Superfoods - what is it, natural food with a unique set of vitamins and minerals or just another marketing ploy in the food industry?
It is customary to call superfoods natural plant-based dietary products that should form the basis of a balanced diet. The benefits of such superfoods lie in the significant concentration of vitamins and minerals. Unlike dietary supplements and drugs, superfood is not specially developed anywhere and is a completely organic product.
The so-called superfoods have been grown by many peoples for tens of centuries and are rightfully considered to be real natural gifts. By including them in their daily diet, a person will receive essential nutrients and boost immunity. Very often, superfood is associated only with exoticism, which is why its attractiveness in the eyes of residents of the northern regions only grows. This common misconception is actively reinforced by modern marketers who are trying to popularize expensive overseas delicacies. In fact, every continent has its own budget counterpart to almost any superfood.
It is not necessary to order the famous assai berries via the Internet in the hope of getting a shock dose of vitamins. In terms of their composition, blueberries and raspberries are in no way inferior to them. To replenish the supply of B vitamins, you can include nuts in your diet, rather than buying the much-hyped spirulina. Marketers are silent about the fact that ancient African tribes and Asian centenarians ate special berries, roots and herbs just because they had no other food. Moreover, their digestive system was forced at the genetic level to adapt to such a specific diet, which cannot be said about the stomach of a Western person, accustomed to processed food. None of the scientists and nutritionists can guarantee that exotic foods will be equally well absorbed and will not cause allergic reactions in residents of the northern and southern regions.
Due to the fact that superfood mostly grows in remote and inaccessible corners of the planet, its price is as high as possible. Such products are touted as unique and in short supply, which creates additional excitement among followers of a healthy lifestyle. However, there is no statistically significant scientific evidence for the benefits of superfood. Most of the research is done on animals or has too few people to make any positive conclusions.
It is safe to say that dried berries supplied from afar do not have a significant amount of vitamins and antioxidants. To replenish the daily intake of trace elements, you will need to drink more than one liter of juice from goji berries (dereza or, among the common people, "wolfberry"). Moreover, the same black currant or apples have ten times more vitamins. This is not to say that it is assai berries that have a rejuvenating and fat burning effect. Indeed, in all berries, one way or another, there are antioxidants, and it is simply dishonest to single out some of the general background and set an exorbitant price on them.
The famous chia seeds are especially loved by vegans for the presence of omega-3 acids and calcium. However, walnuts and flaxseeds contain no less alpha-linolenic acid, and sesame is confidently the leader among all plant and animal products in terms of Ca content. Overseas quinoa seeds can be easily replaced with beans and buckwheat. Moreover, the latter has a higher nutritional value than the advertised superfood. Guarana also has a more readily available counterpart in the form of tea, coffee, cocoa beans and dark chocolate. Some nutritionists fear that spirulina may contain microcystin toxin, which can cause malfunction of internal organs.
Very often, marketers come up with beautiful stories about the origin of superfood and the healing of the sick. However, these are nothing more than legends, in which many continue to believe, without thinking that ordinary sea buckthorn is actually more effective than noni juice.
The moment with the quality of the supplied superfood is no less embarrassing. Under the guise of Peruvian cocoa beans that grow in the wild, suppliers can offer a raw, pesticide-treated, industrial product that is dangerous to eat without the need for heat treatment. Therefore, the inscription organic on food packaging is not always appropriate and safe.
The accolades from doctors, nutritionists, and ordinary superfood eaters on a daily basis may only be a consequence of the placebo effect prevalent in the medical environment. In addition, in everything, and especially in the amount of vitamins and minerals consumed, measure is important. Hypervitaminosis can be much more dangerous for the body, causing severe intoxication.
