tag:theconversation.com,2011:/au/topics/superfoods-5916/articlesSuperfoods – The Conversation2023-08-10T12:41:54Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2071912023-08-10T12:41:54Z2023-08-10T12:41:54ZDoes an apple a day really keep the doctor away? A nutritionist explains the science behind ‘functional’ foods<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536362/original/file-20230707-15-352q0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">While apples aren't considered a superfood, they are considered a functional food.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/close-up-of-apples-on-table-royalty-free-image/1318695051?phrase=apple&adppopup=true">Caterina Oltean/500px Prime via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We’ve all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but how true is that? </p>
<p>Apples are not high in vitamin A, nor are they beneficial for vision like carrots. They are not a great source of vitamin C and therefore don’t fight off colds as oranges do. </p>
<p>However, apples contain various <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13114025">bioactive substances</a> – natural chemicals that occur in small amounts in foods and that have biological effects in the body. These chemicals are not classified as nutrients like vitamins. Because apples contain many health-promoting bioactive substances, the fruit is considered a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/functional-food">“functional” food</a>. </p>
<p>For years, I have <a href="https://www.mtsu.edu/faculty/janet-colson,-rd">taught university classes on nutrients</a> such as vitamins, minerals, carbs, proteins and fats. But recently I developed a course specifically on functional foods. The class explores the various bioactive substances in food and how some may even function like a medicine. </p>
<h2>Functional foods defined</h2>
<p>Functional foods are not the same as superfoods. “Superfood” is a buzzword marketers use to promote foods like kale, spinach and blueberries. Labeling them as “super” appeals to the public and increases sales. But superfood is generally meant to imply a food that has superior nutritional value and that is high in <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030546">nutrients that are beneficial for health</a>. For example, salmon and tuna are considered superfoods because the omega-3 fats they contain <a href="https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.119.013543">have been linked to heart health</a>.</p>
<p>Superfood advertisements claim that eating the food will improve some aspect of health. The problem is that most of those claims are <a href="https://doi.org/10.2174/1573401317666210420123013">not based on scientific research</a>, like the criteria for functional foods are. </p>
<p>In addition to the nutrients that our bodies need for growth and development, functional foods contain a variety of bioactive substances, each with a unique function in the body. The bioactive substances can be <a href="https://www.functionalfoodscenter.net/">found naturally in foods or added during processing</a>. </p>
<p>The list of <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10040839">bioactive components</a> in foods grows daily as research expands. Though the components themselves are not new, the evidence-based research confirming their health benefits is. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/carotenoids">carotenoids</a> are the most easily recognizable examples of bioactive substances. They are a group of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-019-01364-x">850 different pigments</a> that give yellow, orange and red fruits and vegetables their color. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abb.2018.06.001">Carotenoids primarily function as antioxidants</a>, which means they promote health by helping to prevent damage to the body’s cells. Various individual carotenoids may function in different ways. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Close-up photo of assorted red, orange and yellow bell peppers." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539860/original/file-20230727-23-yk8mta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539860/original/file-20230727-23-yk8mta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539860/original/file-20230727-23-yk8mta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539860/original/file-20230727-23-yk8mta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539860/original/file-20230727-23-yk8mta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539860/original/file-20230727-23-yk8mta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539860/original/file-20230727-23-yk8mta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Foods high in carotenoids are often brightly colored fruits and vegetables, including bell peppers that come in a variety of colors.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/assorted-red-yellow-and-orange-peppers-royalty-free-image/147879794?phrase=red+and+orange+bell+peppers">Nash Photos/Photographer's Choice RF via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Beta-carotene is the most well-known carotenoid because of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs13197-011-0310-7">high amounts found in carrots</a>. Beta-carotene converts to vitamin A in the body after we consume it. Vitamin A is needed for normal vision. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10091321">Lutein and zeaxanthin</a> are the yellow carotenoids found in corn and peppers. The two help support vision, especially among older adults. </p>
<p>Research suggests that the carotenoids from foods and the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/1/37">other categories of bioactive substances</a> may help prevent certain cancers and improve heart health. It’s important to note that carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables are associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease and some cancers but that <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/3/264">carotenoids in supplements offer fewer benefits</a>.</p>
<h2>History of the functional food movement</h2>
<p>Though the adage about apples and health <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.5466">originated in the 1800s</a>, nutrition is a relatively young science – and the idea of functional foods and bioactive components is even younger. </p>
<p>From the early 1900s to the 1970s, nutrition research focused on vitamin deficiencies. The public was encouraged to eat more vitamin-fortified, processed foods to prevent nutrient deficiency <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24318-scurvy">diseases like scurvy</a>, which is caused by a severe vitamin C deficit, or <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rickets/symptoms-causes/syc-20351943">rickets</a>, caused by prolonged vitamin D deficiency. </p>
<p>This <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k2392">emphasis on eating in order to correct nutrient deficiencies</a> had the tendency to cause people to focus on certain nutrients, which can contribute to overeating. This, combined with an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqab270">increased availability of highly processed foods</a>, resulted in weight gain, which led to increased rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.</p>
<p>In 1980, the U.S. government published the first <a href="https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/about-dietary-guidelines/previous-editions/1980-dietary-guidelines-americans">dietary guidelines</a> that encouraged people to avoid fat, sugar and salt. Public health messaging encouraged people to replace fatty foods with starchy foods such as breads and pasta. </p>
<p>The logic of this recommendation was that if people consume less fat, they should increase their calories from carbohydrates to ensure adequate calories. That <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136%2Fbmj.k2392">nutritional advice contributed to</a> the <a href="https://www.who.int/activities/controlling-the-global-obesity-epidemic">skyrocketing obesity</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/spotlights/diabetes-facts-stats.html">diabetes rates</a> that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01301-6">continue today</a>. </p>
<h2>Japan’s focus on foods for health</h2>
<p>Historically, the Japanese were one of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-020-0677-5">healthiest populations</a> on Earth. However, as the 21st century approached, many Japanese people had adopted the American diet and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3177/jnsv.65.S29">developed health problems similar to those in the U.S</a>.</p>
<p>As a result, the Japanese government became concerned about its citizens’ <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/1348-9585.12095">expanding waistlines</a> and declining health. To correct this problem, Japan became the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb.65.1">first country to introduce the concept</a> of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2019.03.011">functional foods</a> in the 1980s. </p>
<p>Today, Japan uses the phrase “<a href="https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/foodsafety/fhc/02.html">Food for Specialized Health Uses</a>” for products that can be scientifically shown to promote health. </p>
<p>It has paid off. Japan has <a href="https://www.nutraingredients-asia.com/Article/2021/12/14/Reversal-phenomenon-Japan-s-Food-with-Functional-Claims-market-set-for-new-record-as-FOSHU-launches-slip">more than 1,000 foods and beverages approved</a> as food for specialized health uses, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/364180a0">hypoallergenic rice</a>. Rice allergies, though uncommon, are a major problem for Japanese people who have them because rice is a staple food. </p>
<p>About half of Japan’s health claims relate to improving digestion using bioactive <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-are-prebiotics/">prebiotic dietary fibers</a>. </p>
<h2>The bioactive components in apples</h2>
<p>An apple’s natural dietary fibers are one of the bioactive components that lead to its being classified as a functional food. The fiber pectin is found mainly in an apple’s pulp. </p>
<p>Pectin functions to <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.766155">reduce the amount of sugar and fat</a> that is absorbed into the body. This helps <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/role-of-fiber.html#">reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Dhvzpzx4fY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Functional foods, such as probiotic yogurt, provide additional health benefits beyond basic nutrition.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Apple peels are also packed with fiber that acts as a laxative. </p>
<p>In addition, apples contain high amounts of natural chemicals known as polyphenols that have <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2018.00087">vital roles in promoting health and reducing chronic disease</a>. More than <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2018.00087">8,000 polyphenols</a> have been identified in various plant foods. Because they are <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox2030181">mainly in the peel</a>, whole apples are better sources of polyphenols than juice or applesauce. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25173809">Anthocyanins</a> are a subclass of the polyphenols that give the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-313X.2006.02964.x">apple peel much of its red color</a>. Diets high in anthocyanins help <a href="https://doi.org/10.3945/an.110.000042">improve heart health</a> and are being <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2022.101595">studied for use in treating Alzheimer’s disease</a>. </p>
<p>Another of the primary polyphenols in apples is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114520000033">phloridzin</a>. Researchers have studied the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.1903.sp000969">role of phloridzin in helping to control blood glucose</a> for more than 100 years. Recent studies confirm that it plays an important role in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.202101113">regulating blood glucose</a> levels by decreasing the amount of glucose absorbed from the small intestine and increasing excretion from the kidneys. </p>
<h2>Revisiting the original question</h2>
<p>So if apples are functional foods that promote health, do they really help keep the doctor away?</p>
<p>Researchers have tried to figure this out. One U.S. team analyzed the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.5466">apple-eating patterns and number of doctor visits</a> among more than 8,000 adults. Of those, about 9% ate one apple daily. Once adjusted for demographic and health-related factors, the researchers found that the daily apple eaters used marginally fewer prescription medications than the non-apple eaters. But the number of doctor’s visits was about the same between the two groups. </p>
<p>If one apple a day is not enough to make us healthy, what about eating two or three?</p>
<p>A group of European researchers found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz282">eating two apples a day improved heart health</a> in 40 adults. And Brazilian investigators found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz282">eating three apples daily improved weight loss</a> and blood glucose levels in 40 overweight women. </p>
