It seems like every week or so we add more to the list of over-hyped superfoods. These foods are ‘sold’ to you as miracles and they’re always expensive. And not as ‘super’ as advertised. Some of them you can really ignore.
These days it seems like the very act of eating is exhausting. It’s hard to know what to eat and when and how. Scientists keep contradicting each other, like in the odd case of red meat. And what about over-hyped superfoods? To be honest, just the name they tagged these foods with irks me. It seems like superfoods are plain old traditional marketing. Not to mention that they cost more and frankly you can get all of the nutrition they promise from cheaper, known foods at your local market.
So which are the over-hyped superfoods that you can safely ignore and tune out from now on? We’ve made a list!
5 over-hyped superfoods you can ignore
1. Pomegranate juice
The supposed benefits of pomegranate juice, like reducing oxidative stress, have only been studied in animals, without any conclusive evidence when it comes to their anti-inflammatory effects on humans. Even more, the fruit juice has plenty of sugar, which has inflammatory properties so even if it had effect, sugar and antioxidants would cancel each other out. If you want similar effects, try some blueberries!
2. Bone broth
We’ve been talking about how important gut health is, but not everything that’s supposed to be good for your gut is indispensable. Take bone broth, for instance! It’s not really that much better than regular broth. And some of the bone broth might contain lead because sometimes it’s in the bones. Regular broth is just fine!
3. Açaà berries
These South American berries are loaded with antioxidants that lower the risk of some cancers. But they’re pretty expensive, aren’t they? Why not replace them with more ubiquitous berries like blackberries or raspberries? They contain the exact same antioxidants at a lower price.
4. Apple cider vinegar
A few years ago it seems like everybody started recommending using apple cider vinegar instead of any other vinegar. They said that it can improve your digestion, regulate your blood sugar and boost the health of your skin. But does it, really? Apparently its benefits are mostly for diabetics and we have no idea if they help non-diabetics, too.
5. Bulletproof coffee
To me, having coffee with butter and coconut oil already sounds greasily gross, so I’ve never been a fan of this. The marketing says that it gives you clean energy and boosts your cognitive function. But there’s not much research to that effect. And if you have coffee with your eggs or buttered toast, then it’s pretty much the same thing!
Featured image by Stefano Escandiussi stecks05 from Pixabay
