Superfoods: Miracle or Marketing Gimmick?

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Diabetes, heart attack, cancer … Can such serious diseases be cured or at least prevented by eating superfoods? Let's try to figure it out.

Superfoods (superfood, superfood, superfoods) are plant foods with a high concentration of nutrients. Their chemical composition is not similar to conventional foods (too much protein, vitamins, minerals, essential acids and antioxidants), and their properties are attributed to the prefix "over" (super nutritious, super dietary, super healing). Examples: goji and acai berries, chia seeds, raw cocoa beans, and so on.

Books about healthy eating, full of covers with the words "super" and "miracle" and promising a flat stomach by summer, should be sold along with an explanatory dictionary. From it, the reader would learn that a "miracle" is a phenomenon that cannot be explained by known scientific or natural laws.

Is coconut oil, chia seeds, or apple cider vinegar miraculous? There is no scientific evidence that adding superfoods to your diet will give you the promised miraculous effects.

nutritionist Duane Mellor is an assistant professor at the University of Nottingham and a member of the British Dietetic Association

Superfood is a marketing term. But people are reading reviews on the internet and are starting to believe in the magical properties of superfoods. Why?

The answer is simple. Imagine a magician who, in the smoke of incense, moves his hands in front of a mirror and whispers "magic" words. While the spectators, with their mouths open, watch the action, his clever accomplice cleans out their pockets. Clubs of scientific and pseudoscientific information wind around superfoods, and the word itself, short and sonorous, inspires confidence.

Superfoods are often described in sophisticated scholarly jargon. For example: "retain cognitive function." It's water, but the scientific style of statements inspires confidence in people - "mmm, this is something good for health." All the irons are talking about antioxidants and free radicals, but few people understand what these words really mean.

Free radicals are unstable molecules or atoms that act as an oxidizing agent and easily enter into chemical reactions. The instability is due to the presence of an unpaired electron in the outer orbital. In search of the missing electron, free radicals constantly attack the cells of the body (including DNA). Damage to a cell by oxidation is called oxidative stress. He, in turn, can provoke serious diseases: atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes.

But free radicals also have useful functions. The immune system uses oxidative stress to fight off viruses and bacteria. In addition, free radicals play an important role in cellular communication. Antioxidants are designed to neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals. Just as nightclub bouncers keep the drunk and violent from the crowd, antioxidants protect cell membranes from oxidation.

Duane Mellor explains:

Part of the antioxidants (glutathione and uric acid) we produce ourselves, and part (vitamins A, C, E) we get from ordinary food. In many superfoods (for example, in chia seeds), antioxidants serve to protect the plant itself, in particular from ultraviolet radiation, from the rancidity of oils. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) does not prevent manufacturers from saying that superfoods are rich in antioxidants, but legally, manufacturers cannot claim that superfoods are good for health. Look closely at the wording on the packages.

Moreover, even the use of antioxidant supplements does not give results.

Recently, published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), vitamin E is said to have no prophylactic effect on cardiovascular disease. This conclusion was made based on the results of observation of more than 10,000 people for 4, 5 years. Other research studies on the effects of antioxidant supplements are also available.

This is partly due to the fact that diet is a complex system of rules for food intake … It is difficult to assess the benefits of the individual ingredients included in the diet. Because the nutritional properties of many foods are manifested only as part of a balanced diet. So, studies show that it is most easily absorbed from boiled carrots, and from tomatoes drizzled with olive oil.

But is it really all that is written in books and on sites about healthy eating, about products that help to lose weight and strengthen the immune system, is it not true? After all, there are quite harmonious theories created by intelligent people. In one of the previous articles, we already have this question.

The problem with these theories is that they are based on experiments done on animals or on human cells, but in a laboratory setting. How effective they are in relation to specific people in real life is unknown. Claims like "celery cures prostatitis" should be treated with interest, but with caution.

Ali Khavandi cardiologist at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, England

“As a doctor, I think we’re missing the point,” he says of the importance of a healthy diet in preventing chronic heart disease and diabetes. “Over the past few years, doctors, at least cardiologists, have been interested in more attractive methods of preventing disease (new drugs, stents, operating techniques), and the field of diet has remained in the shadows. As a result, it is filled with unskilled people calling themselves health gurus and spreading false information. As a physician, I believe that medical professionals have a responsibility to provide authoritative expert opinions on healthy eating.”

But it is not easy to distract attention from the hyped nutritionists and superfoods. What traditional medicine says about nutrition is reliable and proven over the years, but old, and therefore not interesting to people.

• Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains are good for you.
• The body needs fats. Give preference (olive oil, sea fish). But natural foods containing saturated fats (butter, red meat) in moderation are not harmful.
• Stay away from starchy foods, cold meats, trans fats (margarine, palm oil), and fast food.

Elementary recommendations, but they do not contain a sensation, and therefore pale in comparison with the articles about miraculous superfoods. This is especially noticeable with the example of anti-carcinogenic superfoods.

“There is, of course, no cancer-preventing diet,” says Justin Stebbing, an oncologist and professor at Imperial College London. - But patients constantly ask me about such products. A disease as serious as cancer robs you of your sense of control - not much depends on you. People are trying to regain control through diet. This is a simple solution, and the internet is constantly pushing for it. But it is important to understand that the content is created by people, and to draw information from authoritative sites."

Duane Mellor gives another recommendation to distinguish an unfounded statement from a true one.

EFSA strictly monitors the wording used in marketing. If you see a big headline on a blog about healthy eating, ask yourself why don't manufacturing companies use it in their ads? If this product really cured cancer, it would probably be in every slogan and in large letters on all packages.

Myths & facts about 5 superfoods

Coconut oil

Coconut oil contains saturated fatty acids. Although there is less and less talk about the fact that they clog the blood vessels of the heart, as previously thought, one cannot take and blindly believe that they are useful. Recent studies show that saturated fat increases both "bad" and "good" cholesterol levels.

Coconut oil is composed primarily of Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT). It is a type of synthetic dietary fat. It is believed to help burn fat. But in human studies, this has not been confirmed.

Other claims about the benefits of coconut oil boil down to the fact that it regulates blood sugar levels and serves as a preventive measure against heart disease and Alzheimer's disease. But again, no human experimentation.

There is nothing wrong with a little coconut oil. For example, it is an ingredient in Thai cuisine. But you shouldn't use it every day. Duane Mellor

Apple vinegar

A whole bunch of miraculous properties are attributed to apple cider vinegar. Allegedly he:

• fights digestive disorders;
• lowers cholesterol levels;
• helps control blood sugar levels;
• relieves sore throat;
• relieves dandruff and acne;
• energizes;
• serves to prevent cancer.

None of these claims have been endorsed by the EFSA. Most of the research has been done on animals or on human cells in laboratories.

Apple cider vinegar is primarily a seasoning, not a standalone product. Use it in salads instead of high-calorie oils and mayonnaise, and add to sauces to add flavor and reduce salt intake. It will really be beneficial. Duane Mellor

Manuka honey

Manuka is a wild shrub native to New Zealand. The honey made from the nectar of its flowers is considered a superfood. It, like any other honey, contains hydrogen peroxide, hence the antibacterial properties. The increased content of methylglyoxal also speaks in favor of the antibacterial effect.

Research indicates that manuka honey relieves symptoms of infectious diseases (such as coughing). But it's unclear if its antimicrobial properties are really that strong or if it just has an emollient effect like any syrup.

Regulatory authorities consider claims of the unconditional benefits of manuka honey vague. If we are talking about health benefits, then we must remember that it is unreasonably high in sugar compared to the concentration of active compounds. Duane Mellor

Spirulina algae

This is another superfood that has been credited with miraculous properties, from normalizing body functions to preventing disease. But the US National Institutes of Health says there is not enough scientific evidence for the health benefits of spirulina. Thus, claims were rejected that the use of this seaweed allows you to control blood pressure and diabetes, as well as some mental disorders (anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Spirulina contains nutrients: calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, B vitamins, essential amino acids and others. But it is not known whether the organism perceives these biogens from plants.

It cannot be assumed that spirulina is a complex source of all nutrients. Instead of buying some supplements, spend your money on fresh vegetables and fruits. They are much more useful than any dietary supplements. Duane Mellor

Chia seeds

Chia seeds are packed with antioxidants, but as mentioned, most of them are plant-based and not available to us. They are also rich in omega-3s. However, it is better to obtain polyunsaturated fatty acids not from plant products, but from sea fish. Chia will only be a good alternative for people who don't eat fish.

Another "miraculous property" of chia seeds is weight loss. They contain a lot of protein and fiber, so you don't feel hungry for a long time and you lose weight. But research does not show any evidence to support this claim. As well as supporting the fact that chia seeds reduce the risk of heart disease.

Chia seeds can be added to bread to change its texture. After all, flaxseeds, like chia, are rich in omega-3, but they are not credited with miraculous properties, but are added to dishes simply as an unusual ingredient. Duane Mellor

What do you think of superfoods? Do superfoods have miraculous properties or are they just a marketing gimmick? Let us know in the comments.