<p>While eating an apple a day won’t necessarily cut down substantially on prescription medications or doctors visits, it could be one step in the direction of making the transition to eating more healthful, <a href="https://theconversation.com/fiber-is-your-bodys-natural-guide-to-weight-management-rather-than-cutting-carbs-out-of-your-diet-eat-them-in-their-original-fiber-packaging-instead-205159">fiber-filled</a>, whole foods.</p>
<p>Apples require no cooking or refrigeration at least for a week or so, and one <a href="https://www.marketnews.usda.gov/mnp/fv-report-retail?portal=fv&category=retail&type=retail&region=NATIONAL&organic=ALL&navClass=FRUITS&commodity=APPLES">red delicious apple costs</a> about 50 U.S. cents. </p>
<p>So next time you are in the grocery store, grab some apples and – if you feel like it – try eating at least one a day.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207191/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Janet Colson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Functional foods − which should not be confused with ‘superfoods’ − possess specific components that contribute to better health.Janet Colson, Professor of Nutrition and Food Science, Middle Tennessee State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1831542022-05-20T13:10:18Z2022-05-20T13:10:18ZWhy you shouldn’t trust research which claims that a single foodstuff has amazing health benefits<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464293/original/file-20220519-20-e2tb0c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C42%2C5573%2C3690&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fruit-vegetable-silver-forks-against-grey-198603971">Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>You’ve probably read the stories proclaiming that eating blueberries reduces your risk of dementia, or red wine is good for your heart, or coffee protects against type 2 diabetes – or, indeed, many of the other big health claims for a particular “superfood”. But what is the truth in these statements? </p>
<p>While we – a group of nutritional scientists – have been involved in this kind of research, we are not responsible for the headlines. Underneath those attention-grabbing stories, however, there is important and serious research that will help to keep us all happier and healthier.</p>
<p>We study parts of foods called bioactives that have an effect on health (either good or bad). Unlike vitamins and minerals, bioactives, such as certain fatty acids, fibre or flavanols (a group compounds found, for example, in tea or apples), are not essential for survival, but still affect our health. </p>
<p>The big challenge with research on bioactives is to separate the effect of a food from an individual compound (foods are incredibly complex and contain many compounds). In a <a href="https://theconversation.com/coffees-health-benefits-arent-as-straightforward-as-they-seem-heres-why-172907">cup of coffee</a> are some phenolic acids that have a positive effect on heart health, but other compounds that can increase cholesterol. This makes our research difficult – but also exciting. </p>
<p>We must find ways to distinguish between the health effect of different parts of foods to understand what is happening and ultimately provide more confidence in the recommendations we provide.</p>
<p>One way to find out more about the effect of individual foods on health is to compare people with different diets and follow them over a long time. That approach has helped us to show that the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn201758">Mediterranean diet</a> – and the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8270004/">Nordic diet</a> – keep us healthier for longer. But this approach is <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-whole-new-way-of-doing-nutrition-research-148352">flawed</a> when we want to find out more about individual foods or their components. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Herring salad" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464465/original/file-20220520-26-27imdv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464465/original/file-20220520-26-27imdv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464465/original/file-20220520-26-27imdv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464465/original/file-20220520-26-27imdv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464465/original/file-20220520-26-27imdv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464465/original/file-20220520-26-27imdv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464465/original/file-20220520-26-27imdv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Evidence shows that a Nordic diet is good for you.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/herring-salad-pickled-cucumbers-onions-153351596">Timolina/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Foods are never consumed in isolation and it is incredibly difficult to take this apart in such studies. To make the results of such research easier to understand, these findings are often converted into food equivalents – the infamous punnet of raspberries, cups of tea or bottles of wine you should consume for health. In reality, it is much more difficult. </p>
<p>Research into diet and health is difficult because there are many things to consider. There are the essential nutrients that we need to survive. There are dietary patterns that can affect overall health and that are the basis for recommendations, such as the UK government’s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide">Eatwell guide</a>. And then there are bioactive compounds that are found mainly in plant foods and that may have a beneficial effect on health. </p>
<p>Research into bioactives often results in headlines about amazing foods. In reality, it is just a tiny part of the food, often found elsewhere as well. A notable example is blueberries. They contain bioactives, but they are also expensive. <a href="http://phenol-explorer.eu/contents/food/79">Blackberries</a> and <a href="http://phenol-explorer.eu/contents/food/50">plums</a> provide the same bioactives, but are much cheaper.</p>
<p>Over the past decades, we have learned a lot about the chemicals naturally occurring in foods – what they are and how they affect the body. Some of them confer benefits for our heart, brain and gut that will help us sprint faster, cycle longer, concentrate harder and relax more easily. </p>
<h2>Focus on variety</h2>
<p>Many of them cause problems when consumed in excessive amounts though. For example green tea flavanols can cause <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/5239">liver damage</a> when consumed in very large amounts. We are only just starting to find out whether there is an ideal amount of these compounds that provide maximum benefits. Until then, it is safe to say that a varied diet is the best approach.</p>
<p>The great thing about our understanding of nutrition is that it is continuously evolving and improving and we understand much better what foods to look out for as research moves on. </p>
<p>Everyone should build up a sort of portfolio of diet that includes the essential nutrients, fibre and bioactives needed to keep healthy and age well. Our bodies are incredibly complex and need lots of different vitamins, minerals, macro and micronutrients to optimally keep us going. It now seems likely that we need to add bioactives to this list. But it doesn’t matter where they are coming from – it is variety that is important.</p>
<p>You should be wary about dietary advice that suggests you exclude the range of wonderful foods on offer and focus on a few “superfoods” that seemingly have magical properties. Nutrition is much more complex than that – and eating a healthy diet is much easier.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183154/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gunter Kuhnle has received funding from Mars, Inc., for research into flavan-3-ols.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Charlotte Mills receives funding from UKRI to research bioactive levels in plant foods and their impact on health.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jeremy Spencer receives funding from the UK research councils, three of which have been part of the BBSRCs Industrial Partnership Award scheme, which encourages interaction with industry.</span></em></p>Research into bioactives often results in headlines about amazing foods. Really, it is just a tiny part of the food, often found elsewhere as well.Gunter Kuhnle, Professor of Nutrition and Food Science, University of ReadingCharlotte Mills, Lecturer in Human Nutrition, University of ReadingJeremy Spencer, Professor, Nutrition and Food Science, University of ReadingLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1163622019-05-31T05:21:12Z2019-05-31T05:21:12ZMeet the Kakadu plum: an international superfood thousands of years in the making<p><em>Sign up to the Beating Around the Bush newsletter <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/newsletters">here</a>, and suggest a plant we should cover at batb@theconversation.edu.au.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>The Kakadu Plum fruiting season in the Top End is just finishing. Over one weekend, I was able to find a few fruits on the ground beneath some trees in the Eucalypt woodland near Darwin. </p>
<p>This is the best way to eat Kakadu plums – fresh, fully ripe, and fallen from the tree. The <a href="http://eflora.nt.gov.au/factsheet?id=1322">fruit</a> is smooth, fleshy and ovoid in shape with a short beak, and yellow–green or slightly reddish when ripe. </p>
<p>Initially, the taste seems somewhat bland, but with a definite sour and astringent finish. While that’s probably not a very inspiring description to encourage a tasting, a professional flavour profile describes the taste as “a stewed apple and pear <a href="http://anfab.org.au/main.asp?_=Kakadu%20Plum">aroma</a> with cooked citrus and a floral-musk note” – so it’s perfect for jam, sauces and relishes.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-tasty-weed-like-desert-raisin-plant-is-as-big-as-a-carpark-115121">The tasty, weed-like desert raisin plant is as big as a carpark</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>With small, creamy white flowers in long spikes clustered towards the tips of the branches, the Kakadu plum, <em>Terminalia ferdiandiana</em>, is just one of about 29 species of <em>Terminalia</em> found in Australia.</p>
<p>But the extraordinary properties of the Kakadu plum makes it attractive for a diversity of food, beverage and even cosmetic products. And this demand is creating supply problems as competition to cash in on the fruit increases.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277341/original/file-20190531-69051-15mwl62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277341/original/file-20190531-69051-15mwl62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/277341/original/file-20190531-69051-15mwl62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=802&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277341/original/file-20190531-69051-15mwl62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=802&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277341/original/file-20190531-69051-15mwl62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=802&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277341/original/file-20190531-69051-15mwl62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1008&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277341/original/file-20190531-69051-15mwl62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1008&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/277341/original/file-20190531-69051-15mwl62.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1008&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Conversation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<h2>A plum by any other name</h2>
<p>Kakadu plums are abundant in the Eucalypt woodlands of the northern savannas. There are a plethora of Aboriginal <a href="http://eflora.nt.gov.au/factsheet?id=1322">names</a> that reflect the distribution of the species and the broadly held knowledge across numerous language groups, such as “<a href="https://www.kimberleywildgubinge.com.au/">Gubinge</a>”, a name from the Bardi people north of Broome.</p>
<p>Common names such as “billygoat plum” or “green plum” are also <a href="http://eflora.nt.gov.au/factsheet?id=1322">sometimes used</a>. But thanks to marketing success, the common name “Kakadu plum” is the most well known, although it’s misleading. </p>
<p>While the species is <a href="https://bie.ala.org.au/species/http:/id.biodiversity.org.au/node/apni/2916755">found</a> in Kakadu National Park, its distribution extends to the savanna vegetation, from the Kimberley to Cape York. </p>
<h2>Getting ‘superfood’ status</h2>
<p>The rise of the Kakadu plum to international fame as a “superfood” may appear to have come about almost overnight. But this story has been a long time in the making. </p>
