no match for a fresh cup. ‘Readyto-drink green teas degrade polyphenols to nonexistent levels,’ says Goggins. Stick the kettle on.

Chia seeds Though purported to aid weight loss when soaked to form an appetitesuppressing gel, the seeds were shown to have no such effect in a 12-week study published in

Nutrition Research. ‘Natural’ Protein Bars

To be a ‘source of protein’, as little as 12 per cent of the energy value of a food must come from protein. If your soy-cocospirulina bar has more grams of sugar than it does of protein, steer clear.

Bagged fruit ‘An apple browns within minutes when cut,’ says Hodges. But presliced packaged fruit is often treated with preservatives and loses most of its nutrition when exposed to air. Hit the frozen aisle.