The Fallacy of Food Trends

Facts over feelings is the impetus behind many consumers demanding more transparency behind food-related terminology and eating trends. The yo-yo emotions surrounding a ‘start-n-stop’ wellness expedition have left many folks spent. One food myth in particular which has received a lot of buzz is the notion of superfoods.

Numerous brands have claimed in recent years that infusing items like spirulina, wheatgrass, Acai and Goji berries into daily meals have the ability to seemingly transform one’s health overnight. But fueling your body requires much more than loading up on a few specialty products or exotic produce. Most people are unaware that:

1. Superfood is a marketing term first introduced in the 1920s by the United Fruit Company as a clever way to boost banana sales.
2. The word is also not routinely used by agricultural professionals, culinary experts, nutrition scientists and dietitians.
3. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) stopped reporting stats related to “food antioxidant levels due to mounting evidence that the values indicating antioxidant capacity have no relevance to the effects…on human health.”
4. A wide variety fresh or frozen produce (fruits and vegetables), as well as nuts and seeds, are packed with key micronutrients known to bolster and support the immune and cardiovascular systems of the human body.

Consuming a variety of foods is a vital component to any healthy dietary plan in order to maintain an adequate intake of the vitamins, minerals and protein our bodies need to function properly. So be skeptical of any nutritional advice—especially from corporate companies—that recommends severely limiting what you eat for a prolonged period of time.

Are there other food trends you like me to debunk in a future blog post? If so, leave a note in the comments section below.

Wishing you all a warm and cozy rest of this Wednesday (and October)!