An article by Joanna Bounds for NEWS.com.au on October 16 titled Superfoods Diet caught my attention. I generally tend to treat named diet plans with scepticism since they all push a narrow barrow, so to speak. This one is a little different in that it does recommend significant variety of foods for inclusion in the diet, but it fails the ultimate test.
The ultimate test is generalizability and I apply it to every recommended diet plan. I simply examine the foods recommended to see if the list contains foods that I know perfectly well are the actual causes for some quite significant health problems. Obviously, if I see them recommended without any special notes or cautions then I immediately know that the people pushing the diet don’t truely understand health and nutrition.
The following article is a classic case in point. Read through the article and then see my comments below.
We’re all searching for the ultimate eating plan. And the latest one promising high-quality health, shining eyes and glowing skin is the Superfoods diet. It works on the premise that there are 14 super foods that can help you live a longer and healthier life, slow the ageing process and help prevent cancer and diabetes. Great – where do we sign up?
It all started when a book called Superfoods: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life (Random House) was published in the US, fast becoming the latest grazing craze. And, unlike many faddish eating plans, the Superfoods diet is based on proven scientific evidence – even though it does mean dramatically changing the contents of your shopping basket.
So, what can you eat? The Superfoods diet dictates that you need to eat the following every day – at least one or two cups of blueberries, half-a-cup each of broccoli and pumpkin, five to seven servings of oats, one of tomatoes, one orange, at least half an ounce of soy, one cup of steamed spinach or two cups of raw, one cup of tea and two cups of yoghurt. Every week, followers must also have four servings of beans, two to four of wild salmon, three or four of turkey and five ounces of walnuts.
"Each food was selected based on gold-standard research of healthy dietary patterns around the world," says Dr Steven Pratt, ophthalmologist and co-author of Superfoods. "The right foods can actually change the course of your biochemistry. They can help to stop damage at cellular levels that can develop into disease. You feel better, have more energy and look better."
So is it too good to be true? Well, not necessarily. Meredith Kennedy, a dietitian for Nutrition Australia says that all of the components of the Superfoods diet are nutrient-dense foods which are fantastically good for you – just don’t be put off by the rigidity of the plan. "We’d recommend all of these foods as healthy choices," she says.
But don’t fret if you can’t stand broccoli, or if oranges turn you off. "You can substitute cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower or cabbage for broccoli," says Kennedy. "And grapefruit, limes or lemons will give you similar nutrients to oranges." The most important part to remember is to consume a wide variety of fruit and vegetables in your diet if you want to make sure you really are eating a super diet. Here’s what our experts have to say about the 14 super foods.
oats
Oats are a low GI carbohydrate, meaning that a bowl of porridge in the morning could be the ideal body booster. "Oats are high in soluble fibre," says Kennedy. "This helps lower cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease. Along with that, bacteria in the gut ferment soluble fibre, reducing the risk of bowel cancer."beans
Perfect for those battling the bulge, the high fibre content of beans and legumes means it’s great to get into chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans. "They are a great source of protein and iron, plus a type of fibre that lowers blood cholesterol," says Jenny O’Dea, author of Positive Food For Kids (Doubleday) and nutritionist at the University of Sydney.salmon
This fishy wonder has a multitude of health benefits. "It’s been proven that salmon helps prevent a second heart attack if you’ve previously suffered from cardiovascular disease. There’s also evidence that it eases the symptoms of arthritis sufferers," say Barbara Meyer, senior lecturer in biomedical sciences at the University of Wollongong. That’s along with boosting brain power and possibly preventing postnatal depression.blueberries
These are at the top of the American agriculture department’s list of health-giving fruits and vegies. They’ve been shown to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease and are packed with vitamin C and E and disease-fighting compounds. "Blueberries are very high in antioxidants," says Aloysa Hourigan, senior nutritionist at Nutrition Australia. "They’re also associated with memory, feelings of alertness and clear thinking."oranges
This fruit comes armed with heaps of goodies. "Oranges contain high levels of vitamin C, fibre, beta-carotene, folic acid, are low GI and low in fat, and contain high levels of antioxidants," says Kennedy. "A recent study shows an orange contains more than 170 different phytochemicals and more than 60 antioxidants."pumpkin
This spooky orange vegetable is perfect for warding off evil diseases. "It’s high in the carotenoid family, which are protective against some cancers, along with the B vitamins, which are important in releasing energy, and will give you a good feeling of get up and go," says Hourigan.soy
Soy has it all. It contains a wide variety of nutrients, protein and fibre and as a complete protein, supplies the full gamut of amino acids to the body. "Some evidence suggests soy gives a reduced risk of breast cancer," says Meyer. "There’s also ongoing research about its effect on improving bone health."spinach
So Popeye was right. It’s been shown that spinach contains heaps of antioxidants which help protect against different types of cancer. "Spinach is also high in iron," says O’Dea. "It’s best if you toss it in a wok with meat or capsicum, as that converts the iron into a type which is more easily absorbed by the body."green tea
Drink up, as antioxidants in green tea help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and may prevent rheumatoid arthritis and certain types of cancer. In fact, antioxidants have been hailed as the wonder compound in recent times. "Green tea contains more antioxidants than most other foods," says Meyer. "They prevent oxidation, which causes cells in the body to be attacked."broccoli
This cruciferous vegetable has been shown to be the green deal in terms of health benefits. "Broccoli is a good source of vitamins A, C and folate," says Kennedy. "It’s also rich in phytochemicals, which have been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers."turkey
Lean, white meat is the protein of choice. But it seems that turkey, in particular, will give your body a boost. "Turkey contains high levels of tryptophan and creates mood-altering chemicals, which give you a feeling of wellbeing," says Hourigan.walnuts
Walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated fats and omega-3s, along with being packed full of fibre and vitamin E. "Studies have been done with people suffering from Type 2 diabetes," says Kennedy, "which show that including walnuts in their diet reduced bad cholesterol in the blood by 10 per cent."tomatoes
Fresh or canned, it’s been shown that a regular intake of tomatoes is one of the best things you can do for you health. "Tomatoes are a bit special," confirms Hourigan. "They’re one of the richest sources of lycopene, which protects against heart disease, and also reduces your risk of breast and prostate cancer."yoghurt
Add a splash of yoghurt to your oats in the morning for a double health hit. "It’s a great source of calcium and protein," says O’Dea. "It contains lactobacillus bacteria which colonises the large bowel and keeps acidity nice and even and helps prevent bowel cancer. All in all, it’s a very nutritious food."
So, what do you think? Are you about to head out to the markets to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables? If you are, that’s great, but you may want to pause for just a few moments to consider the following.
First, remember it’s a journalist’s article and while it cites seemingly credible sources for the quotes throughout, be aware that they may have been taken out of context or edited down significantly to fit the intended message of the article. I say this because my rejection of sections of the article may well be appropriately critical of the sources quoted, but I cannot tell if they added any qualifiers to their comments that were possibly cut from the article. My critique is therefore of the article content, not necessarily of the sources cited.
I could talk at length about preference for seasonally available fresh fruits and vegetables, favoring organically grown, verifying the nutrition content of produce since growing areas differ markefly in quality of soils, and so on. However I will concentrate only on the areas of serious health risks that are overlooked by Joanna Bounds and possibly also by her sources.
The first problem is the recommendation of oats. Such a recommendation is immensely popular with many farmers and grower’s associations and even department’s of agriculture but it is one I reject. The simple fact is that it is a prime source of gluten. This is a form of protein and one of the reasons why oats are promoted as a staple food source in some places.
Unfortunately, gluten containing foods must be strictly avoided by everyone with celiac disease (a surprisingly higher proportion of the population than many realize) and should be avoided by everyone with any form of gluten sensitivity. Anyone who dismisses this as insignificant simply displays their ignorance.
Dr Peter D’Adamo, author of Eat Right for Your Type, actually recommends that evryone who has O group blood should avoid gluten. I agree, they should, and so should many others.
The next most serious problem is the unqualified inclusion of soy. This food has become the darling of assorted groups, from the fashionably vegetarian to the phytoestrogen promoting crowd. Once again, soy is not for everyone. Indeed soy is a well known and quite common cause of food allergies.
It is true that some people must avoid all seafood, including the salmon from the list and many find oranges (and most citrus fruit) far too mucogenic to justify inclusion in their diets. However it is not my intention to destroy the list. I merely want to issue a warning about its main weaknesses. So, don’t swallow the superfoods diet whole okay… chew over it for a while and you’ll find you can do much better.