Super foods?

Are expensive berries and exotic fruit truly good for health? Ambreen Noon Kazi explores.

How many of us have come across slogans and signs on foods claiming that they reduce risks of cancer and heart disease? Sales of obscure foods you can't even pronounce have soared. Some of these so-called 'superfoods' are often promoted as having almost magic health-giving properties.

But is the magic all in the marketing? And are we being bamboozled into buying expensive berries and exotic fruit when they're no better for us than a crunchy apple or a homely cauliflower?

Science or science fiction?

There is no official or scientific definition of the term 'superfood'. It's applied to foods ranging from oats to walnuts, spinach to yoghurt, turkey to watercress. Meat and fish contain proteins and other nutrients.

Fruit and vegetables also contain essential vitamins and minerals and bioactive non-nutrient components that are good for health.

Generally, fruits and vegetables given a 'superfood' tag are high in antioxidants such as vitamin C. Flavonoids, responsible for the colour of dark fruits such as blueberries, and other phytochemicals such as beta carotene, are also known for their antioxidant properties, which is why brightly coloured fruit and vegetables are considered especially beneficial.

A healthy diet

Even if certain foods were proved to be much higher in nutrients than others, it's important to eat a range of foods. No food is 'super' on its own.

It is also important to note how a particular food works in combination with other foods. Eating one so-called 'superfood' to the exclusion of other fruit or vegetables limits the benefits.

— Source: bbcfood.com

- The writer is a freelancing food fan