Superfoods: What You Should Know

By Damon Culbert

We all want to eat superfoods, right? Superfoods are one of the most notable and lasting food trends around. But do you know what a superfood is?

Each year, nutritionists attempt to predict which superfoods will dominate our diets for the year ahead. Each year, the designation of superfood is extended to more and more types of food. Once contained to simple fruits, vegetables (and some animal products) found to be high in specific nutrients, ‘superfood’ now encompasses such things as pickled foods and natural yogurts.

What does superfood actually mean and what’s the importance of including them in our diets?

The designation of ‘superfood’ has no real medical research behind it. It is typically used in reference to a high concentration of nutrients in one foodstuff. For example, phytonutrients or antioxidants in fruit. By highlighting the ‘super’ nutritional benefits of one type of food, retailers have increased the marketability of so-called ‘superfoods’. This has kicked off crazes around the world.

There may be no financed medical backing for the benefit of superfoods. But, they are still highly valuable as part of your diet. Incorporating them regularly can help reduce issues like oxidative stress, which can be the cause of many other systemic issues. Some superfoods, it is suggested, can reduce our chances of heart disease and some inflammatory diseases.

What search trends reveal about superfoods

According to Google Trends, the term superfood is most popular each year in January. This is most likely due to the connection with New Year’s resolutions. As previously mentioned, there are countless articles hailing the ‘superfood of the year’. However, when we looked into the data, we saw that instead of a reigning superfood of the year, most superfoods peak in the same month each year. These peaks don’t always reflect seasonality. There is another reason consumers’ interest in superfoods follows such a predictable pattern.

The best way to consume superfoods

Eating large amounts of a superfood brings no more health value than eating smaller portions. For the best effects, the consumption of these products needs to have regularity.

Superfoods are mostly beneficial to diversify a diet and fill your body with as many nutrients as possible. Switching out items like potatoes for sweet potatoes is a simple change you can make. Garnishing a dish with nuts or seeds is a great, simple way to add healthful fats without too many calories.

It doesn’t have to be all about kale smoothies and green tea detoxes. Strive throughout the year to ensure a varied yet consistent amount of superfood fruits and vegetables. (Even after your desire to keep up our New Year’s resolutions has faded.)