There are so-called “superfoods” for weight loss, “superfoods” that fight cancer, and even “superfoods” that we should feed our teens, but the question remains: what actually are superfoods?
Are they heads of broccoli or kale wearing capes, gogi berries sporting a wonder woman head band or tiny chia seeds and cashews sporting muscles in powerful-looking costumes?
Superfoods are not replicas of heroes with super powers, but nutrient-dense foods that have some health benefits. Popular in the United States, the term “superfoods” has been prohibited since 2007 in the marketing of food in Europe, unless accompanied by specific, authorized health claims supported by credible scientific research.
Though superfoods are promoted for their ability to prevent or cure disease, Suzanne Pearlman, who holds a master’s of science degree in nutrition, described the term as a marketing gimmick used to encourage the sale of specific foods that may not actually cure diseases.
“I guess I get frustrated with gimmicks, such as when certain products come on the market and it’s described as the next cure-all and be-all for so many diseases,” Pearlman said. “It really gets down to eating a healthful, whole-food diet and regular exercise. One food isn’t going to do it all.”
Pearlman believes many foods are health-promoting, including greens like kale. In her Dover practice, Nutritional Balance for Life, she develops an individual meal plan to help her clients reach their goals, often related to diabetes, dementia, compromised immune systems, eating disorders or other health conditions.
Nature offers an array of colorful, whole fruits, vegetables and grains and Pearlman said eating a wide variety helps humans achieve and maintain a strong healthy state.
“You can eat more of a certain food to help boost your system if you are deficient in certain nutrients, but it depends on what is happening for the individual because one person’s food can be another person’s enemy,” said Pearlman, who is an adjunct professor of personal nutrition, human biology and anatomy and physiology at N.H. Technical Institute – Concord’s Community College.
“When I see a client, I don’t have a list of fixed foods to focus on, I look at the whole picture. I don’t focus on the superfood of the week or month.”
Even though Seacoast Chef Teri Hull of Rye agrees the term superfood is a marketing term with no scientific backing to the label, she appreciates the image it suggests.
“It evokes this image of a head of broccoli with superman or a superwoman cape coming to the rescue,” she said with a laugh. “Actually a superfood is a highly nutrient-dense food and for people who are new to a whole foods diet there’s no need to be intimidated by this perception that superfoods are just spirulina, bee pollen and kelp. To add more superfoods to your diet, you can eat more berries, wild salmon and greens.”
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