<p>Aboriginal people have valued this plant for thousands of years for its food and <a href="https://parksaustralia.gov.au/kakadu/discover/nature/plants/kakadu-plum/">medicinal properties</a>. The health benefits of the fruit were certainly recognised, but more specifically, the red inner bark was used to treat skin conditions and sores.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/traditional-medicines-must-be-integrated-into-health-care-for-culturally-diverse-groups-114980">Traditional medicines must be integrated into health care for culturally diverse groups</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The findings of western scientists also go back a little way. Pioneering analysis of the <a href="http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/apjcn/procnutsoc/1980-1989/1982/1982%20p050-054.pdf">composition</a> of bush foods in the early 1980s found phenomenally high vitamin C content in Kakadu plums.</p>
<p>Citrus fruits are known for being good natural sources of vitamin C, which makes up around 0.5% of their weight.</p>
<p>But the Kakadu plum tops the scale, with vitamin C <a href="http://www.kalaricrush.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/lancet.pdf">levels</a> of 3.5-5.9% of its weight. This is about 50 times more vitamin C than in oranges.</p>
<p>Chemicals in the plum also have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, and recent research has shown extracts have excellent <a href="https://www.karensheldoncatering.com.au/blog/the-media-vault/catering-company-adding-kakadu-plum-to-improve-she/">preservative</a> qualities. This means the plum is now used in the seafood industry to extend the shelf life of, for instance, cooked <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2013-09-19/kakadu-plums-improving-prawns/4968046">prawns</a>.</p>
<h2>Opportunities for Indigenous-owned business</h2>
<p>Now, increased demand for the fruit has produced opportunities for Indigenous communities to create enterprise on country. </p>
<p>Many communities in the Top End and the Kimberley are now engaged in fruit harvesting, which, for the most part, takes place from the wild on Indigenous-owned land.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2016-04-28/kakadu-plum-harvest-underway-in-wadeye-nt/7359856">successful example</a> is in Wadeye, about 250km southwest of Darwin. </p>
<p>I spoke to the Community Development Officer at Thamarrurr Development Corporation there, Melissa Bentivoglio, who said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Thamarrurr Plums [Kakadu plums], based at Wadeye, has been evolving over the past 10 years as a locally owned and operated Indigenous enterprise. This year’s plum season saw over 250 local women harvest over 10 tonnes of plums from their clan estates in the Thamarrurr Region. </p>
<p>The community continue to carefully discern their way forward in this local enterprise to ensure community ownership and long-term sustainability.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But Indigenous representation over the entire supply chain and processing is poor. The <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-01-19/low-indigenous-representation-in-bush-food-industry/10701986">participation rate</a> in the bush food industry is reported to be less than 1%. </p>
<p>Indigenous groups are actively seeking mechanisms to see greater recognition and returns from their traditional knowledge.</p>
<p>In 2007, for instance, the American-based cosmetic company Mary Kay Inc. <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/patent-fight-erupts-over-kakadu-plum-20101203-18jud.html">was granted</a> a patent for Kakadu plum extracts in a skin cosmetic product. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/warrigal-greens-are-tasty-salty-and-covered-in-tiny-balloon-like-hairs-112307">Warrigal greens are tasty, salty, and covered in tiny balloon-like hairs</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>These patents were <a href="https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/sites/g/files/net856/f/submission_-_daniel_robinson.pdf">opposed</a> following concerns around the recognition of the Indigenous knowledge and the lack of any benefit-sharing arrangements with relevant Indigenous communities. They were rejected by IP Australia on the grounds of lack of novelty – there were serious claims of <a href="https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:689537">biopiracy</a> – commericially exploiting natural material – a cloud of uncertainty around the legal acquisition of the plant material.</p>
<h2>Competing interests: food, cosmetics, bandicoots</h2>
<p>The increasing demand for the fruit and sustainability concerns of the harvest has led the Northern Territory government to draft a <a href="https://denr.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/592785/Project-TNRM00536_DRAFT-Management-Program-for-Terminalia-ferdinandiana_EcOz_23-August-18.pdf">management plan</a> for Kakadu plum. It was released for public comment last year. </p>
<p>Ecologists also know the fruits of Kakadu plum form an important part of the diet of a suite of small native mammals, such as possums, rock rats, tree rats, and bandicoots. The recently observed <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1442-9993.2001.01121.x">decline</a> in these populations can, in part, be attributed to overly frequent fires which are detrimental to small trees in the wild like the Kakadu plum.</p>
<p>The NT government’s management plan will need to ensure commercial harvest doesn’t add to the pressure on these native mammals.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/can-we-be-australian-without-eating-indigenous-food-53742">Can we be Australian without eating indigenous food?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>What’s more, the traditional medicinal uses are being tested in a current <a href="http://www.crcna.com.au/research/current-projects/enabling-a-traditional-australian-medicinal-plants-agribusiness/">research project</a> through a Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) funded collaboration to assess potential for establishing a medicinal plant agribusiness on Indigenous land.</p>
<p>It’s not easy being a super plant.</p>
<p><br></p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238283/original/file-20180927-48650-1veiqyi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238283/original/file-20180927-48650-1veiqyi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=199&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238283/original/file-20180927-48650-1veiqyi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=199&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238283/original/file-20180927-48650-1veiqyi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=199&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238283/original/file-20180927-48650-1veiqyi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238283/original/file-20180927-48650-1veiqyi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238283/original/file-20180927-48650-1veiqyi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/BeatingAroundTheBush">Sign up to Beating Around the Bush, a series that profiles native plants: part gardening column, part dispatches from country, entirely Australian.</a></em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116362/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Greg Leach is a collaborator in a project "Enabling a traditional medicinal plant agribusiness' which is jointly funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia, Integria Healthcare, University of Queensland, Traditional Homeland Enterprises and Menzies School of Health Research.</span></em></p>The Kakadu plum is one of the richest sources of vitamin C of any fruit, and the increasing demand has started creating supply problems.Greg Leach, Honorary Fellow at Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1170312019-05-23T10:58:37Z2019-05-23T10:58:37ZCamel milk reduces cell inflammation associated with type 2 diabetes<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/276059/original/file-20190523-187189-dlpw95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Camel milk is mainly consumed in the Middle East and parts of Africa but has become fashionable in the West in recent years.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/female-hands-holding-glass-milk-on-542317249?src=47gSdhGxuwu3tgolTf8h1g-2-87">Africa Studio/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The current trend for certain foods and dietary components to be called “superfoods” is frequently associated with exotic and expensive products. But there are <a href="https://www.livescience.com/34693-superfoods.html">no set criteria</a> to determine a food’s “superness” – and claims rarely have any scientific basis. It is usually simply a (often very successful) <a href="https://theconversation.com/superfoods-another-battleground-between-marketing-and-common-sense-21945">marketing ploy</a>. </p>
<p>Take camel milk for example. Its superfood status has been proposed regardless of the fact that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29349446">much of the evidence</a> of its health benefits <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28142150">are based</a> on <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27432772">animal studies</a>, or in populations where lifestyle and genetic factors <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25312801">could equally play a role</a>. But while it may not be a superfood, <a href="https://www.ffhdj.com/index.php/ffhd/article/view/567">our new research</a> has found that camel milk products could have benefits for people with type 2 diabetes.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/superfoods-not-so-super-after-all-14029">Superfoods: not so super after all?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Over the years some evidence <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5626114/">has been published</a> suggesting that consumption of camel milk <a href="https://defeatdiabetes.org/camel-milk-helps-prevent-diabetes/">can prevent</a> diabetes. However, the actual basis of these benefits is poorly understood and few studies have investigated what component or components present in camel milk convey any of its supposed anti-diabetic benefits. </p>
<p>Studies that increase our understanding of the benefits or otherwise of dietary components are very challenging, but particularly for a food as complex as milk. Milk is made up of lipids and proteins, including immunoglobulins (antibodies produced by plasma cells) and vesicles (liquid produced by cells which is enclosed in a lipid membrane), as well as vitamins and minerals. Given this complexity we chose to investigate only the lipids (fats) in camel milk, and their effect on an aspect of diabetes known as inflammation.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tedmT2n8m4c?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>Lipids and diabetes</h2>
<p>Diabetes is, arguably, one of the greatest current global health problems. It is known that inflammation in abdominal fat around the waist is <a href="https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-and-obesity.html">a dangerous feature</a> of the more common type 2 diabetes. Normally inflammation is a way of dealing with infections such as viruses. But obese and diabetic individuals have continuous chronic inflammation that does not involve any infections. This inflammation can lead to many of diabetes’ complications including heart disease and strokes.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/type-2-diabetes-losing-even-a-small-amount-of-weight-may-lower-heart-disease-risk-116566">Type 2 diabetes: losing even a small amount of weight may lower heart disease risk</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>A cell called the macrophage, present in abdominal fat, is a major player in the development of this inflammation. So we decided to study whether the camel milk lipids could prevent macrophages similar to those found in fat from becoming inflamed when in the presence of the proteins found in diabetics.</p>
<p>Camel milk, butter and yoghurt are highly nutritious foods with a high content of vitamin C, iron, calcium, insulin and protein. The presence of fat in any milk is often the basis for avoiding dairy products, but milk fat is an important component given its high nutritional value. Camel milk does have a lower fat content compared to that of a cow, however, and its fatty acids are mostly polyunsaturated fatty acids. These are generally regarded as healthy fatty acids, but the saturated fat or lipid content of camel milk can be as high as 65%. </p>
<p>We incubated macrophages with saturated and unsaturated lipids taken from camel milk, both individually and in a mixture of the two – this is, after all, how we would consume them and how they are generally stored in the body. Our experiments showed that the fatty acids from camel milk reduce the inflammation produced by these macrophages, but the effect was more pronounced in the mixture of the lipids, than when the camel milk was with only unsaturated fatty acids. </p>
<p>A particularly interesting finding was that a complex of proteins known as the inflammasome (a central driver of inflammation) was reduced by these lipids. If these effects could be repeated in studies with humans then this would show that the milk may prevent the inflammation associated with diabetes. These results may also explain some of the benefits reported for camel milk consumption in preventing diabetes. </p>
