Superfoods are foods that seem to be beneficial for your health, according to the latest research and/or persuasive anecdotal evidence. The term superfood is a loose label put on certain foods by all sorts of people, from nutrition book authors to guests on popular talk shows. Some foods that are included on superfood lists may indeed be bad for you if you have certain health conditions, even if they are good for everyone else. Other superfoods such as berries often are combined with foods like cereals containing large amounts of salt and sugar, rendering the dish more bad than good.
Superfood Lists
On the "Oprah" show, Dr. Mehmet Oz offered his list of the top five superfoods for 2010. The list included sweet potatoes, especially the purple potato from Japan, turmeric tea, mangosteen fruit, mustard greens and low-mercury barramundi fish. A list of superfoods on the StartCooking.com website includes beans, apricots, berries, broccoli, cacao, peanut butter, turkey, cinnamon, pomegranate juice, yogurt, oats and avocados. There is no overlap on the two lists, further proof that the term superfood is not precisely defined. However, all 17 items on the two lists appear to be healthy choices for your diet.
Fake Superfoods
Sometimes superfoods are prepared in ways that render a dish less than super. As the Mail Online newspaper website in Britain puts it: "Some products with the wholesome-looking appearances and impressive health claims on our supermarket shelves may be no better than calorie-laden treats such as chips and doughnuts." An analysis by the UK's Evening Standard newspaper found that many processed foods from big manufacturers mislead people into assuming they are wise nutritional choices. For example, a serving of seemingly healthy cereal can contain more sugar than a doughnut. A brunch bar may contain more carbohydrates than a serving of chocolate ice cream. The culprits in these and other products are salt, sugar and carbs. In America, food items such as trail mix, parfaits, blue corn chips and smoothies often are loaded with sugar, salt, carbs and calories.
Health Conditions
Although a number of foods qualify as healthy superfoods for the vast majority of people, they are bad, perhaps even dangerous, for certain people. For example, superfood vegetables with seeds, such as tomatoes, can be harmful if you have diverticulitis, since the seeds can get trapped in the pockets formed in the colon by the condition. Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant, normally excellent food choices, are members of the nightshade family and contain solanine, which can aggravate inflammation in people with arthritis.
Drug Interactions
Superfoods that you might never suspect as potentially harmful can interact with a number of drugs. Grapefruit can be particularly dangerous because it interferes with your body's metabolism of many medications including statins, antihistamines, calcium channel blockers, anti-arrhythmias and antidepressants. This can lead to a toxic buildup of the drugs, which, in turn, can cause dangerous side effects. Even a superfood as seemingly innocuous as broccoli can be dangerous if you are taking blood-thinners, since it can raise your risk of a stroke. If you are on blood-thinning medications, or any other medication, it is essential to read the warning labels on the package and consult your doctor about potential drug and food interactions.
References
- HealthyBodyDaily.com; Dr. Oz 5 Supefoods Anti Aging Immunity Boosting Cancer Fighting Foods; Dr. Mehmet Oz; June 7, 2010
- Start Cooking: 12 Superfoods You Need to be Eating
- Shape; 50 Seemingly Healthy Foods That May Be Bad For You; Jennipher Walters
- Mail Online Health: Health Foods That are as Bad as Chips; Isabel Oakeshott
- "Fitness" magazine; When Good Foods are Bad for You; Charles Stuart Platkin
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