Are superfoods all that super?
Recently I spent the weekend in Canmore with my girlfriend. While walking around the cabins that we stayed at, we came across a man that was working outdoors on his computer.
A conversation around training and nutrition quickly ensued and before I knew it he was telling me that I should only eat Superfoods.
Before we dive into what happened next, what are superfoods?
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a superfood is defined as “a food (such as salmon, broccoli, or blueberries) that is rich in compounds (such as antioxidants, fiber, or fatty acids) considered beneficial to a person's health”.
A quick google search of the 2021 superfoods brought up the following foods list: fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi, blueberries, seeds (chia and hemp), exotic fruits, green tea, avocado, spinach and leafy greens, kale, nuts, ancient grains and salmon.
After telling me that I should only eat superfoods, his instructions were as follows.
Google the top superfoods of 2021
Print out the list
Carry it with me on every grocery trip and only buy items off that list.
Achieve the epitome of health
I wasn’t very impressed. Eat only superfoods? Eat salmon kale salads for life? Come on.
Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against superfoods. Heck, the foods from the above list are fantastic choices and foods that I regularly incorporate into my diet. BUT, will they be the solution to dropping 30 lbs in a month, bringing your health to supernatural levels, enhancing your IQ or solving your hereditary induced high cholesterol? Sorry but not in my experience.
The man had good intentions but deep down I didn’t agree. Here’s why.
Among the scientific community, the term superfood is rarely used because it’s extremely vague and misleading. It’s misleading because food marketers abuse the word by exaggerating the health claims associated with a particular food in order to increase sales. It’s similar to terms like “cleanse” & “detoxify”. Eat XYZ and “detoxify” your body. Drink these 5 ingredients to “cleanse” your intestines. Eat these 5 “superfoods” and lose 10 lbs of stomach fat.
The term superfood is as silly as “cleanse” or “detoxify”. Don’t fall for the marketing claims thinking it’s going to magically transform your body and mind. Like I mentioned before, the word is extremely vague and doesn’t provide any metrics that a food must pass in order to qualify as a superfood, therefore allowing anyone with a new exotic fruit or vegetable to claim it as the next great superfood. Does anyone remember the claim’s made behind the supplement companies selling ACAI berry powder? From what I remember it was being marketed as the greatest fat burner on the planet. And we all know how that panned out.
By creating a mindset that people should only be eating superfoods can negatively impact someone's overall relationship with food. It creates the notion that all foods outside of the list are “bad” for your health. Which can add unnecessary stress to life due to being hyper focused on food quality. Being chronically stressed about food leads to deleterious health outcomes such as high cortisol, high blood pressure and increased fasting blood sugars - all things that we’re trying to avoid by adhering to a healthy diet.
As someone who has gone through several years of disordered eating (orthorexia) where I would only eat organic, grass fed, free range, etc, I can say that the stress induced about my food was at an all time high. I was always hyper focused on how I was going to get my next “perfect” meal and overtime it took its toll. Being hyper focused on food takes away from the ability to be present in your relationships and career; and ultimately wreaks havoc on your health as a result of being chronically stressed.
I also found that it had a significant impact on my mental health as I was less likely to hang out with friends and family because I didn’t want to be forced into situations where I couldn’t eat my “perfect” food list. At the time I wasn’t aware that food is more than just nutrients. Food is a medium that connects humans togethers, brings pleasure and creates long lasting memories. By hyper focusing on the nutritious elements of food, I was ignoring and missing out on other, equally important, positive elements that food can bring.
In addition to creating stress, limiting food variety can lead to nutrient deficiencies. You wouldn't think that by only eating superfoods, you could create deficiencies because they are so nutrient dense. But unfortunately that’s not the case. Anytime that we restrict particular food groups, similar to diets such as keto, carnivore or veganism, we can run into deficiencies.
On most superfood lists, it’s rare to see items such as red meats, dairy products, eggs, legumes, tubers, and other fruits and vegetables beyond exotic fruits and blueberries. These foods contain B vitamins, zinc, iron, calcium, choline, and a host of other nutrients that tend to be lacking in your typical superfood list.
When I was following my highly restrictive diet in university I developed several nutritional deficiencies. I became severely anemic and frail. My bodyweight reached 165 lbs at 6 foot 3. At the time I was highly active and I experienced many injuries that I believe could have been avoided had I been less restrictive with my food. For example, I stress fractured my foot which I believe was because of my low body fat levels and decreased bone mineral density due to an insufficiency in calcium and other important bone minerals.
Superfoods do contain high amounts of antioxidants, fibers, healthy fats and more, but again, they don’t contain every nutrient that our bodies require to thrive, especially when we’re highly active. Keep this in mind. If for whatever reason you‘re following a restrictive diet (yes there are times when this makes sense), make sure that you’re filling the deficiencies with supplementation if foods aren’t an option.
Next, by only eating specific foods, overtime you’re more likely to increase food intolerances. The bacteria in the gut, also referred to as the microbiome, change with the foods that we eat. If we restrict particular foods, the diversity of bacteria in our microbiome decreases. If we go for long periods of time without a specific food, our microbiome might not be equipped with the bacteria required to digest that food group. When we introduce these foods back in and experience any potential gastrointestinal issues, we are likely to blame that particular food for causing us the problem, confirming our notion that this food was “bad” which may be false.
It’s very common to hear nutritionists say “make sure that you include a wide variety of foods in your diet” and not only does this provide the greatest variety of nutrients, but it also allows for the most diverse microbiome. Generally speaking, the more healthy bacteria in our gut, the better it is for your overall health.
Lastly, when focusing on single food ingredients like superfoods, it ignores what I believe to be the most important factor in establishing healthy eating habits and behaviours. Rather than eating adequate amounts of lean protein, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and fibrous starches with each meal, the goal posts are shifted towards eating specific foods which limits our ability to attain the proper balance of food groups and nutrients.
Having a greater number of tools at your disposal, i.e. food choices, the likelihood of getting adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats is much more attainable and practical for those looking to improve their nutrition habits and behaviours. Also, it allows for greater flexibility in adaptability when the individual's normal choices aren’t present. When I was going through my phase of orthorexia and didn’t have access to my strict food list, I just wouldn’t eat. And as mentioned before, that carried a host of issues.
To summarize, I don’t agree with the random stranger telling me that I should only eat “superfoods”. I’m not saying that the foods marketed as superfoods are bad because they aren’t. They're packed full of nutrients and should be included in a healthy diet . The main issue that I have is the potential consequences associated with the vague and misleading term leading to eating disorders, wasted money, poorer health outcomes, and as a whole, a decreased quality of life. Include superfoods in your diet, but don’t become dogmatic about it to the point where you’re telling others it’s the only food they should eat. Food is more than just nutrients. It’s an important aspect of social interaction (weddings, birthdays, family dinners), pleasure and connection. Don’t make the mistake that I made in my early 20’s of following the advice of someone that ignored the big picture. Eat foods that leave you feeling satiated, energized and happy about life.
If you have have any questions or comments regarding this post, feel free to email me at matthew@endurehp.com
