Superfood Myths Busted – Indian Weight Loss Blog

Blowing up superfood myths

Today my son sent me a link that actually opened my eyes. We always talked about different superfoods and their health benefits, but today I was shocked after reading what I was shown. It actually got me thinking how we ignore readily available simple foods in our search for new and not-so-readily available foods. You're playing into the hands of commercial grocery sellers who are fooling us. (I just saw an ad selling quinoa for INR 750 a kilo. Now that's insane.) Before I share what I read, let's see what the dictionary meaning of superfood is.

What is superfood?

The Macmillan Dictionary defines "superfood" as a food that is considered very good for your health and can even help with some diseases.

The Oxford Dictionary definition states that a superfood is "a nutrient-dense food that is believed to be particularly beneficial for health and wellbeing".

In fact, the term “superfood” is actually just a marketing tool that is hardly scientifically founded. Another definition of superfood is: “A popular non-medical term in the media that refers to foods that may have health-promoting properties, such as: By and large, superfoods can be unusually high in antioxidants, vitamins, or other health-promoting nutrients.

Spinach prides itself on being called the superfood in 1950 and, interestingly, credit goes to Popeye the spinach lover. 😛

Now let me tell you what I read about various superfoods and the myths shattered.

claim

One of the top quinoas on the list is considered high protein and gluten free. It contains 18% more protein than other grains.

reality

Despite its protein content, quinoa contains gut irritating saponins and lectins, possibly due to its high fiber content. Flatulence and gas are common irritants of quinoa.

claim

High in potassium and magnesium and widely used as a post-workout drink.

reality

Although low in calories, 100 ml of this so-called superfood contains three teaspoons of sugar, which corresponds to half of your daily requirement of naturally occurring sugar.

Claim

Proponents of wheatgrass make many claims about its health properties, ranging from promoting general wellbeing to preventing cancer.

reality

According to the American Cancer Society, "the scientific evidence available does not support the idea that wheatgrass or the wheatgrass diet can cure or prevent disease".

Well, there are many more so-called superfoods that have fallen away from claiming to be one, like goji berry and acai berry, but since I've never tried these, they bother me the least. Here, this research-based link made me really happy when I saw the real superfood list. The simple reason is that I consume most of it. Here is the list for all of you. These are based on their most nutritious vegetables and fruits.

Chinese cabbage, spinach, beetroot, leaf and romaine lettuce, mustard leaves, beet greens, bell peppers, broccoli, pumpkin, cauliflower, kohlrabi, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, iceberg lettuce and lemons.

Aren't these new superfoods easy to find in the local market, especially in winter?