tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/superfood-24813/articlesSuperfood – The Conversation2017-10-01T08:04:54Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/844752017-10-01T08:04:54Z2017-10-01T08:04:54ZThe Moringa tree enters the arsenal of treatments against chronic diseases<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/187746/original/file-20170927-24162-12cb6b4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Moringa leaves are about 30% protein and have abundant levels of vitamins and minerals. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/Books for Life</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If plants could be superheroes, the Moringa (<em>Moringa oleifera</em>) tree would be one of them. Although native to the foothills of the Himalayas in India, moringa can thrive in most tropical and subtropical regions. It is drought tolerant, grows rapidly, has leaves that <a href="https://miracletrees.org/moringa-doc/the_potential_of_moringa_oleifera_for_agricultural_and_industrial_uses.pdf">can be used</a> as a biofertiliser, and has seeds that can help purify water. Today, moringa is most commonly found in India and the Philippines but its cultivation is increasing throughout Asia, Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean. </p>
<p>Even more interesting about this tree, is that <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.2023/full">it’s a</a> food, a vegetable, and a medicine. Every part of the tree can be consumed; leaves and young fruits (pods) as food; and the seeds, bark, flowers, and roots as medicine. </p>
<p>The leaves are highly nutritious. Once harvested and dried, they <a href="http://www.treesforlife.org/sites/default/files/documents/English%20moringa_book_view.pdf">contain</a> 30% protein, all essential amino acids, and have abundant levels of vitamins and minerals. </p>
<p>The trees have a natural <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.2023/full">defence mechanism</a> against environmental stress and pests. These are unique chemical compounds, known as phytochemicals, which include antioxidants and defence compounds. When consumed these compounds they also <a href="http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,993419,00.html">protect people</a> against various conditions and diseases. </p>
<p>As a postdoctoral research at Rutgers University working with botanicals to treat obesity and diabetes, we <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031942214001472">demonstrated</a> a simple way to harness the potent anti-inflammatory compounds in moringa leaves. </p>
<p>Moringa’s safety and efficacy have <a href="https://miracletrees.org/moringa-doc/moringa-oleifera-side-effects-safety.pdf">been reviewed</a>, and have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3290775/">shown</a> promise for the management of diabetes and risk of cardiovascular diseases. </p>
<h2>How it works</h2>
<p>Many phytochemicals, especially plant defence compounds used to ward off insects, are stored as inactive compounds. When the leaves are crushed, or chewed by an insect, an enzymatic reaction occurs, releasing the activated compound. While these can act as a deterrent to bug, <a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-319-26479-0_8-1">tasting</a> bitter or spicy, these compounds act as a potent anti-inflammatory agents in our body. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/187743/original/file-20170927-24182-zja28d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/187743/original/file-20170927-24182-zja28d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/187743/original/file-20170927-24182-zja28d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/187743/original/file-20170927-24182-zja28d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/187743/original/file-20170927-24182-zja28d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/187743/original/file-20170927-24182-zja28d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/187743/original/file-20170927-24182-zja28d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Moringa leaves.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Carrie Waterman</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The way it works is that when we’re sick, or have an underlying health condition like cancer, diabetes, or obesity, our bodies overreact and cause chronic inflammation. This constant inflammation throws the body off balance as it’s always in fight mode. While acute inflammation can help the body heal, like when you cut your finger, chronic inflammation can be detrimental to health because the immune system is over working. Inflammation can also cause improper processing of sugars and toxins that we are exposed to. The phytochemicals from moringa can help <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031942214001472">reduce this inflammation</a>.</p>
<p>The bioactive compounds in moringa are called isothiocyanates (ITCs) and are similar to ones found in broccoli, cabbage and rocket – giving them a little peppery taste. We were able <a href="https://www.google.com/patents/US20150209395">to patent</a> a simple process of crushing the leaves when fresh, to release the active ITCs, and then dry them to a powder containing some of the most beneficial plant compounds for human health.</p>
