The Whole Truth About Superfoods: Are Goji Berries and Chia Seeds As Good As They Are?

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

Superfoods are foods that contain amazing amounts of nutrients. According to the assurances of marketers, they can save you extra pounds and cure all diseases. Sounds too good to be true.

The idea is very attractive: there are healthy products, there are unhealthy ones, and there are super-useful ones. Why change your eating habits when you can simply add goji berries to your meals? Why settle for little when chia seeds in oatmeal will make you super healthy and not just healthy? According to research by EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. … 61% of Britons reported that they prefer superfoods when shopping for groceries.

The truth is not so rosy. If you eat a balanced diet, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and exercise regularly, there is no need for superfoods. If you don't, then no superfood will save you.

We have already written about. But food trends are constantly changing, and new superfoods are replacing the old ones, for which gourmets are ready to shell out substantial sums every month. Today we will talk about the products that are gaining popularity lately, and see if they are really as good as they are said to be.

Cabbage

Today it is perhaps one of the most popular superfoods. At the same time, everyone is familiar. Cabbage has been grown everywhere for thousands of years as one of the most resilient, practical crops. The varieties and varieties of Brassica oleracea (aka Cabbage) are countless: white cabbage, red cabbage, curly, Tuscan kale, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, plus their closest relatives - turnip, Chinese and Peking cabbage.

Benefit for health

We all know how healthy a diet high in vegetables is, so it’s logical to ask the following question: why is cabbage better than others?

Supporters of superfoods can simply list all those beneficial elements that are found in large quantities in cabbage (iron, vitamins, fiber, antioxidants), and tell why our body needs them (increase the number of red blood cells in the blood, eliminate free radicals, help urinate).

But let's think logically. If you eat cabbage in large quantities or get the same nutrients from other foods, this does not mean that your body is getting superpowers. Your car will not go faster if you put more gas in the tank.

All vegetables contain different amounts of vitamins and minerals, which can vary depending on soil, maintenance, and other factors. Therefore, there is no point in organizing a competition on the usefulness of vegetables. Of course, regular kale contains more calcium, vitamin B6, and calories than broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach or carrots. But regular cabbage has less vitamin A than carrots, less iron, potassium and magnesium than spinach, and less fiber than Brussels sprouts. And there is not a single study that would prove that it is better not just to eat vegetables and fruits, but vegetables, fruits and necessarily cabbage.

Avocado

A real delicacy and one of the most popular fruits in the USA. Technically, it's more of a fruit than a vegetable. To be more precise, this is a very large berry. Everything about avocados is unusual: the appearance, taste, and even the nutrient content. But does he have superpowers?

Benefit for health

Avocados are unusually high in fat. We are talking about monounsaturated fats that protect our cardiovascular system. The body gets them from a wide variety of foods: oily fish, nuts, olive and sunflower oil. Therefore, despite the apparent lightness and barely noticeable satiety, avocados are very high in calories. One avocado contains about 240 calories (in a Mars bar - 228).

A review of eight preliminary studies from 2013 found that eating Hass avocados had cardiovascular health benefits by Mark L. Dreher, Adrienne J. Davenport. … … But there is still no exact data. Here's another thing to watch out for: This review was paid for by the Hass Avocado Board, which is naturally interested in the results. Such studies can hardly be called independent.

At one time, various publications unanimously argued that avocado helps in the treatment of leukemia. Yes, avocatin B extract is really beneficial, if not for one thing: it is obtained from the seeds. So, no matter how many avocados you eat, you are unlikely to become healthier.

Garnet

Bright, juicy, tasty and exotic fruit. Grenadine, a red syrup and an important ingredient in alcoholic cocktails, is made from sweetened pomegranate juice.

Benefit for health

In 2012, a U. S. court barred pomegranate juice company POM Wonderful from making bold claims about the health benefits of Stephanie Strom. … … Today, scientists are only wondering what benefits a person with health problems can get from pomegranate juice.

Thus, it has been suggested that pomegranate juice lowers cholesterol levels and thereby improves blood flow to the heart. But no substantiated evidence has been presented. There is also little suggestion that pomegranate juice may slow the progression of prostate cancer.

It shouldn't surprise you that pomegranates are high in antioxidants (especially in the skins you don't eat). But they are negligible compared to the amount of antioxidants shown to improve health.

