by Nicole Gadda
Weight loss, cancer cures, acne remedies, sickness antidotes, toxin cleanses – “superfoods” are touted as miracle products that can remedy any problem. But what even are superfoods? The word is tossed around to describe anything from acai berries to dark chocolate, and wellness influencers on TikTok and Instagram have tried to convince us that they’re absolutely essential for living a long, healthy life.
Fresh vegetables laid out on a table. Image source.
The word “superfood” first appeared in the early part of the 20th century as a marketing strategy to advertise bananas. The United Fruit Company used the term in a series of pamphlets and ads to encourage people to buy and eat bananas due to their cheap, easily digestible nutrition. Unfortunately, the word “superfood” has evolved since its debut to describe much more than the humble banana; now, the term is often used to tout foods with extraordinary health claims, like chlorophyll smoothies and collagen supplements. To be clear, the word “superfood” is a marketing gimmick. Nutrition scientists, dietitians, and other health experts don’t typically use this term because there are no definitions or criteria that can be used to determine whether something is classified as a “superfood.” Most dietitians agree that it’s better to refer to a food as “nutrient-dense,” which means it has a high amount of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. This distinction is important because calling something a “superfood” can trick us into thinking a single type of food is the key to health, possibly leading us to diminish the impact of other lifestyle factors like overall diet, stress levels, and exercise.
The cover of “The Food Value of the Banana,” published in 1928 by the United Fruit Company. The book features a rosy-cheeked boy with a banana in hand. Image source.
Let’s break down the science behind what makes food nutrient-dense, starting with vitamins and minerals. Our bodies require these micronutrients to carry out a range of normal functions, including infection resistance, cell damage repair, and energy retrieval from food. Vitamins are organic substances that can be categorized as either fat-soluble, meaning they dissolve in fat, or water-soluble, meaning they dissolve in water. Fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K can be stored in fat deposits in our body. Water-soluble vitamins like C, B6, B12, and folate cannot be stored in the body in their dissolved form; whatever is not absorbed is lost through urine. Minerals are inorganic elements present in soil and water. These cannot be synthesized by our bodies, so we must obtain them from our food. Like vitamins, minerals help us function. Some minerals, like the calcium strengthening your bones, are needed in larger amounts. Others, like the iodine your body uses to make hormones, are required in smaller doses.
Next to enter the scene is fiber, a type of carbohydrate found in plant-based foods. Unlike other carbs, such as the lactose found in milk, our bodies don’t completely break down fiber because we lack the required enzymes to digest it. There are two forms of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance, which helps slow digestion, regulate blood sugar, and lower cholesterol. On the other hand, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water, which can help food move through the digestive tract, speeding up bowel movements and preventing constipation.
The final players in nutrient-dense foods are “antioxidants,” compounds that can neutralize free radicals. What are free radicals and what does it mean to neutralize them? Let’s use an analogy to think about how antioxidants and free radicals interact. Imagine your cells are at a party where people are dancing in pairs. The people who are paired up represent molecules in our cells, whose atoms become stable by uniting and sharing electrons. Now, imagine someone shows up to crash the party alone – this energetic person creates chaos by stealing someone else’s dance partner. Our body’s equivalent of this party crasher is a free radical, a molecule that has an unpaired electron and is searching for another electron to take and become stable. Free radicals in our body can be created by prolonged exposure to UV rays (emitted by the sun), pollution, and smoking. They can even arise as a byproduct of normal metabolism. By taking electrons from our cells, unchecked free radicals can create a lot of damage in our bodies.
What if a guest arrives with an extra dance partner to share? This person plays peacemaker by sharing their partner with the party-crasher, calming them down. In our bodies, the peacemaker symbolizes an antioxidant, which can neutralize free radicals by donating an electron. Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene are found in a wide variety of foods, especially fruits, vegetables, nuts, and some meats. Eating a diverse range of food can help balance the amount of antioxidants and free radicals, keeping our cells happy and preventing damage to our bodies.
Almonds, cashews, and walnuts are a good source of antioxidants. Image source.
While no quick fix exists to cure illness or offer miraculous health transformations, eating nutritious foods rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants can promote a healthy life. Including a variety of foods in one’s diet is beneficial (think about “eating the rainbow!”), and it’s crucial to avoid the trap of thinking that any single food, no matter how “super,” can offer a shortcut to overall well-being.