<p>We <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.201400679/full">showed</a> their ability to reduce chronic inflammation, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, obesity and <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0184709">inflammatory bowel disorders</a> in both cellular and animal models. </p>
<h2>Increasing awareness</h2>
<p>Although moringa has been consumed in South East Asia for centuries, its introduction to the rest of the world has been slow. Scientific research on the plant’s benefits has also been limited, although an increase in academic publications has <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3290775/">grown significantly</a> since 2000. With rising pressures of population growth and climate change causing increased food and nutritional security, particularly in Africa, moringa offers a tool to address these issues.</p>
<p>People’s awareness and concern for their health have allowed beneficial plants to gain more exposure. Over the past five years, awareness of moringa leaves as a healthy green vegetable has begun to emerge. Not just as packaged and jarred leaf powders in Nairobi supermarkets and farmers markets, but also in US and European “superfood markets.” </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/187744/original/file-20170927-24193-1c09pyn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/187744/original/file-20170927-24193-1c09pyn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/187744/original/file-20170927-24193-1c09pyn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/187744/original/file-20170927-24193-1c09pyn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/187744/original/file-20170927-24193-1c09pyn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1006&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/187744/original/file-20170927-24193-1c09pyn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1006&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/187744/original/file-20170927-24193-1c09pyn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1006&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Crushing moringa leaves.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Carrie Waterman</span></span>
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<p>Fresh moringa leaves are tasty in salads, soups, on eggs, and anything savoury. But the fresh leaves are fairly perishable and are ideally consumed within a day of harvesting. The immature pods can also be eaten like green beans, and are often found in soups. The dried leaf powder offers an alternative to those who can’t grow moringa in their backyard or have access to a farm. The dried powder can be added to porridge, smoothies, tea, soups, and as a herb to any meal after it has been cooked. For those who don’t like the spicy, “healthy” taste, moringa powder is also available in capsules and tea blends.</p>
<p>In the past year, I’ve purchased over 15 commercial moringa leaf powder products in Kenya, including <a href="https://www.me.or.ke/">ME Moringa for Life</a> which is already exporting to Europe with organic certification. Other companies entering the export market include <a href="https://www.botanictreasures.co.ke/">Botanic Treasures</a> and <a href="http://www.kilinatural.com/">Kili Natural</a>. </p>
<p>New moringa products and companies are certainly on the rise, but caution for high quality products is warranted. Most herbal products in the US and Kenya are not strictly regulated, leaving room for additions, alterations, and contamination as potential problems. Additionally the soil, farming techniques, and processing of the leaves can affect its quality and nutrient content. Finding a high-quality moringa powder may require a little research and contacting the company. Or you could buy some seeds and grow some of your own superheroes at home.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84475/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carrie Waterman is a scientific consultant for Kuli Kuli and partners with Botanic Treasure and Kili Naturals on scientific research related to moringa. She receives research funding from the US National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center. She also is co-inventor on a moringa processing patent that has been licensed to Estee Lauder.</span></em></p>Every part of the Moringa tree can be consumed: leaves and its pods) can be eaten and the seeds, bark, flowers and roots can be used as medicine.Carrie Waterman, Assistant Researcher at UC Davis and World Agroforestry Centre, University of California, DavisLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/693212017-01-04T03:36:49Z2017-01-04T03:36:49ZDoes a healthy diet have to come at a hefty price?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/148618/original/image-20161205-19401-gz9lg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Eating healthfully adds up quickly.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Fruits and veg via ww.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine you’re in the aisle of your favorite grocery store, bombarded with hundreds of the latest and greatest products on the market. After grabbing a box of your favorite pasta off the shelf, you notice a new organic version of the spaghetti sauce you usually buy. Strikingly, you notice that the price is <a href="https://mic.com/articles/144522/organic-food-expensive#.goBlOVkpk">at almost a 50 percent premium</a> compared to what your usual sauce costs. </p>
