Superfood, a buzzword that leaves the health and wellness sector shaking in giddy anticipation and happiness.
If you went and did a quick search on the many plethora of social media platforms for the term ‘superfood’ you bet you can find thousands and thousands of video hyping up the next biggest superfood that people are sleeping on and how it can practically make you a whole new person, that could very well fly around the world twice and still do all the chores in a day, with time to spare.
While sure, there is no denying that the items mentioned as superfoods do have their benefits, some have vitamins, others are rich in minerals, and antioxidants, few could have healthy fats and anti-inflammatory properties and adding them to your daily diet could definitely help a person’s overall health, it has also been noticed that the hype around these superfoods is being taken to unrealistic levels.
Several health experts have taken to busting myths around these superfoods and cautioning the general public to just be more aware of what they’re putting in their bodies.
What Are Experts Saying?
The internet has certainly had a field day, making items like kale smoothies, avocado toasts, turmeric shots, toasted makhanas, and chia puddings the only way to get healthy.
Many call the main item of these dishes a superfood; however, Dietitian Pranjal Kumat has brought up the fact that the term ‘superfood’ itself doesn’t have any standardised scientific or regulatory definition.
He said, “It isn’t recognised by bodies like the FAO, US FDA, or FSSAI in India. It’s simply a marketing term for foods believed to be especially rich in nutrients like antioxidants, polyphenols, or Omega-3 fatty acids.”
Debjani Gupta, Functional Nutritionist and Founder of Wellness for All, also seconded this saying, “There’s no official definition of superfood. The term became popular in the 1990s to describe foods high in nutrients and believed to help prevent diseases. But there’s no legal framework behind it.”
From Harvard experts and to United Kingdom (UK)’s National Health Service (NHS) have said that there is no scientific definition for superfoods, and that it has been overstated and used in misleading ways.
The European Union has also banned companies from using the term on their labels, unless they can provide strong scientific proof for it. Many claim it’s more of a marketing ploy than anything real.
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This is not the first time that the myths about superfoods or, more importantly, the claims made around them by influencers and wellness celebs have been called out.
A 2016 report by The Guardian revealed the truth about avocados and how the hype around them might need some scrutiny. Pulling up the 2013 review of eight preliminary studies that claimed “eating hass avocados may benefit the cardiovascular system,” it reported how the review had actually been paid for by the Hass Avocado Board.
The claim about how an avocado extract could help treat leukaemia was also refuted as the “extract in question – avocatin B – comes from the seed in the middle.” Since that is not something eaten by people, the benefits are zero.
Avocado has also led to deforestation, with organisations and companies planting avocado trees due to the health-crazed demand for them. Further, for goji berries, the report stated, “Studies claiming they treat cancer, heart disease and various other things have been tiny, badly run and generally based on large doses of goji extract that you couldn’t possibly get by eating them normally.”
Dr. Rakesh Gupta, an internal medicine specialist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, in a 2024 article for The Indian Express, also busted some myths around superfoods, including one about them having the ability to replace medication.
Pointing out claims about how superfoods like turmeric and ginger are said to be good for the immune system, he wrote that “they are not substitutes for medical treatment.”
He cautioned that “For those with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease, relying solely on superfoods without following proper medical advice is not recommended.”
He also stressed that superfoods are not some magical potion that can work on their own, and the person can ignore everything else. He discussed how sleep hygiene, exercise, and a “diverse and balanced eating plan” are equally important.
Dr. Gupta wrote about how depending solely on superfoods and thinking that they will heal one’s body is not the right way to go.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Guardian, The Economic Times, The Indian Express
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This post is tagged under: Superfood, Superfood health experts, health experts india, Superfood myths, Superfood scam, health, health scam
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