Credits: Social Media
‘Superfoods aren’t real’ because they’re just a ‘marketing term’, nutritionist says
A nutritionist has said that superfoods aren’t real and instead, they are simply a ‘marketing term’ that prevents shoppers from checking ingredients on products.
It’s hard not to see the term superfoods dominate our feeds. Influencers are telling us we need to digest one superfood each day, another food guru warns us another will do us more harm than good. Who do we look to for answers? Well, one nutritionist has finally said their truth on the subject, and it’s disappointing, to say the least.
Nutritionist says ‘superfoods aren’t real’
American molecular biologist and nutritionist Marion Nestle appeared on The Checkup podcast with Doctor Mike, speaking all about the corrupt world of the food industry and revealing the truth about superfoods.
The term “superfood” is a fairly new term referring to foods that offer maximum nutritional benefits for minimal calories, as Medical News Today explains. Superfoods are supposedly packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Doctor Mike Varshavsk asked Marion if she also hates the word superfood, to which the nutritionist agreed and stated that “it’s a marketing term.”
According to Fresh Fitness Food, “superfood” is not a scientific classification in nutritional science and it has no legal definition. As Marion suggests, it is rather a marketing term used to describe foods that are rich in nutrients and believed to provide health benefits. This idea therefore mostly capitalizes on the appeal of exotic-sounding foods.
- MORE FOOD NEWS: Eating oats could have same effect as weight loss drugs like Ozempic, new study finds
Marion Nestle explained that the object of a company selling a food product is to have somebody unthinkingly pull it off the shelf, they don’t want people looking at the nutrition facts panel or the ingredient list – which she states is why ingredient lists are printed so hard to read on food packaging.
How to avoid incorrect superfood marketing
The expert suggests food corporations want you to blindly buy their products without thinking about it – so adding health claims like ‘superfoods’ further encourages consumers to do so: “Pop it in your kart, don’t think about it. You’re not supposed to think. My objective is to get people to think.”
Nestle discusses the importance of knowing what ingredients are entering your body, implying that instead of trusting ‘marketing terms’ like ‘superfoods’, people should check whether they really are super…
The nutritionist’s research examines scientific and socioeconomic influences on food choice, obesity, and food safety, widely emphasizing the role of food marketing.
Marion Nestle is an American molecular biologist and nutritionist.