<p>Dietary studies are littered with experimental data such as ours, suggesting that different foods have a plethora of beneficial or harmful effects that are less convincingly found in actual people. We can’t say for certain whether camel milk “cures” diabetes, or if it would reduce inflammation if a person with type 2 diabetes regularly consumed it. Our new data suggests that it <em>may</em> play a role in reducing the inflammation that is a major part of type 2 diabetes. Far more experimental work and at some point human trials are required to demonstrate if these results have relevance to people.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/117031/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Keith Morris does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Lipids in the so-called superfood reduce a central driver of the inflammation associated with type 2 diabetes.Keith Morris, Professor of Biomedical Sciences and Biostatistics, Cardiff Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1167302019-05-14T20:13:52Z2019-05-14T20:13:52ZThese 5 foods are claimed to improve our health. But the amount we’d need to consume to benefit is… a lot<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274263/original/file-20190514-60545-jnfvc6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Blueberries contain anthocyanins, which might reduce your risk of heart disease. If you eat 150-300 in a day, that is.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andrew Welch/Unsplash</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Food gives us the nutrients we need to survive, and we know a balanced diet <a href="https://www.who.int/behealthy/healthy-diet">contributes to good health</a>. </p>
<p>Beyond this, many people seek out different foods as “medicines”, hoping eating certain things might prevent or treat particular conditions. </p>
<p>It’s true many foods contain “<a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/bioactive-compound">bioactive compounds</a>” – chemicals that act in the body in ways that might promote good health. These are being studied in the prevention of cancer, heart disease and other conditions.</p>
<p>But the idea of food as medicine, although attractive, is easily oversold <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4404/How-cloves-garlic-guard-cancer.html">in the headlines</a>. Stories tend to be based on studies done in the lab, testing concentrated extracts from foods. The effect seen in real people eating the actual food is going to be different to the effects in a petri dish.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-can-eating-certain-foods-make-you-smarter-113551">Health Check: can eating certain foods make you smarter?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>If you do the maths, you’ll find you actually need to eat enormous amounts of particular foods to get an active dose of the desired element. In some cases, this might endanger your health, rather than protecting it.</p>
<p>These four foods (and one drink) show the common healing claims around the foods we eat don’t always stack up.</p>
<h2>Cinnamon</h2>
<p>Cinnamon, which contains a compound called cinnamaldehyde, is claimed to <a href="https://www.ibtimes.sg/cinnamon-your-best-companion-fight-obesity-study-suggests-side-effects-20788">aid weight loss and regulate appetite</a>. </p>
<p>There is evidence cinnamaldehyde <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24019277">can reduce cholesterol in people with diabetes</a>. But this is based on studies of the chemical in large doses – not eating the spice itself.</p>
<p>These studies give people between 1 and 6 grams of cinnamaldehyde per day. Cinnamon is about <a href="http://www.orientjchem.org/vol30no1/extraction-of-essential-oil-from-cinnamon-cinnamomum-zeylanicum/">8% cinnamaldehyde</a> by weight – so you’d have to eat at least 13 grams of cinnamon, or about half a supermarket jar, per day. Much more than you’d add to your morning porridge.</p>
<h2>Red wine</h2>
<p>The headlines on the health benefits of red wine are usually because of a chemical in grape skins called resveratrol. Resveratrol is a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/79/5/727/4690182">polyphenol</a>, a family of chemicals with <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-the-untrue-story-of-antioxidants-vs-free-radicals-15920">antioxidant</a> properties. </p>
<p>It’s been <a href="https://theconversation.com/resveratrol-in-a-red-wine-sauce-fountain-of-youth-or-snake-oil-12743">claimed resveratrol</a> protects our cells from damage and reduces the risk of a range of conditions such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease.</p>
<p>There is some limited evidence that resveratrol has benefits in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4942868/">animal models</a>, although studies done in humans <a href="https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/71/12/822/1833632">have not shown a similar effect</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274266/original/file-20190514-60549-kal78o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274266/original/file-20190514-60549-kal78o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274266/original/file-20190514-60549-kal78o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274266/original/file-20190514-60549-kal78o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274266/original/file-20190514-60549-kal78o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274266/original/file-20190514-60549-kal78o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274266/original/file-20190514-60549-kal78o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">We often hear that drinking red wine is good for our health.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">From shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It varies by wine, but red wine contains about 3 micrograms (about 3 millionths of a gram) of resveratrol <a href="https://www.ajevonline.org/content/43/1/49">per bottle</a>. The studies that have shown a benefit from resveratrol use at least 0.1 grams per day (that’s 100,000 micrograms). </p>
<p>To get that much resveratrol, you’d have to drink roughly 200 bottles of wine a day. We can probably all agree that’s not very healthy.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-is-moderate-drinking-good-for-me-108921">Health check: is moderate drinking good for me?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Blueberries</h2>
<p>Blueberries, like red wine, are a <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf034150f">source of resveratrol,</a> but at a few micrograms per berry you’d have to eat more than 10,000 berries a day to get the active dose. </p>
<p>Blueberries also contain compounds called anthocyanins, which <a href="https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/2/1/1/4591636">may improve some markers of heart disease</a>. But to get an active dose there you’re looking at 150-300 blueberries per day. More reasonable, but still quite a lot of fruit – and expensive.</p>
<h2>Chocolate</h2>
<p>The news that dark <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1114811/high-blood-pressure-diet-foods-dark-chocolate-lower-reading">chocolate lowers blood pressure</a> is always well-received. Theobromine, a chemical in chocolate has been shown to lower blood pressure in doses of about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20823377">1 gram of the active compound</a>, but not at lower doses. Depending on the chocolate, you could be eating 100g of dark chocolate before you reached this dose. </p>
<p>Chocolate is a discretionary food, or “junk food”. The <a href="http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/australian-dietary-guidelines-standard-serves">recommended serve for discretionary foods</a> is no more than 600 kilojoules per day, or 25g of chocolate. Eating 100g of chocolate would be equivalent to more than 2,000kJ.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/treat-or-treatment-chocolate-is-good-but-cocoa-is-better-for-your-heart-3084">Treat or treatment? Chocolate is good but cocoa is better for your heart</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Excess kilojoule consumption leads to weight gain, and being overweight increases risk of heart disease and stroke. So these risks would likely negate the benefits of eating chocolate to lower your blood pressure.</p>
<h2>Turmeric</h2>
<p>Turmeric is a favourite. It’s good in curries, and recently we’ve seen hype around the turmeric latte. Stories pop up regularly about its healing power, normally based on <a href="https://theconversation.com/science-or-snake-oil-can-turmeric-really-shrink-tumours-reduce-pain-and-kill-bacteria-76010">curcumin</a>. </p>
<p>Curcumin refers to a group of compounds, called curcuminoids, that might have some health benefits, like reducing inflammation. Inflammation helps us to fight infections and respond to injuries, but too much inflammation is a problem in diseases like <a href="https://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/inflammatory-arthritis/">arthritis</a>, and might be linked to other conditions like <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/01.CIR.0000129535.04194.38">heart disease or stroke.</a></p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274267/original/file-20190514-60532-15ho6c3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274267/original/file-20190514-60532-15ho6c3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274267/original/file-20190514-60532-15ho6c3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274267/original/file-20190514-60532-15ho6c3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274267/original/file-20190514-60532-15ho6c3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274267/original/file-20190514-60532-15ho6c3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274267/original/file-20190514-60532-15ho6c3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Turmeric comes from turmeric root. It’s not bad for us, but we’d have to eat an unrealistic amount to receive its health benefits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">From shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Human trials on curcumin have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261561413002501">been inconclusive</a>, but most use curcumin supplementation in very large doses of 1 to 12 grams per day. Turmeric is about 3% curcumin, so for each gram of turmeric you eat you only get 0.03g of curcumin. This means you’d have to eat more than 30g of turmeric to get the minimum active dose of turmeric.</p>
<p>Importantly, curcumin in turmeric is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3918523/">not very bioavailable</a>. This means we only absorb about 25% of what we eat, so you might actually have to eat well over 100g of turmeric, every day, to get a reasonable dose of curcumin. That’s a lot of curry.</p>
<h2>What to eat then?</h2>
<p>We all want food to heal us, but focusing on single foods and eating mounds of them is not the answer. Instead, a balanced and diverse diet can provide foods each with a range of different nutrients and bioactive compounds. Don’t get distracted by quick fixes; focus instead on enjoying a variety of foods.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/science-or-snake-oil-can-turmeric-really-shrink-tumours-reduce-pain-and-kill-bacteria-76010">Science or Snake Oil: can turmeric really shrink tumours, reduce pain and kill bacteria?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116730/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Beckett receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She is a member of the Nutrition Society of Australia, the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology and the Early and Mid Career Researcher Forum. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We often hear eating specific foods can help prevent disease. But these claims are best taken with a grain of salt (or turmeric). The benefits are likely only if we eat them in really huge quantities.Emma Beckett, Lecturer (Food Science and Human Nutrition), School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of NewcastleGideon Meyerowitz-Katz, PhD Student/Epidemiologist, University of WollongongLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1129872019-03-10T09:24:55Z2019-03-10T09:24:55ZEthiopia needs to improve production of its “golden crop” Teff. Here’s how<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/262610/original/file-20190307-82669-polvlk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Teff sorting in Ethiopia.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ryan Kilpatrick/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Teff, an ancient grain from Ethiopia and Eritrea, has been <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/brv.12225">growing</a> in popularity across the world in recent years. Huge demand meant prices <a href="https://allafrica.com/stories/201708220776.html">skyrocketed</a> and the Ethiopian government eventually slapped a ban on exports <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/18/africa/ethiopian-superfood-teff/index.html">which it kept in place for six years</a>. The aim was to enable Ethiopians, who rely on it as a staple crop, to be able to afford it again.</p>
