When I see the word superfood, my BS antennae start quivering. Is what follows going to be a wild overstatement of the science behind the health benefits of a particular food? Or an ad attempting to convince me that I simply can’t survive without buying a ridiculous (in my eyes, anyway) product like vitamin-infused water?
But when I recently spoke to some registered dietitians about whether the notion of superfoods is bunk, I was interested to learn that some of these nutrition professionals are actually borrowing the term in a bid to help ‘sell’ people on adding new-to-them, healthy foods to their eating plan.
So — is there actually such a thing as a superfood? And what should you watch for when you see or hear the term being used? To find out, read my latest Good Times health feature: ‘Get the Facts About Superfoods.’
A big thank-you to the three interviewees who so generously shared their time and expertise:
- Jane Dummer, a registered dietitian and owner of Jane Dummer Consulting in Kitchener, Ont.
- Alison Duncan, PhD, a professor in the department of human health and nutritional sciences at the University of Guelph (Ont.), and research program director, Knowledge Translation and Transfer, Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance.
- Katherine Hillier, a registered dietitian who blogs about food and nutrition at Katshappyhealthylife.com
For more information on healthy eating, including great recipes, check out dietitians.ca and unlockfood.ca
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels