Do superfoods exist?

Jun 14, 2023

What are superfoods and are they scientifically proven? Senior Dietitian Victoria Taylor explains the truth about superfoods.

While it's tempting to think that a single food could improve our heart health or make up for less healthy foods in our diet, it's a myth.

Superfood is a marketing term created to help sell products. To protect consumers, UK legislation now prohibits the use of this term on food packaging, unless there's research that proves it can make a difference to health.

But it's still often used in the media, describing anything from broccoli and beetroot to bee pollen or green powders. These can be used as ingredients in products to make them sound healthy, but don't be fooled.

Whether they contain a ‘superfood’ or not, sweets, bars, crisps and drinks usually come with added fat, sugar and salt. They may not contain enough or the right form of the ‘super’ ingredient, to make any difference.

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It can be fun to try new foods and some foods badged as ‘superfoods’ are nutritious (think whole fruit and vegetables, and nuts and seeds). But first think about whether it's worth the money, as you can probably get the nutrients from a more everyday source.

Be sure also to check what else is added to the product before deciding whether to put a ‘superfood’ into your shopping basket.

Victoria Taylor is a registered dietitian with 20 years’ experience. Her work for the NHS focused on weight management and community programmes for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. At the BHF she advises on diet and nutrition.

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