<p>Teff is in demand because it has various health benefits and unique nutritional contents. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/brv.12225">It’s</a> high in fibre and rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, protein, and amino acids. But what’s really contributed to its <a href="https://www.foodsmatter.com/coeliac-disease/management/teff-in-the-gluten-free-diet.html">enormous popularity</a>, <a href="https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/grains-pulses/teff/europe">particularly</a> in Europe and the <a href="https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/08/16/is-teff-the-new-super-grain/">US</a>, is that it’s gluten free. This means that it appeals to athletes, diabetics, coeliacs and others who seek a gluten-free diet. </p>
<p>Consumers are willing to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/brv.12225">pay premiums</a> for gluten-free food such as teff. And various teff-based products are now also being developed to capture this premium market.</p>
<p>Currently, Ethiopia <a href="https://www.dailysabah.com/business/2017/10/17/ethiopias-super-grain-seeks-to-capture-global-market">produces over</a> 90% of the world’s teff. But because of its growing popularity, teff production has attracted other countries <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324389067_Achieving_Food_Security_in_Ethiopia_by_Promoting_Productivity_of_Future_World_Food_Tef_A_Review">including</a>; Australia, China, India, South Africa, and the US. </p>
<p>As explained in my <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327944059_Teff_A_Rising_Global_Crop_Current_Status_of_Teff_Production_and_Value_Chain">recent review article</a>, Ethiopia has some major shortcomings when it comes to teff production. The system currently relies on inefficient traditional farming practices, faces harvest losses and there aren’t enough financial incentives for farmers to modernise the system. </p>
<p>Teff is one of Ethiopia’s <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324389067_Achieving_Food_Security_in_Ethiopia_by_Promoting_Productivity_of_Future_World_Food_Tef_A_Review">most important</a> crops providing food and livelihoods to many people. The grains are a daily food staple <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324389067_Achieving_Food_Security_in_Ethiopia_by_Promoting_Productivity_of_Future_World_Food_Tef_A_Review">for about</a> 50 million people – about 60% of the country’s total population.</p>
<p>To meet local demand and keep competitive, as new countries start growing the crop, Ethiopia must introduce improved teff varieties and the government must support policies that open up the industry to encourage technical improvement around it.</p>
<h2>Production fails</h2>
<p>Teff is popular in Ethiopia because it’s considered a low risk crop. It can be harvested two to five months after sowing and is relatively <a href="https://www.doc-developpement-durable.org/file/Culture-plantes-alimentaires/FICHES_PLANTES/teff/Eragrostis%20Teff%20as%20a%20specialised%20niche%20crop.pdf">resistant</a> to many biotic and abiotic stresses like high altitudes and pests. This means it can <a href="https://www.agrifutures.com.au/farm-diversity/teff/">adapt</a> to a range of growing conditions where other major crops, such as rice, may fail. </p>
<p>But Ethiopia’s producers face some major industry limitations in growing the crop that prevent Ethiopia from moving forward with its mass production. </p>
<p>There are very low levels of teff yields compared to other major cereals <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4523e.pdf.%202015">mainly due</a> to the limited use of improved seeds, inefficient farming practices and fragmented farm plots. </p>
<p>A lot of manual labour is needed to grow the crop because there’s not enough mechanisation for planting or sowing, weeding and harvesting. </p>
<p>There’s not enough research or public and private investment in improved teff seeds which could improve yields and help them become more resistant to drought and lodging. </p>
<p>Plots where teff is grown are small and fragmented which makes it harder to mass produce.</p>
<p>Traditional agronomic practices are constantly being used. For instance, the use of broadcast-sowing – when seed is scattered by hand – means higher seeding rates and a less manageable field is created. Row planting may be better. Less seeds are needed because they’re carefully measured, and so less is wasted, and the rows allow farmers to manage fields more efficiently when they’re weeding, applying fertiliser and harvesting. Rows also make using machines easier. </p>
<p>Traditional systems also suffer from a great deal of harvest loss, at all stages. The word “teff” <a href="https://www.agrifutures.com.au/farm-diversity/teff/">comes from</a> the Ethiopian word “teffa”, which means “lost”. Because of its fine grain size, teff is easily lost which isn’t helped by the traditional practice of being manually harvesting with sickles and having oxen trample on them to separate the grain. </p>
<p>Poor road conditions and traditional transport means – for example by donkey – also cause harvest loss.</p>
<h2>Value-chain fails</h2>
<p>Beyond the production stage, Ethiopia still doesn’t have efficient teff value chains for domestic use and export. </p>
<p>There’s no standardised teff grading system. This would separate high quality teff from low quality, guarantee high prices for high quality teff, and give consumers assurance of what they’re buying. Currently most transactions happen on the spot, in cash. This prevents market information from being shared – like which varieties are sold most and what their price is. </p>
<p>The teff industry also lacks large-scale purchasing and processing capacities for economies of scale and value addition. Currently, little value is added to teff in Ethiopia, probably except for injera (the flat fermented bread), while a <a href="https://teffco.com/products/">variety</a> of products are being developed and marketed by <a href="https://www.agrifutures.com.au/farm-diversity/teff/">other countries</a>.</p>
<p>What makes it harder to improve is that financial incentives rarely exist to invest in the modernisation of the Ethiopian teff industry and branding it. This is partly because there are fears that the government could put another ban in place.</p>
<h2>Government action</h2>
<p>The Ethiopian government needs to create an enabling environment for the teff industry with more supportive policies. The government can sustainably invest in research and extension services to produce higher quality teff and improve productivity. Given the present domestic consumption patterns and global popularity, Ethiopia’s heavy investment in teff would pay off. </p>
<p>The teff industry should also be liberalised. This would create a huge incentive for larger-scale activities and encourage more active collaboration between local and international food companies that would satisfy local demands and international markets.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/112987/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>HyeJin Lee does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Ethiopia’s teff plant is gluten-free and demand is growing. The country needs to upgrade its harvesting to reap the rewards.HyeJin Lee, Assistant Professor, Konkuk UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/860622018-01-10T19:32:40Z2018-01-10T19:32:40ZWhat are antioxidants? And are they truly good for us?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198244/original/file-20171208-11291-5k882y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Despite the marketing hype, antioxidants can be harmful when consumed in excess. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/SHJMuYQSRn8">Israel Egio/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Antioxidants seem to be everywhere; in superfoods and skincare, even chocolate and red wine. Products that contain antioxidants are marketed as essential for good health, with promises to fight disease and reverse ageing. </p>
<p>But are they really as good for us as we’re led to believe?</p>
<h2>What are antioxidants?</h2>
<p>The term antioxidant covers a wide range of molecules (atoms bound together by chemical bonds) that protect other molecules from a chemical process called oxidation. Oxidation can damage vital molecules in our cells, including DNA and proteins, which are responsible for many body processes. </p>
<p>Molecules such as DNA are needed for cells to function properly, so if too many are damaged, the cell can malfunction or die. This is why antioxidants are important. They can prevent or reduce this damage. In the body, uncontrolled oxidation is typically caused by highly reactive molecules known as free radicals.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198268/original/file-20171208-11325-emn99q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198268/original/file-20171208-11325-emn99q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198268/original/file-20171208-11325-emn99q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198268/original/file-20171208-11325-emn99q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198268/original/file-20171208-11325-emn99q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198268/original/file-20171208-11325-emn99q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198268/original/file-20171208-11325-emn99q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Products that contain antioxidants are marketed as essential for good health.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/2990842130/in/photolist-5yhRaC-7v9iHN-39oS6-gXwnop-fQyUjy-5KRBDa-9oSp-4AFPm8-9hvwPA-37VeF-F27Ev-6dWxQD-5KVR7J-8EkFt9-9hvziC-5KRArZ-nBKaLd-FSED4F-6diVqe-6e1GQS-5KRBdX-5KVRho-5KVQLs-6e1GSw-5KVQRC-9hqzng-5KVPuY-9gsG74-6dWppg-5KRzzX-6dWitB-6diVqH-4Xv6uW-6dWxNH-81fBq3-6dqeJY-8DWx2P-5KVQ6W-53xvn1-5KVQuu-5KVQiJ-5KRzGD-7wt24d-9DpTxg-37Vf6-2X57JJ-9DpUhR-9DsPfL-rpLncv-wgDU4S">Alpha/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What is oxidation?</h2>
<p>Oxidation is a common chemical reaction where electrons are transferred from one molecule to another. Electrons are one of the subatomic (smaller than an atom) particles that make up pretty much everything. As electrons move during an oxidation reaction, bonds can be broken and the structure of the molecules changed.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193351/original/file-20171106-1017-11cegwm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193351/original/file-20171106-1017-11cegwm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193351/original/file-20171106-1017-11cegwm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=278&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193351/original/file-20171106-1017-11cegwm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=278&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193351/original/file-20171106-1017-11cegwm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=278&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193351/original/file-20171106-1017-11cegwm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193351/original/file-20171106-1017-11cegwm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193351/original/file-20171106-1017-11cegwm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Unpaired electrons make free radicals unstable and highly reactive.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Not all oxidation reactions are bad. They are essential for life and involved in many important processes. In <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_respiration">cellular respiration</a>, glucose (a sugar from the food we eat) is oxidised by oxygen (from the air we breathe), producing carbon dioxide, water and energy to fuel our bodies. Household bleaches oxidise coloured stains into colourless molecules. </p>
<p>Less desirable oxidation reactions include the rusting of metals and oxidative food spoilage.</p>
<h2>What are free radicals?</h2>
<p>Free radicals are simply molecules with one or more unpaired electrons. Electrons like to be in pairs, so unpaired electrons can result in unstable and highly reactive molecules. To become stable, the free radical must steal an electron from another molecule (or give one away). When a molecule loses an electron, that molecule has been oxidised and itself becomes a free radical.</p>
