Against superfoods
Posted by kathryn in Nutrition

I’m not a big fan of the superfood concept. Well, it’s not so much the concept itself, as all the promotion and marketing that’s taken over. It seems every year there is a new superfood, the one we HAVE to eat in order to have optimum health. This year’s is always bigger and better than last year’s. The latest superfood is never something we eat as a normal part of our diet – it’s always someting super-expensive and hard to find.
This creates the impression that we have to pay a lot of money to have the best health – which just isn’t true.
As you’ll know, I’m a big fan of fruit and vegies and these are pretty super-foods in my book. We don’t all have to eat Himalayan Goji berries and wild blueberries to be getting all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients we need. The humble apple, oranges, pears, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, pumpkin, cabbage – they’re some of the cheapest fruit and veg around and yet they are packed full of goodness.
I saw this link on Mostly Eating – the article is called “Forget superfoods, you can’t beat an apple a day” and it’s an excellent reality check on the superfood hype. As Jeremy Spencer, of Reading University says:
‘Not only is it completely misleading to break a food down into its component parts and study those one by one, but it is impossible to predict the reactions of individual metabolisms to specific foods. Apart from the fact that the effect of the whole food may be more, or quite different, from the sum of its parts, it is impossible to say each person will have the same physiological result.’ He added: ‘People don’t eat nutrients, they eat foods. And foods can behave very differently to the nutrients they contain and they can have a very different effect in someone’s body than they have when examined in a test tube.’
The answer is (as always), to eat a varied diet. Include plenty of fruit and vegetables, low fat protein and wholegrains. Limit the alcohol and have the occasional treat.
Comments
hi kathryn, i was introduced to your blog by a lovely friend and i’m so glad i was. i’m really enjoying reading your sensible but positive posts, and it’s really encouraging to me.
on superfoods: i often refer to broccoli as a superfood but that’s more because it’s my favourite veggie and i love having another reason to eat it, than me actually believing it can cure all my health woes/give me a longer life! :)
[…] Limes & Lycopene « Against superfoods […]
Lindsey, welcome, I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying my blog. Broccoli is one of my favourites too and you’re right, it’s a pretty fabulous food. In fact, all the brassicas are full of nutrients, fibre and lots of goodness. So eat away!
I’m glad you liked the Observer article – I thought it was really refreshing to see something so sensible and anti-superfood in the press for a change!
Agreed Sophie. Plus, since seeing the link, I’ve actually been reading (and enjoying) quite a lot of articles from their site. So well directed (!).
[…] One of the blogs I visit regularly is that of Kathryn Elliott, nutritionist from Limes and Lycopene. Kathryn has recently written a couple of interesting articles on this very subject. Check out her thoughts: Against superfoods & Against superfoods II Technorati Tags: Superfoods, mangosteen, acai, goji, pomegranate, noni, balanced diet, healthy May 30, 2007 | Filed Under Fruit and Vegetables […]
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