<p>Here we go again, you think: You have to empty your wallet to buy the “healthy” stuff. </p>
<p>If this describes how you think about the relationship between food health and price, you’re not alone. This belief is so pervasive that tips on how to eat <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy/packages/healthy-eating-on-a-budget.html">healthy on a budget</a> are everywhere, implying that most consumers think this is a truly difficult task. Who hasn’t heard Whole Foods’ nickname, “<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-18/whole-foods-seeks-to-shed-whole-paycheck-rap-with-new-format">Whole Paycheck</a>,” or seen incredibly cheap pricing on <a href="http://time.com/money/4208250/fast-food-deals-winners-losers/">unhealthy fast food</a>? </p>
<p>Measuring the relationship between health and price of food is in fact <a href="http://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/eib96/19982_eib96_reportsummary_1_.pdf">difficult</a> as it can be evaluated in a variety of ways, from price per calorie to price per average portion. </p>
<p>So how pervasive is the view that “healthy = expensive” and why do consumers think this way? </p>
<p>In a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucw078">series of studies</a> recently published in the <a href="http://www.ejcr.org/">Journal of Consumer Research</a>, we found that consumers do tend to believe that healthy foods are in fact more expensive. While this may actually hold true in only <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/03/11/10-reasons-organic-food-is-so-expensive/">some product categories</a>, we discovered that many consumers tend to believe this relationship holds across all categories, regardless of the evidence.</p>
<h2>Consumers and lay theories</h2>
<p>Consumers appear to have a lay theory, or an intuition, that healthy foods are more expensive. </p>
<p>Discussions around <a href="http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts">food deserts</a> – low-income geographical areas with <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/12/07/millions-of-food-desert-dwellers-struggle-to-get-fresh-groceries">limited access to affordable nutritious foods</a> – also suggest that healthy foods are indeed more expensive than unhealthy ones.</p>
<p>The marketplace and the media appear to have taught most U.S. consumers to expect foods with special health properties to command a premium price. While this is the case in some instances (for example, the USDA notes a price premium for many <a href="http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/natural-resources-environment/organic-agriculture/organic-market-overview/">organic foods</a>), in other cases a general positive relationship between price and healthiness <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/16/news/la-heb-healthy-cheap-food-usda-20120516">may not exist</a>.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/applied-and-social-sciences-magazines/lay-theories">lay theory</a>, in psychology, is the term for a nonexpert’s belief about how the world works. We can have lay theories about how everything from <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/25674423?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">self-control</a> to <a href="http://nymag.com/news/features/27840/index1.html">intelligence</a> works. And these lay theories influence how we behave. </p>
<p>Consumers also have lay theories about food: for example, believing that <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sapient-nature/201104/the-unhealthy-tasty-intuition-are-you-under-its-subconscious-influence">unhealthy foods are tastier</a>, regardless of whether this is objectively true.</p>
<p>In our research, we document a new lay theory consumers have about food: that healthy foods are more expensive. In other words, unlike other research exploring whether there is a <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/19320248.2015.1095144">true relationship between food health and price</a>, we were interested in understanding how this belief (regardless of whether it is objectively true) influences our food choices. Across five studies, we showed that even in food categories where there is no relation between price and health, the healthy = expensive intuition affects how consumers make decisions about food.</p>
<h2>How a food’s price equates to health</h2>
<p>Diving deeper into understanding what’s going on in the mind of the consumer, we wanted to know: Do higher price points drive consumers to think of something as healthier? Or do cues about healthiness lead consumers to believe that the price is higher? </p>
<p>In our studies, we found that the intuition seems to operate in both directions. That is, in our first study, we showed that when consumers were presented with price information only, perceptions of the healthiness of a breakfast bar varied with the price: higher price = healthier, lower price = less healthy. Similarly, when given a nutrition grade of an “A-,” the sort of summary analyses provided by various websites, including <a href="http://www.caloriecount.com">CalorieCount.com</a>, the breakfast bar was estimated as more expensive than when the same bar was graded as a “C.”</p>