<p>This new free radical can steal an electron from another molecule, starting a chain reaction. This process permanently changes the structure of the molecules, causing irreversible damage. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199142/original/file-20171214-27558-wum0nv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199142/original/file-20171214-27558-wum0nv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199142/original/file-20171214-27558-wum0nv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199142/original/file-20171214-27558-wum0nv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199142/original/file-20171214-27558-wum0nv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199142/original/file-20171214-27558-wum0nv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199142/original/file-20171214-27558-wum0nv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199142/original/file-20171214-27558-wum0nv.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A free radical can steal an electron from another molecule, which then becomes a free radical.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But if an antioxidant is present, it can donate an electron to the free radical, stabilising it and stopping the chain reaction. The antioxidant sacrifices itself and is oxidised instead of the other molecule, becoming a free radical. But unlike most molecules, the antioxidant is able to stabilise the unpaired electron and does not become highly reactive. This process deactivates the antioxidant.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194259/original/file-20171113-31813-1o9mdqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194259/original/file-20171113-31813-1o9mdqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194259/original/file-20171113-31813-1o9mdqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194259/original/file-20171113-31813-1o9mdqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194259/original/file-20171113-31813-1o9mdqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194259/original/file-20171113-31813-1o9mdqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194259/original/file-20171113-31813-1o9mdqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194259/original/file-20171113-31813-1o9mdqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=573&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An antioxidant donates an electron to a free radical and stops the chain reaction.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Free radicals aren’t always bad for you. Their highly reactive and destructive nature is used by the body’s immune system. Certain white blood cells, called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0022055/">phagocytes</a>, can engulf foreign particles, such as bacteria, then seal them off and release free radicals to destroy them.</p>
<p>Free radicals are generated naturally by our bodies, but can be increased by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-2797(96)03729-5">lifestyle factors</a> such as stress, poor diet, pollution, smoking and alcohol. Our bodies can handle some free radicals, but if too many are formed it can overwhelm the body’s normal defences.</p>
<p>Free radical damage is thought to be one of the causes of ageing and contribute to various diseases. For example, free radical damage to DNA can cause <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0959804995005315">genetic mutations and promote cancer</a>.</p>
<h2>All antioxidants aren’t equal</h2>
<p>So, if free radicals are dangerous and cause ageing and disease, and antioxidants can neutralise them, then getting more antioxidants should be good for you, shouldn’t it? Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as that. Yes, high antioxidant levels and low oxidative stress are <a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/63/6/985S.short">associated with good health</a>, but not all antioxidants are equal.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198251/original/file-20171208-11318-18nugwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198251/original/file-20171208-11318-18nugwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198251/original/file-20171208-11318-18nugwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198251/original/file-20171208-11318-18nugwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198251/original/file-20171208-11318-18nugwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198251/original/file-20171208-11318-18nugwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198251/original/file-20171208-11318-18nugwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A healthy diet is the most effective way to get antioxidants.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/298038920?size=huge_jpg">www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Antioxidants come from many sources. Some are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1053/j.mpmed.2006.09.007">naturally produced in the body</a> and some <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/antioxidants#lp-h-3">naturally occur in foods</a> we eat. Antioxidants (natural or synthetic) can also be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preservative#Antioxidants">added to foods</a> that don’t normally contain them, either for their (supposed) health value or to preserve the food (antioxidants also prevent oxidation in foods). </p>
<p>A <a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/63/6/985S.short">healthy diet</a> is the most effective way to get the antioxidants your body needs. <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/antioxidants#lp-h-3">Fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs and nuts</a> are all useful sources of antioxidants. Despite the marketing hype, antioxidants found in so-called <a href="https://theconversation.com/superfoods-not-so-super-after-all-14029">superfoods</a> are no more effective than those in regular fruit and veg, so you’re better off saving your money. </p>
<p>But it’s a different story when it comes to antioxidant supplements. Research has found antioxidant supplements may cause more harm than good. A <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007176.pub2/abstract">2012 meta analysis</a> of over 70 trials found antioxidant supplements are ineffective or even detrimental to health. The reasons are unclear, but the added nutritional benefits from consuming antioxidants in a healthy diet is likely to contribute to this. Also, the high concentrations of antioxidants associated with supplement use can lead to problems.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198278/original/file-20171208-11331-1sno512.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198278/original/file-20171208-11331-1sno512.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198278/original/file-20171208-11331-1sno512.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198278/original/file-20171208-11331-1sno512.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198278/original/file-20171208-11331-1sno512.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198278/original/file-20171208-11331-1sno512.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198278/original/file-20171208-11331-1sno512.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Superfoods and regular fruit and veg both provide the same types of antioxidants.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Too much of a good thing</h2>
<p>There are a number of reasons why high concentrations of antioxidants may be harmful. At high concentrations, antioxidants may:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/63/6/985S.short">act as pro-oxidants</a>, increasing oxidation</li>
<li>protect dangerous cells (such as <a href="http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/6/221/221ra15">cancer cells</a>) as well as healthy cells</li>
<li><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP270654/full">reduce the health benefits of exercise</a></li>
<li>have unwanted side effects, such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C#Side_effects">nausea</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coenzyme_Q10#Supplementation">headaches</a>, or even reach <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_E#Toxicity">toxic levels</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>There is no magic pill, but a healthy diet can provide you with all the antioxidants you need to fight free radical damage.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86062/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacqui Adcock does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Antioxidants are meant to be good for us, but not all antioxidants are equal.Jacqui Adcock, Research Fellow in Analytical Chemistry, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/539782016-05-26T05:30:48Z2016-05-26T05:30:48ZDude food vs superfood: we’re cultural omnivores<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/124059/original/image-20160526-17530-z9ng6y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mike Segar/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia appears to be simultaneously embracing very contradictory food trends. We lick our fingers after an all-American feast of gourmet burgers, freakshakes, doughnuts and ribs, but repent for our sins with a kale smoothie and a cauliflower-base pizza.</p>
<p>Early in 2016, In-N-Out’s Sydney popup store prompted six-hour lines and <a href="http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/restaurants-bars/how-sydneys-fell-for-innout-burgers-popup-marketing-stunt/news-story/5b250fd0f42bd2fcd22d0272c5937d50">sarcastic editorials</a>. A month later, another burger chain from the United States, Carl’s Jr, <a href="http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/restaurants-bars/carls-jr-burger-restaurant-to-open-in-bateau-bay-on-nsw-central-coast/news-story/f52fddb07f465d255591ec6657ab65ae">opened on the New South Wales Central Coast</a>. Gourmet doughnut chain Doughnut Time opened to long lines in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley last year and has since opened more stores in Queensland, as well as in New South Wales and Victoria. And Canberra café Pâtissez is largely credited with the <a href="http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-life/canberras-freakshake-phenomenon-five-reasons-these-shakes-have-taken-off-20150713-giblqc.html">emergence of the freakshake</a> in Australia. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"620662614041866240"}"></div></p>
<p>Meanwhile outlets that focus on organics, raw and health food are becoming more popular. In my hometown Brisbane, places like <a href="http://primalpantry.com.au/">Primal Pantry</a> and <a href="http://cocobliss.com.au/">Coco Bliss</a> are popular in the inner-city and fringe areas, but the reach of these foods extends to the outer suburbs and beyond.</p>
<p>Every major city and town in Australia – and a growing number of regional centres – can boast its own health-conscious, superfood-serving eateries. So how then do we reconcile the fact that there are currently two very different versions of what is “good” and “popular” fare? I argue that our fondness of both indulgent and healthy fare is based upon the <em>same</em> values: we’re cultural omnivores.</p>
<p>Network Ten’s cooking program, <a href="http://www.goodchefbadchef.com.au/">Good Chef Bad Chef</a> sets these polar-opposite values alongside one another as chef Adrian Richardson and chef/nutritionist Zoe Bingley-Pullen cook together and playfully bicker about whether taste and indulgence, or nutritionally-rich and fresh dishes are better.</p>
<p>Although worlds apart, it appears that both of these trends are borne out of the same disdain for fast and processed foods that has become more pervasive in recent years. </p>
<h2>The failure of fast food</h2>
<p>McDonald’s in the United States had seen a downturn in profits as the fast-casual dining trend becomes ascendant.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2014/06/23/how-the-fast-casual-segment-is-gaining-market-share-in-the-restaurant-industry/#1750439d1d48">Fast-casual</a> dining refers to a style of eatery that is positioned between fast food and casual dining where customers receive a better product than a fast food offering, but with fast food’s pared-back service style and lower price point. </p>
<p>In the United States, restaurants in this category include Chipotle and Shake Shack. Australian equivalents include burger chain <a href="http://www.grilld.com.au/">Grill’d</a> and <a href="https://www.guzmanygomez.com/">Guzman y Gomez</a> taquería outlets.</p>
<p>In Australia, the Golden Arches appears to have better responded to the increased desire for gourmet offerings with its M Selections menu, and more recently its <a href="http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2014/10/taste-test-we-try-mcdonalds-deluxe-build-your-own-burger/">Create Your Taste</a> custom burgers. </p>
<p>It was <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/brisbane-finedining-restaurants-close-as-glut-of-trendy-midrange-shyvenues-flood-brisbane/news-story/76ea0ba5c33718f74c8cc0d36512ae7c">reported</a> in Brisbane last year that a growing penchant for “trendy, mid-range venues” and a “glut” of these in the city was contributing to the closure of fine-dining restaurants.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/124082/original/image-20160526-16688-z6sriv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/124082/original/image-20160526-16688-z6sriv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/124082/original/image-20160526-16688-z6sriv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/124082/original/image-20160526-16688-z6sriv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/124082/original/image-20160526-16688-z6sriv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/124082/original/image-20160526-16688-z6sriv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/124082/original/image-20160526-16688-z6sriv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/124082/original/image-20160526-16688-z6sriv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Robert Gourley</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Cultural omnivores</h2>
<p>While in the most literal terms, to be an omnivore means to consume both plants animal products, cultural omnivorousness means that a person of a higher socio-economic status or class appreciates highbrow (elite) culture, as well as trends, genres and artefacts that are considered lowbrow (exotic or otherwise marginal), or middlebrow (mainstream).</p>