Goji berries

The popular name for these exotic berries is wolf berries. They grow on a shrub called common wolfberry. According to legend, the Chinese herbalist Li Qingyun lived 197 years (according to another version - 256), adhering to a diet with goji berries. But neither the length of life of the long-liver, nor the fact how the berries influenced it, have been proven.

Benefit for health

Goji berries look like elongated pink grapes and, when dried, look like pink raisins. They are easy to snack on, can be added to different dishes.

Goji berries have played an important role in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, but don't mistake that for approval. It has long been proven that traditional Chinese medicine, like traditional European medicine, was at best a waste of time for a person, and at worst, it was harmful to health.

Eating goji berries or juice from them probably won't hurt you, but there is no evidence that they are healthier than any other fruit or berry of the British Dietetic Association. … Studies often claim they cure heart disease and dozens of other conditions. But for even minor changes in health to occur, a huge amount of goji berry extract will be required. At home, if you consume them in normal amounts, you simply won't be able to get as many nutrients.

Chia seeds

Chia seeds are practically tasteless and behave quite unusually during cooking: they form a viscous gel when mixed with any liquid. They can be ground to a powder, added to flour, or used to thicken drinks. They are high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Benefit for health

One hundred grams of chia seeds contains 17 grams of omega-3 acids, which is a lot - 8 times more than salmon. However, the omega-3s found in chia are different from those found in fish, so the body absorbs much less of them: about 1.8 g per 100 g seeds, compared to 2.3 g in fish.

To get the right amount of acids, you have to eat as many as 100 grams of seeds per day, which, among other things, contain 486 calories - almost the same as a hamburger.

If that doesn't bother you, answer the question: Why do you need so much omega-3s? With fish, everything is clear: it is not only a source of fatty acids, but also protection against cardiovascular diseases. All studies on the benefits of omega-3 are rather mixed, and to date there is no reason to believe that chia seeds are good for the health of Cynthia de Souza Ferreira, Lucilia de Fátima de Sousa Fomes, Gilze Espirito Santo da Silva, Glorimar Rosa. … …

Beet

In Russian realities, beets have never been a delicacy. But in the last couple of years, a fashion for beetroot dishes has appeared throughout Europe, however, it is well deserved. It is a wonderful vegetable in any form. It can be used as a stand-alone dish or as an ingredient. Today you can even buy beet juice in a regular supermarket.

Benefit for health

Compared to other vegetables, beets are a rather mediocre source of vitamins and minerals. However, like many other vegetables, it is rich in nitrates. This fact somehow made it a superfood and a popular sports supplement.

Good things first: Beet juice lowers blood pressure by the British Dietetic Association. … True, in practice, this is not very useful. If you suffer from high blood pressure, it is better to exercise, eat less salt, and take the medication your doctor has prescribed.

Other studies confirm that drinking beet juice before exercise improves endurance in athletes, as the juice helps carry more oxygen through the body (although this does not significantly change athletic performance in the long term).

However, it is not recommended to eat beets with red meat, as this leads to increased anxiety due to nitrosamines E. Kolb, M. Haug, C. Janzowski, A. Vetter, G. Eisenbrand. … and an increased risk of bowel cancer (5.6% in people who do not eat, compared to 6.6% in people who eat a lot).

Seaweed

All edible types of algae are called seaweed: nori, kelp, kombu, wakame. It is a perennial ingredient in oriental cuisine, especially Japanese cuisine. Each variety has its own flavor and cooking habits, but they have a lot in common. For example, all algae are rich in vitamin B12.

Benefit for health

Seaweed is a rare example of a non-animal food rich in vitamin B12. It is an essential food for vegans who, for some reason, do not take vitamin supplements. That is, for a small group of people who are nutritionally deficient but don't want to take the pill, seaweed can actually become a superfood. For everyone else, this is just tasty and healthy food, part of a balanced diet, but nothing more.

Seaweed is high in calcium and iron, but these nutrients can be obtained from other sources as well.

Iodine, fiber, and alginate in seaweed are often touted as excellent weight loss products, but whether they actually work has yet to be proven. Note that iodine is not an element that needs to be absorbed in huge quantities. It's toxic, though, and can cause thyroid problems.

Depending on where the algae grew, they can contain a lot of heavy metals. In large quantities, they can harm your health.