<p>In another study, consumers were asked to choose the healthier of two similar chicken wraps. When the “Roasted Chicken Wrap” was priced at US$8.95 versus a “Chicken Balsamic Wrap” for $6.95, people chose roasted over balsamic. But when the prices were flipped, so were the choices. That is, people were actively choosing the more expensive option because they believed it was healthier.</p>
<p>Another study showed that food products running counter to the healthy = expensive intuition – that is, a product claiming to be healthy but offered at a less expensive than average price for the product category – led consumers to seek out more supporting evidence before they bought into a generic health claim. Specifically, study participants presented with a $0.99 protein bar (after being told that the average price for protein bars is $2 per bar) chose to view, on average, more than three online reviews before rating how likely they would be to buy the product themselves compared with two reviews when the protein bar had a $4 price tag. </p>
<p>It simply took more convincing when the price seems too good to be true for stated health claims.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/148632/original/image-20161205-19362-15yjala.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/148632/original/image-20161205-19362-15yjala.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=332&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/148632/original/image-20161205-19362-15yjala.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=332&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/148632/original/image-20161205-19362-15yjala.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=332&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/148632/original/image-20161205-19362-15yjala.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/148632/original/image-20161205-19362-15yjala.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/148632/original/image-20161205-19362-15yjala.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Would you pay more if this included DHA?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Trail mix via www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>What is healthy?</h2>
<p>The impact of belief in the healthy = expensive intuition, however, goes beyond just general inferences about price and health. </p>
<p>In another study, we found that consumers used this intuition when valuing the importance of an unfamiliar specific ingredient in a food product. We asked participants to assess the importance of the inclusion of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) – which we told them helps reverse <a href="http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/macular-degeneration">macular degeneration</a>, an age-associated eye disease that can lead to vision loss – in a trail mix. When the DHA trail mix was sold at a premium price, participants put a higher value on both <a href="http://www.blindness.org/blog/index.php/can-dha-save-your-vision/">DHA</a> and the underlying health condition. When it was sold at an average price, participants weren’t as persuaded that their diet should include DHA or that preventing macular degeneration was as important.</p>
<p>Interestingly, it was the unfamiliarity of DHA that drove these inferences. When vitamin A was associated with the same health claim, a relative price premium didn’t alter perceptions of how important vitamin A is as an ingredient. This study suggests that people are more likely to rely on their lay theories when assessing health claims that are unfamiliar – a situation they likely face often at the grocery store as food manufacturers frequently introduce new products <a href="http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20599288,00.html">claiming to include the latest health ingredient</a>.</p>
<h2>Ignore your gut</h2>
<p>Together, our studies reveal that consumers have a pervasive tendency to associate healthier food products and higher prices. </p>
<p>If one is operating with an unlimited budget while trying to cook and serve healthy meals, then perhaps this isn’t a problem. However, those trying to manage a food budget and feel good about the healthiness of their family meals may pay too much for their nutrition. This can occur despite ready availability of both pricing and <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/ucm248732.htm">nutritional information</a>.</p>
<p>What is the takeaway for consumers? We all know that price and quality aren’t perfectly correlated, but it doesn’t stop us from <a href="http://journals.ama.org/doi/abs/10.1509/jmr.12.0407">using price to judge quality</a> when we don’t have other information.</p>
<p>So if you’re truly concerned about choosing healthy foods without overpaying, stop and think next time you see a health claim paired with a high price rather than relying on your gut feelings. A simple solution to overcoming the influence of the intuition is to seek out more information before you buy. </p>