<p>Academics Richard Peterson and Roger Kern reported on this phenomenon in relation to <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/2096460?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">music tastes in the mid-1990s</a>, while Bryan Turner and June Edmunds published evidence of omnivorousness among Australia’s post-war elite across <a href="http://joc.sagepub.com/content/2/2/219.abstract">literature, music, movies, and cultural activities in the early 2000s</a>.</p>
<p>More recently, Josée Johnston and Shyon Baumann have explored the emergence of omnivorousness values among foodies in the United States. In the culinary world, foodies are considered (sometimes with disdain) as a culturally elite group.</p>
<p>In their book <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2706501-foodies">Foodies: Democracy and Distinction in the Gourmet Foodscape</a> (2009), Johnston and Baumann explain and analyse how and why foodies are increasingly drawn to what could be considered lowbrow food culture, like hole-in-the-wall ethnic eateries and farmers’ markets.</p>
<p>The attributes that omnivorous foodies look for in lowbrow cuisine are “quality, rarity, locality, organic, hand-made, creativity, and simplicity.”</p>
<p>Therefore, a freakshake and a green smoothie can both be valued in the eyes of foodies as they are hand-made, creative (in the case of the freakshake), and organic as well as simple (the green smoothie). </p>
<p>Why omnivorousness tastes have become pervasive is in-part a matter of food and class politics. The culinary elite are keen to shrug-off the “food snob” tag, showing that they appreciate inexpensive foods that are in some cases ethnic, but authentically so. </p>
<p>This can be seen in the case of <a href="http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/eat-out/restaurant-review-tim-ho-wan-worlds-cheapest-michelinstarred-restaurant-lands-in-chatswood-20150402-1mbvln.html">Tim Ho Wan</a>, dubbed the “world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant.” It is also embodied in sites like Brisbane’s <a href="http://www.eatstreetmarkets.com/">Eat Street Markets</a>.</p>
<p>Locating and dining in local, ethnic eateries becomes a source of distinction for foodies, as these can be difficult to seek out. This fulfils the rarity and locality sought by culinary omnivores.</p>
<p>In terms of dude food, items like milkshakes, burgers, hotdogs and pizzas have been appropriated by foodies showing an appreciation of mainstream fare, albeit with a gourmet twist.</p>
<p>Foodies however still look poorly upon middlebrow food culture such as supermarkets and traditional McDonald’s-style fast food. This omnivorousness exposes inequalities in the food landscape – and it goes some way in explaining how dude food and superfoods can both enjoy immense popularity at the same time.</p>
<p><br></p>
<hr>
<p><em>This is the fourth article in our ongoing series on food and culture Tastes of a Nation. You can read previous instalments <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/tastes-of-a-nation">here</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Do you have a story idea for this series? If so, please contact <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/team">Madeleine De Gabriele</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/53978/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Kirkwood does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Two very popular – and seemingly contradictory – food trends are gripping Australia at the same time. Ultra healthy and extravagantly indulgent eateries are actually fulfilling the same elite-driven desire for food that’s creative, hand-made and rare.Katherine Kirkwood, PhD Candidate, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/530872016-01-13T10:14:08Z2016-01-13T10:14:08ZIs black pudding really a superfood? Err… no!<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/107947/original/image-20160112-6968-1huyhj2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The fry who came in from the cold</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/s/black+pudding/search.html?page=2&thumb_size=mosaic&inline=26339846">Hot Property</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Long a firm favourite in the cooked breakfast, black pudding <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jan/06/black-pudding-praised-as-a-superfood-alongside-seaweed-and-kohlrabi">has now</a> apparently joined the likes of blueberries, quinoa and kale as a superfood. The mainstream media have picked up on a claim by online retailer Musclefood that black pudding, high in iron and protein and low in carbohydrates, is a healthy option – especially compared to its processed plate-mates <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21682779">bacon and sausages</a>. But does black pudding really deserve the superfood accolade?</p>
<p>Blood puddings are eaten in various forms in many countries – morcilla in Spain or boudin noir in France, for example. One of the best known is the Stornoway black pudding from the Isle of Lewis, off the west coast of Scotland, where it originated as a means of avoiding food waste: crofters kept only small numbers of animals, so it was essential that when one was slaughtered, every part was used. Before the days of refrigeration, the blood was immediately mixed with fat, oatmeal and seasonings, and packed into a length of the animal’s intestine. This was then boiled and could be stored for a few weeks. </p>
<p>In more recent times, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/apr/19/offal-recipes-whittingstall">has extolled</a> the virtues of eating offal. He thinks meat eaters “ought to eat all parts of an animal, not just the pretty bits”. But the key feature that led to black pudding being named as a superfood is the blood, which makes it a rich source of iron. A portion of two slices weighs around 60g-120g. From 100g you get around 12mg of iron, whereas the needs of most adult men <a href="https://www.nutrition.org.uk/attachments/article/234/Nutrition%20Requirements_Revised%20Nov%202015.pdf">would be met by</a> 9mg a day. </p>
<p>Several population groups in the UK <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/310997/NDNS_Y1_to_4_UK_report_Executive_summary.pdf">take in</a> too little iron, but it is women of childbearing age, who <a href="https://www.nutrition.org.uk/attachments/article/234/Nutrition%20Requirements_Revised%20Nov%202015.pdf">need more</a> than anyone else, who are particularly prone to deficiency. </p>
<p>Dietary iron comes in the form of “haem” from the blood and muscle in animal meats, which is well absorbed; and “non-haem”, mainly from plant foods, which is not so well absorbed. This helps to make black pudding a rich and easily absorbed source of iron for those in need of a boost, even if some of the “haem” iron is likely to be converted to “non-haem” in the cooking process. </p>
<h2>Hold the second helping</h2>
<p>Black pudding is also proposed to be a <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2014/oct/07/black-pudding-must-eat-british-food">good source</a> of other minerals, such as magnesium, zinc and calcium, as well as providing protein. Having said that, obtaining enough protein and minerals is not an issue for most healthy people in developed countries. Most of us actually consume at least one-and-a-half to twice as much protein as we require.</p>
<p>Then we come to the potential downsides, the first of which is the fat content. A low-fat food is <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/Fat.aspx">usually considered</a> to contain less than 3g of fat per 100g, while a high-fat food contains more than 17.5g. The black puddings made by different manufacturers span this range, with some containing less than 3g/100g and others up to 22g. Up to half of this fat is saturated, which has long been linked to heart disease – albeit <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/08/31/saturated-fats-heart-disease.aspx">some studies</a> have raised doubts. It also means that the calorie content varies almost threefold, from 120kcal per 100g to more than 300kcal. </p>
<p>Another ingredient of note is salt, which has been <a href="http://www.actiononsalt.org.uk/less/Health/">linked with</a> high blood pressure and heart disease. The UK’s <a href="http://www.actiononsalt.org.uk/salthealth/Recommendations%20on%20salt/">public-health target</a> is a maximum of 6g/day (a teaspoon), but it <a href="http://www.mrc-hnr.cam.ac.uk/research/nutrition-surveys-and-studies/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey/">has been reported</a> that intakes average around 8g, largely as a result of eating so many processed foods, which are high in salt. A high-salt food is classified as having more than 1.5g salt (or 0.6g sodium) per 100g – and black pudding has between 1.5g and 2.4g of salt per 100g. </p>
<p>Interestingly, there is <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26595176">work underway</a> in Ireland to reduce the salt and fat content of black pudding. Initial testing suggested it was possible to produce a reduced-fat version containing only 0.6g salt (per 100g pudding) that still tasted acceptable. </p>
<p>But be that as it may, black pudding is also a <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2661797/">processed meat</a>. Like sausages and bacon, this means it is <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2661797/">linked to</a> bowel cancer. The exact cause is still being debated, but either the preservatives or the processes involved in smoking, curing or salting are thought to produce carcinogens. As such, the World Cancer Research Fund <a href="http://www.wcrf-uk.org/uk/preventing-cancer/ways-reduce-cancer-risk">has suggested</a> we should avoid these foods altogether. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/107952/original/image-20160112-6996-i9szni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/107952/original/image-20160112-6996-i9szni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/107952/original/image-20160112-6996-i9szni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/107952/original/image-20160112-6996-i9szni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/107952/original/image-20160112-6996-i9szni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/107952/original/image-20160112-6996-i9szni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/107952/original/image-20160112-6996-i9szni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/107952/original/image-20160112-6996-i9szni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=519&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?lang=en&language=en&ref_site=photo&search_source=search_form&version=llv1&anyorall=all&safesearch=1&use_local_boost=1&autocomplete_id=&search_tracking_id=SqWBqDYR6CMIpoW__qqu_w&searchterm=cooked%20breakfast&show_color_wheel=1&orient=&commercial_ok=&media_type=images&search_cat=&searchtermx=&photographer_name=&people_gender=&people_age=&people_ethnicity=&people_number=&color=&page=1&inline=294359480">GrahamMoore999</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In truth, black pudding is perhaps less “processed” than some other meat products. Yet it has another negative, which is unfortunately linked to its claim to superfood status: haem iron is thought to promote cancer by damaging the lining of the bowel, <a href="http://www.wcrf-uk.org/uk/preventing-cancer/ways-reduce-cancer-risk">particularly</a> in those with poor-quality diets who consume high quantities of meat. </p>
<p>If after weighing up the risks you decide to enjoy black pudding in moderation, there are still ways to limit the damage. Instead of serving it as an accompaniment to sausage and bacon, it could be grilled and added to a warm tomato salad or a barley risotto accompanied with seasonal greens. Alternatively you could avoid the haem and source a vegetarian black pudding – just don’t expect it to do as much to boost your iron stores.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/53087/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennie Jackson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Hold the cape and leggings. The dear old blood pudding has its merits, but it’s far from perfect.Jennie Jackson, Lecturer in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Glasgow Caledonian UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/219452014-01-14T04:16:45Z2014-01-14T04:16:45Z‘Superfoods’ - another battleground between marketing and common sense<p>Over the previous weekend the morning magazine shows I have on during lazy mornings had 2 glamorous nutritionist types breathlessly discussing the latest ‘superfoods’ that would be big in 2014. </p>
<p>It’s difficult to think of a job description which triggers queasiness in me faster than ‘nutritionist’. The title is not a protected term, meaning it can be used without any specific qualifications. Sadly, many who use the job title are poorly trained and seem to feel no particular responsibility to make statements that correspond even roughly with reality. For every <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rosemary-stanton-3105/profile_bio">Dr Rosemary Stanton</a> there are dozens of less scientifically literate and community minded colleagues.</p>
<p>The misleading and fatuous nature of the information provided by some nutritionists in the mass media has been highlighted in scientific circles for a long time, <a href="http://www.badscience.net/2007/02/the-truth-about-nutritionists-2/">most famously and effectively</a> by Dr Ben Goldacre in the UK. He went as far as obtaining certification from the American Association of Nutritional Consultants (AANC) <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/science/2004/sep/30/badscience.research">for his dead cat Henrietta</a>, giving ‘poor Hettie’ posthumous professional recognition as a colleague of many UK media nutritionists.</p>
