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Food Trends: Super Foods- How Super are They?

This article came to my email the other day and although it is short, I thought it was great. Often when cruising the internet, I read about the newest Super Foods and their claims. Sometimes they hold a little truth, and often times they promise the world with little collaborative thought.  What I liked most about this publishing was this quote: "But for virtually every "health food," there are potential problems along with more commonly extolled virtues."

We live in a busy society. Most of us have jobs that exceed 8 hours a day or involve incredible commutes. We have children, school, continuing education courses, the stress of taking care of sick family members, the priority to exercise and the time it takes to do it and more. We all, including me, want to believe that something will make life easier especially when it comes to health. This desire for ease, however, makes us become easy prey to incredible claims.

Often when a company is promoting a "miracle" product there is no further detail to help someone figure out how to introduce this Super Food to their diet or more importantly to assess if it's needed or if there are any contraindications. This article proves that often times a Super Food could have negative effects even if you are 100% healthy.

Some food for thought:

Nuts are often claimed to be a Super Food. My Endocrine clients particularly those suffering from hypothyroid or thyroiditis are often prescribed 200 mcg of selenium/day by their Endocrinologist. Depending on the time the doctor has with their patient, assessment of dietary intake may not be completed. This article talks about an upper tolerable intake of 400 mcg which you would go over if you ate 5 Brazil nuts. Symptoms of toxicity can lead to fingernail brittleness, hair loss, intestinal disturbances, skin rash, fatigue, irritability, and nervous system problems. These sound quite similar to the symptoms of hypothyroid don't they?

How about green tea? The polyphenols in Green Tea can actually reduce the absorption of iron, a potentially dangerous combination for anyone suffering from Iron Deficiency Anemia.

Until the internet is monitored and regulated for it's miraculous claims it pays to work with an accredited Specialist like a dietitian to discuss the addition or subtraction of any Super Food. This is especially true for anyone suffering from an autoimmune disorder or specific diagnosis.  Have questions? We'd love to hear from you in the comment section or drop us a line @ agoldsmith@kindrednutrition.com

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In Great Health, Amy

Comments

jenna said…
How about super fruit? Any hints? Thanks.

www.ovbal.com
February 2, 2016 at 9:58 PM
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