Buzz
What makes superfoods stand out? Even though the term is gradually disappearing from advertisements, we still pay attention to certain foods that we've been told are healthier than the rest. Red wine. Goji berries. Kale.
In reality, the distinction of these foods has more to do with marketing budgets than their actual impact on our health. As Marion Nestle explains in The Atlantic, food industry marketing is the driving force behind the concept that one food is inherently healthier than another.
She traces the concept to scientific studies funded by companies or associations benefiting from the sales of specific foods. For example, the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission highlighted the fact that wild blueberries have more antioxidants than the common highbush variety, dedicating half of their marketing budget between 1997 and 2000 to this claim. In reality, antioxidants aren't as exceptional as they're made out to be, and they're found in many other fruits.
Sometimes, a company highlights existing research, like when Barilla issued press releases about a pasta-related study they didn't fund. Other times, they offer free food or, as every scientist knows, money to fund research on their product. Ocean Spray spends millions looking for any potential health benefits tied to cranberries.
“This type of research is aimed at suggesting that eating this one food alone will make you healthier, allowing you to disregard everything else in your diet,” writes Nestle. And that’s the issue: it's not that fruits have antioxidants—fine, but the real problem is that it shifts the focus away from overall eating habits that will truly affect your health, making you think about buying specific products that benefit someone else's wallet.
For instance, we should all consume more fruits and vegetables. Though it may sound like a dull suggestion, it requires some effort. Maybe your usual lunch spots don’t offer many vegetable-rich choices. But picture this: you're in a rush, so you end up at a sandwich shop with a green tea (superfood!) latte, a small salad with a kale (superfood!) base, and sugary yogurts—sugar isn’t ideal, but hey, they’ve got live active cultures (probiotics!), and one even has pomegranate (superfood!) and acai (superduperfood!) puree mixed in. Now you’re thinking you're eating healthy, right? Despite the fact that the “super” foods were just tiny additions, and the overall meal leans more towards sugar and leaves you unsatisfied.
Superfoods are designed to make you feel better about the less healthy choices you make, and to push you into buying one product over another. The makers of that acai yogurt are more than pleased with this outcome. As a result, you've lost sight of your real goals, which probably weren’t to chase the latest trendy fruits, but to include fruits, veggies, and protein in a balanced and healthy diet. You fell for it. We all did.