<p>The most serious profession which follows the science of food and nutrition is <a href="http://daa.asn.au/">dietetics</a>. Dietitians are part of science-based healthcare and have a <a href="http://daa.asn.au/universities-recognition/dietetics-in-australia/">comprehensive professional structure</a> which ensures their opinions are likely to be reputable. The title Accredited Practising Dietition (APD) is a legally protected one, and a fair guarantee of scientifically reasonable advice.This is most likely why dietitians are the only nutrition professionals recognised by Medicare and other funding bodies. It’s probably also why you don’t see many of them making sales pitches on commercial TV for their latest eating plan or superfood.</p>
<p>In any case, both of the youthful and bubbly nutritionists were asked to present their opinions for the viewers regarding ‘superfoods’. Rather than looking sheepish and admitting that there is <a href="http://www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-tests/food-and-health/food-and-drink/nutrition/raw-superfoods.aspx">really very little</a> to the idea of superfoods, they launched into a stream of inane pseudoscientific factoids in rapturous praise of exotica like quinoa, goji berries and green tea. My eye-rolling became audible when one of the talking heads blithely answered a direct question about the lack of scientific credibility for superfoods invoking ‘ancient wisdom’ and the whole <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/apr/24/paleofantasy-evolution-sex-diet-review">paleofantasy</a> meme.</p>
<p>Miracle foods and dietary crazes have been around for hundreds of years, but our susceptibility as a species to their blowsy charms seems undiminished. We always want a short cut when deep down we know there is hard work to be done. We always want to feel like we know more than the next guy or to be in on a secret. </p>
<p>Quinoa is a good example. It is almost unique among grain and seed crops for having the full complement of essential amino acids. It makes a lot of sense to use it as a staple cereal in subsistence farming. In fact the Peruvian government has a quinoa program as a public health measure to avoid malnourishment in poor communities. It also makes sense for astronauts to eat it, as it is light to carry and full of nutrients. The average consumer in a developed country has no particular need to eat quinoa as it is virtually impossible to become protein-deficient with even an unhealthy diet. It’s good for those who are gluten-intolerant to have a palatable choice to add to their diet, but it certainly doesn’t make ethical sense for healthy consumers in affluent countries to poach the staple crops from those who actually need them in dewy-eyed pursuit of a utopian state of health. </p>
<p>The food fads of the developed world are not without consequences for the environment, either. Quinoa is sourced mainly from Peru, where soaring export prices have created <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/quinoa-boom-offers-hard-lesson-in-food-economics-1.1358699">difficulty for locals</a> who now are having problems affording their staple food, and are using their newfound income to become more like their Coke and fries-loving North American neighbours. Huge swathes of farmland in China are being turned over to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goji">production of Goji berries</a> though they are not of any particular medical value. Hype over the as-yet-unsupported claims of ginseng to improve memory and ‘energy levels’ has landed both Asian and American ginseng on the <a href="http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/ginseng/">WWF priority list</a> of endangered species. Producers of chia, an unexciting Latin American crop that happens to have high levels of antioxidants have <a href="http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Suppliers2/Latin-American-suppliers-plan-Chia-Council-to-develop-business">struggled to cope</a> with the rapid increase in demand for their crop, and are planning to expand production at the expense of other crops.</p>
<p>When chia seeds, goji berries and quinoa are no longer the superfoods du jour, these companies will presumably wind down and the farmers will be left to contemplate the wisdom of basing their long term economic hopes on the vagaries of dietary crazes in rich, distant countries. The hucksters who promote superfoods will have made their money and moved on to some other weight loss or health-promoting scheme. </p>
<p>To be fair, conservationists may be able to take advantage of uninformed wingnuttery to help <a href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/conservation/news-will-acai-berry-diet-craze-harm-or-help-environment-amazon-rainforest">save some of the Amazon rainforest</a>, so it may not be all bad. Stable, sustainable production of quinoa may help with food security in the developing world but this is a long way from happening, and is not thanks to promotion in the developed world by health food enthusiasts.</p>
<p>I’m not suggesting that variety and healthy choices are not important. I’m also not suggesting that we as a community should continue with the eating patterns that have us contending for the title of <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/national/australia-wins-world-heavyweight-title-20080619-2tfo.html">World’s Most Obese Country.</a>. I am suggesting that valuable media airtime should be spent educating people how to prepare and plan a varied, balanced diet. Claims for biological effects of individual foods should be based on credible sources not promoted beyond the evidence. Conflicts of interest should be disclosed if the food is being promoted in the media. The core messages about healthy eating should not be lost in the dense fog of hemi-facts emitted by the engines of the health food industry.</p>
<p>I’m all for selling cookbooks to make it easy and fun to prepare healthy meals, but can we drop the pretence that there are short cuts to be taken with miracle foods? </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/21945/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Over the previous weekend the morning magazine shows I have on during lazy mornings had 2 glamorous nutritionist types breathlessly discussing the latest ‘superfoods’ that would be big in 2014. It’s difficult…Michael Vagg, Clinical Senior Lecturer at Deakin University School of Medicine & Pain Specialist, Barwon HealthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/140292013-06-16T20:28:53Z2013-06-16T20:28:53ZSuperfoods: not so super after all?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/25491/original/kx4ynqt3-1371106042.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The term superfood is often evoked for exotic and ancient fruits, such as these acai berries.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Seema Krishnakumar</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Superfoods is a buzzword now part of mainstream food and health language, often touted as miracle foods that cure all ills, stave off ageing and disease, or aid weight loss. </p>
<p>In practice, superfoods are more readily evoked when it comes to exotic and ancient fruits. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goji">Goji berry</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C3%A7a%C3%AD_palm">acai berry</a>, for example, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegranate">pomegranate</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_mangosteen">mangosteen</a> are all famously regarded as being super. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_(food)">Liver</a> is actually more dense in nutrients than any of these foods, but have you ever heard it called a superfood? </p>
<p>As you may have guessed by now, superfood is not a scientifically or technically defined term. It’s not a word that medical professionals or researchers really use. Indeed, it has little meaning in the medical research community. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, enter superfood in any internet search engine and it will return millions of hits – mostly from news, magazines, blogs and sales sites. Repeat the search in the US National Library of Medicines online database of biomedical research publications, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/">PubMed</a>, and you get a grand total of three hits along with the helpful suggestion that you may have, in fact, intended to search for “superfund”.</p>
<p>But that doesn’t mean there’s no scientific research into superfoods. Researchers just don’t call them “super”. And there’s a good reason for this: the giant leap from testing foods in the lab to their amazing marketed powers is simply too far to be scientifically or ethically sound. </p>
<p>Just because a component of a superfood may kill cancer cells in a dish in the lab doesn’t mean that eating lots of a food containing this component will prevent you from getting cancer.</p>
<p>What’s more, the assumptions behind superfood science can be problematic. Much of the available evidence comes from <a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1308639/cell-culture">cell culture</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_model">animal models</a>. While these models are good tools for scientists, they don’t automatically apply to humans. </p>
<p>Humans have considerable environmental and genetic variances that make us much more complicated. </p>
<p>Even when these studies are done in humans, they’re often tested in very high concentrations over short durations that are not reflective of regular balanced diets. There simply aren’t enough long-term, realistic studies to support the claim that superfoods can stave off illness or old age. </p>
<p>It’s easy to see why the concept is popular; being able to consume superfoods that protect you from all kinds of harm are a seductive notion. But the idea may be doing more harm than good. At best, it’s a misleading marketing tool, at worst, it may encourage bad habits. </p>
<p>Superfoods can give people a false sense of security, letting them believe that they can somehow balance out other unhealthy habits. </p>
<p>The prohibitive cost of superfoods is also an issue. The average price of “super” berries such as goji and acai is tens of times higher than humble raspberries, blackberries or apples. But they certainly don’t have ten times the nutritional value. </p>
<p>A common feature of superfoods is that they contain large amounts of <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/antioxidants.html">antioxidants</a>. </p>
<p>Antioxidants protect cells in the body from <a href="http://www.freeradical.org.au/education.php?page=6">free radicals</a>, which are reactive molecules originating from sources such as cigarette smoke, processed foods and normal metabolism. Too many free radicals damage cells, leading to age-related diseases, such as cancers. </p>
<p>Most of the research on the health benefits of dietary antioxidants comes from cell and animal models. This research is, again, not necessarily transferable into the regular dietary context. </p>
<p>The studies that have been done in humans generally show short-term elevations of antioxidants after consuming particular foods in very high concentrations, as you would expect. Avoiding sources of free radicals to start with is probably more beneficial than trying to balance them out with antioxidants. </p>
<p>Nutrients are clearly important for good health but seeking out large doses from any one source is not likely to be beneficial. Simply having more of a particular vitamin or mineral is not necessarily better. </p>
<p>Indeed, too much can sometimes be just as harmful as not enough. Also, the body cannot store certain nutrients so there’s no benefit in consuming large amounts of them; they will only be expelled as waste. </p>
<p>A fixation on superfoods can distract people from the benefits of healthy everyday foods. What most western diets are lacking is not any one super source of nutrients, but variety. Everyday fruits, vegetables and whole foods each have their own unique nutrient profile and contain individual factors that can be said to promote health and wellbeing. </p>
<p>No single food item, or even the top ten superfoods combined, have enough superpowers to replace a balanced, varied and healthy diet. Couple this with avoiding excessive consumption of processed and refined foods and alcohol, and you will have done everything you can, nutritionally speaking, to help you stay healthy and well into old age.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/14029/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Beckett receives funding from CSIRO (CSIRO OCE PhD Scholar)</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Zoe Yates does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Superfoods is a buzzword now part of mainstream food and health language, often touted as miracle foods that cure all ills, stave off ageing and disease, or aid weight loss. In practice, superfoods are…Emma Beckett, Senior Lecturer (Food Science and Human Nutrition), School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of NewcastleZoe Yates, Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.