Superfoods

Superfoods

Hot Topics are short, concise practice and science-based answers to current questions RDs and DTRs may receive. Hot Topics are not an ADA position or stance on a topic and does not reflect Association consensus on the issue. Rather, they provide expert opinion to an emerging area of food, nutrition and health. Hot Topics are meant to assist RDs and DTRs to answer questions from patients/clients and the media.

Title of Topic: Superfoods
Date of Release: November 2007
Claim of Topic: Superfoods are purported to have more significant health benefits than other types of food because they provide high amounts of one or more beneficial components.


Discussion of Topic:
In October 2007, Wikipedia listed 40 items ranging from dark chocolate to rosemary leaf as “alleged superfoods.” Articles in the popular press, broadcast media, the Internet, and marketing materials have been promoting the superfoods concept, often with a mixture of research-based information and hyperbole.

The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s 2007 Food and Health Survey reported that two-thirds of Americans are making changes to improve the healthfulness of their diet. The majority of Americans report consuming foods and food components for bone health, cardiovascular disease prevention, and cancer prevention. Certain foods or food components were frequently cited as having health benefits, including: fruits and vegetables, fish, fish oil, seafood, milk and dairy foods, whole grains, fiber, oatmeal/oat bran and green tea.

As consumers learn about the health benefits of so-called “superfoods”, confusion and controversy arise over ambiguous issues for which research-based answers are unavailable or incomplete. Examples of these issues are:

  • Regulators have not found an appropriate labeling system to help consumers distinguish between foods that are nutrient rich because nutrients or beneficial components have been added during processing (such as highly processed and enriched/fortified energy bars) and foods that are naturally nutrient rich (such as whole grains).
  • Some foods that are touted to have superior nutritional properties are high in added sugars, saturated fat or sodium (e.g., sweetened herbal smoothies).
  • Some foods that are promoted to be nutritionally superior contain nutrients or beneficial food components with low bioavailability.

The concept of “superfoods” has captured the interest and imagination of consumers. However, it is more important for the public to eat a “super diet” than to concentrate on individual foods as the key to good health. A super diet is one that follows the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans on a daily basis. Rather than focusing on a single disease or food component, the Dietary Guidelines provide science-based advice to promote health and reduce overall risk for major chronic diseases through diet and physical activity.

Bottom Line:
Rather than emphasizing individual foods as keys to good health, it is the position of the American Dietetic Association that the total diet or overall pattern of food eaten is the most important focus of a healthful eating style.

Opportunities for the RD/DTR:
Professionals in food, nutrition, health, and communication are urged to “empower consumers to view beneficial dietary components as one part of a healthful diet and lifestyle rather than as magic bullets.” This is a key recommendation from a set of communication guidelines published in 2005 by the IFIC Foundation and the Institute of Food Technologists with input from the American Dietetic Association.

Resources/References:

  1. Wikipedia contributors. Superfood. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. October 17, 2007, 19:50 UTC. Available at:
    en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Superfood&oldid=165249473.
    Accessed October 24, 2007.
  2. International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation and Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). Guidelines for communicating the emerging science of dietary components for health. 2005. Available at:
    www.ific.org/nutrition/functional/guidelines.
    Accessed October 24, 2007.
  3. International Food Information Council. Consumer attitudes toward functional foods/food for health. Available at:
    www.ific.org/research/funcfoodsres07.cfm.
    Accessed October 24, 2007.
  4. Practice paper of the American Dietetic Association: Nutrient density: Meeting nutrient goals within calorie needs. J Amer Diet Assoc. 2007;107:860-869.
  5. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Total diet approach to communicating food and nutrition information. J Amer Diet Assoc. 2007;107:1224-1232.

Written by Susan Nitzke, PhD, RD, CD of the Nutrition Education for the Public dietetic practice group.