Everyone has done it: You see something at a store with the words “new and improved” or “healthy” on it, and it influences you to at least take a second glance if not outright buy it. Because when you think of a product or food as being better for you or specifically good for your health, you may be more inclined to put it in your shopping cart.
With foods that are often characterized as superfoods, though, are they really much better for you? Or is the word itself just all about marketing to get you to buy them?
Actually, a little bit of both.
What are superfoods?
The word “superfood” has been in the vernacular since the 1990s and tends to describe a food or group of foods that contain exceptional nutritional properties.
According to Tara M. Schmidt, M.Ed., RDN, LD Mayo Clinic expert and lead registered dietitian with the Mayo Clinic Diet, superfoods is technically a term that was created for marketing.
“Sometimes food marketing can be very misleading for consumers. For example, you can put a sticker on a box that says ‘whole grain,’ and it is made with whole grain. But it doesn’t mean it’s any more than 1% whole grain,” she says. “There is no regulation around superfoods, whereas there is regulation about other words having to do with foods such as the word ‘organic.'”
And lack of regulation isn’t always a problem, but it could be.
“That said, I haven’t found there to be something listed as a superfood that I’ve honestly disagreed with,” she admits. That doesn’t mean this can’t change in the future, which is why consumers need to be aware and not buy foods simply because they are labeled a superfood.
“The best description dietitians would use to describe superfoods is that they are nutrient-dense — meaning that even in a small serving, they have vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants,” Schmidt explains. “They may help prevent disease as well.”
Schmidt says that the superfood categories having the most scientific research behind them as being especially beneficial for health are dark, leafy greens; berries; legumes; beans; nuts; seeds; and cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower.
“These are the ones we really know about in terms of what they can do for our bodies,” she says.
Those aren’t the only foods you’re likely to see labeled as superfoods. A recent research study investigated webpages that refer to superfoods to see what passes for a contemporary list of superfoods.
After studying 45 webpages, the researchers discovered that 136 foods were designated as superfoods. Favored superfoods — meaning they were mentioned on at least 15 websites — included kale, spinach, salmon, blueberries, avocado, chia seeds, walnuts, beans, fermented milks and garlic.
Are most superfoods really all that super?
In reality, just about any minimally processed plant food has superfood qualities, as these are the foundational building blocks of a healthy diet.
Schmidt says that while you don’t need to discount lists of best superfoods — as they can give you guidance — she also suggests that you don’t take them as the final word. What’s best for each person can vary.
“Adding healthy foods to your diet is great — provided you like them,” says Schmidt. “The most confusing thing for consumers is that you don’t have to eat just one kind of food to get what you need to stay healthy. For example, kale is great. But what if you hate kale? If it’s listed as a superfood, you may force yourself to eat it. After two weeks of eating something you don’t like, you may go back to eating something that isn’t good for you instead.”
Likewise, there are some foods, she says, such as white potatoes, that have gotten a bad rap over the years, but are actually good for you — depending on what your body needs. If you need to reduce carbs, you might look for an alternative. However, if you like white potatoes and you need to boost your intake of fiber, vitamin C or potassium, white potatoes — which typically wouldn’t be listed as a superfood — could help in that regard.
Eat the rainbow
If you focus on adding superfoods to your diet, Schmidt advises that you “eat the rainbow.”
| Color | Phytochemicals | Found In |
| Red | Carotenoids such as lycopene | Beets, red onions, red peppers, radicchio, red radishes, rhubarb, tomatoes |
| Orange and yellow | Beta cryptoxanthin Beta carotene | Carrots, corn, lemons, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, yams, yellow and orange bell peppers, and winter squash |
| Green | Sulforaphane Isothiocyanates Indoles | Asparagus, avocado, broccoli, brussels sprouts, collard greens, green herbs, kale, spinach |
| Blue and purple | Anthocyanins | Eggplant, purple cabbage |
| White and brown | Glucosinolates Flavonoids such as quercetin Organosulfur compounds such as isothiocyanates | Artichokes, cauliflower, garlic, leeks, onions, mushrooms, parsnips, shallots |
“Including a variety of different colored plants in your diet is a great way to eat well. Aim to make them all the colors of the rainbow — including white ones. Discard the advice to avoid eating white foods because they have no nutrients. Mushrooms are white, and they’re excellent,” says Schmidt. “If you have fruits and vegetables in your diet that are purple, they have anthocyanins in them. Orange foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes and butternut squash all have beta carotene. If you eat green foods — I don’t care if it’s spinach, Brussels sprouts, kale or broccoli — they’re good for you.”
In the last few decades, Schmidt says, dietary guidelines haven’t changed that much.
“We’ve always said to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. That hasn’t changed. What has changed are the stories, headlines and fearmongering about foods and our diets,” she says. “Instead of focusing on individual superfoods, I think consumers should go back to basics. It’s our patterns of eating that count.”
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