SUPERFOODS - THE BANNED TERM.

Superfoods - The Banned term

​SUPERFOODS: BANNED TERM BY  NHS AND EU.

Superfoods: The Cinderella Fairy Tale

​Lower your risk of heart disease with omega-3s! Stay away from diabetes with broccoli! Avoid stress with a yummy bar of dark chocolate! Yes. You have guessed it right!!! I am indeed talking about “SUPERFOODS”.  Let’s peep into the world of these soi-disant ‘miracle foods.’
What are Superfoods?
“Superfoods” are commonly defined as foods with added health benefits that help to treat certain medical conditions. But the public health service of England, NHS, states that there is no single certified definition of a superfood and the EU has completely banned the use of the term on product package unless there is authentic research and data to prove the same. The term has become crowd-pleasing and in vogue due to the repeated proclamation of magazines, news headlines and the food industry. There is an entire business unit dedicated to bring in new ideas to woo the public to consume a particular food with the support of scientists who work hard to amalgamate food items with their potential benefits. Simple common sense makes us aware that no single food can be the elixir of health and all these gimmicks are done to boost the market sales of the food industries and there is no real health concern behind all these cooked-up stories.
The Top Notch Miracle Foods
Recently, many foods are added to the ‘miracle’ food category with blueberries, dark chocolate, broccoli, seaweed, wheatgrass and tea (green or black) topping the charts. Elaborated below are short notes on each of these foods.
Blueberries
Blueberries are antioxidant powerhouses with substantial potassium and vitamin C content. These wonder           berries are supposed to lower your risk of heart disease, cancer and improve memory. If these berries could do such magic, what is the need for daily physical activity and a balanced diet? Ponder!!!
Though there is no real evidence to support any of the above facts, blueberries are an excellent choice to include in your five portions of fruits and vegetables daily as they are low in calories and high in nutrients.
Dark Chocolate
A single bar of dark chocolate a day can put the stress away. Dark chocolate, packed with antioxidants is said to reduce stress levels and minimize the occurrence of stroke or heart attack. Dark chocolate beats yoga teachers, meditation gurus and health professionals in reducing the stress levels of individuals. Isn’t it funny???
Moreover, cocoa, used to make dark chocolate, is rich in fat and sugar. Hence, eating too much of chocolate can lead to weight gain and an increased risk of disease.
Broccoli
The latest craze is for broccoli. It is said to prevent spreading of breast cancer, unravel diabetes and lung disease. Studies show that sulforaphane, a component found in broccoli, is said to prevent damage to small blood vessels caused by high blood sugar. Though this seems to be eye catchy and interesting, authentic proof and in-depth analysis is required before arriving upon a conclusion as posted on magazines.
Seaweed
First it was broccoli, then it was blueberries and now it is seaweed. Kelp, better known as seaweed, has bountiful calcium, magnesium and iodine. Kelp is suggested mainly for regulating thyroid and pituitary functioning, weight management and hydration. Available worldwide as it is found in oceans and being the nature’s panacea for people, why are we still struggling to fight the deadly increase in obesity rates worldwide? Please contemplate over this simple, yet happening situation.
As the proverb goes, ‘too much of anything is good for nothing’, seaweeds, when consumed in large quantities, can lead to enlarged thyroid glands, gastrointestinal issues and acne-like rash.
Wheatgrass
Though it is being hyped that a 30ml shot of wheatgrass has the nutrients of 1kg of vegetables, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) has proved that, gram to gram, the nutrients present in wheatgrass juice is equal to that present in common vegetables. To the contrary, drinking too much of this juice can end up in diarrhoea, allergic reactions, nausea and headache.
Tea (Green or Black)
Drink black tea to protect yourself against heart disease and green tea to prevent prostate cancer. A recent Japanese study found that men who consumed five cups of green tea daily had only 50% chance of developing prostate cancer compared to men who drank one cup a day. But the confounding factor here is that these men adopted a traditional Japanese diet rich in soy, miso, fruits and vegetables which makes it tricky to prove if it was really the green tea which was responsible for reduced risk of cancer or other ingredients in the diet were also involved. Hence, it is always better to consume anything in moderation as it can never have a harmful effect on the body.
To Sum it up
There is no such one ‘cure-all’ food or ingredient to make an individual healthy and fit. Don’t get carried away by flashy ads such as ‘Lose 10 kg in 10 days with our secret superfood’ or ‘Superfoods to chisel you into a supermodel’. Many websites, health centres and food companies give false hopes and provide exaggerated claims on losing weight without any exercise or diet with these superfoods. If it was so, obesity would not be the talk of the town, heart diseases would not be on the rise, diabetes would not be so common worldwide and lastly, gyms and fitness centres should have gone jobless and closed down long back. All these prove the simple fact that nutrition is simply complex, differing person to person and there is no hard and fast rule applicable globally.
For those struggling to lose weight or desperate to find a hasty solution to weight management, superfoods may be a tempting choice. But remember — a well-balanced diet and regular physical activity is the key to a healthful life. Include a variety of foods, especially colourful foods, drink plenty of water, eat lots of fruits and veggies and workout every single day to stay healthy and fit. If you follow this principle diligently nothing is a superfood. If you don’t, no superfood can save you.