<p>Getting more information, which mobile devices let consumers do easily, even while shopping in a store, will enable you to rely on more careful, systematic thinking about the health claim being presented – rather than just your gut’s take that a healthy idea requires emptying your wallet.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/69321/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Consumers tend to think that healthy foods have to cost more than their less nutritional counterparts. New psychological research looks at how pervasive this is.Kelly L. Haws, Associate Professor of Marketing, Vanderbilt UniversityKevin L. Sample, Ph.D. Candidate in Marketing, University of GeorgiaRebecca Walker Reczek, Associate Professor of Marketing, The Ohio State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/624242016-07-21T04:49:28Z2016-07-21T04:49:28ZSmoothies as talismans: the allure of superfoods and the dangers of nutritional primitivism<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131353/original/image-20160721-8628-btizvg.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">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Superfoods are everywhere these days. Once found only in niche health food shops, displays of “exotic” superfoods like açai from the Brazilian Amazon and maca from the Peruvian Andes now appear in supermarket chains, chemists, and convenience stores. </p>
<p>One can hardly open a newspaper or magazine without coming across a list of the <a href="http://www.vogue.com.au/beauty/wellbeing/over+kaler+here+are+the+new+superfoods+of+2015,34855">top</a> superfoods <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/top-10-superfoods-20091007-gmdq.html">you</a> <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/superfoods">should</a> <a href="http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/health/best/6655/12/superfoods-here-are-the-ones-you-should-be-eating.html">be</a> <a href="http://www.doctoroz.com/slideshow/dr-ozs-10-favorite-superfoods">eating</a>, or an article <a href="https://theconversation.com/superfoods-not-so-super-after-all-14029">debunking</a> the entire premise of them.</p>
<p>New superfoods keep coming, too. The latest product, Australian native “bio-food” <a href="http://loreaustralia.com/">Gurạdji</a> (ger-ra-je), is promoted as “anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and beneficial to gut health”, while simultaneously being an “undiscovered” superfood used for “thousands of years”.</p>
<p>But what are superfoods, and why do so many Australians find them to be both seductive and confusing? The word itself is the creation of marketing, but their history and popular appeal are more than superficial.</p>
<p>We can study superfoods in two ways: firstly, as a popular way of thinking and talking about food, health, and values; and secondly, as a particular group of food products produced by real people in a global food economy.</p>
<h2>Seductive and medicinal</h2>
<p>In Australia, consumers are drawn to superfoods because they are positioned between food and medicine. Through focus group interviews with superfoods consumers, I’ve found that this in-between quality is part of what makes superfoods so alluring – “a bit seductive” as one participant put it – and also so confusing, because how much or how often to consume them, and precisely what benefits they offer, are often unclear.</p>
<p>Participants in the study rarely spoke about the taste of superfoods – they focussed more on health benefits. So it’s not surprising that superfoods are most frequently consumed in smoothies, where they are blended together into a meal that’s also a multivitamin and preventative medicine. This smoothie becomes a talismanic object that’s seen as providing protection from many of the health threats of the modern world.</p>
<p>These findings underscore <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purity_and_Danger">classic anthropological observations</a> about the power of ambiguous objects. They help us to understand why certain foods carry more cultural appeal than others.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131354/original/image-20160721-8616-sd7o3a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131354/original/image-20160721-8616-sd7o3a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131354/original/image-20160721-8616-sd7o3a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131354/original/image-20160721-8616-sd7o3a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131354/original/image-20160721-8616-sd7o3a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131354/original/image-20160721-8616-sd7o3a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131354/original/image-20160721-8616-sd7o3a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131354/original/image-20160721-8616-sd7o3a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=523&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">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>But superfood consumers are not as naïve as one might think. Most express scepticism towards superfood health claims and recognise that they are being sold a romantic image. However, they are happy to succumb to a bit of <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/superstitions-can-make-you/">magical thinking</a> and eat superfoods as a sort of extra insurance, because they believe that they might help and probably can’t hurt.</p>
<p>This attitude might not be a big concern for those who choose to buy superfoods. But the focus on individual foods and nutrients might distract from major public health messages of eating a <a href="https://www.deakin.edu.au/news/latest-media-releases/2015-media-releases-archives/from-superfoods-to-super-diets-top-10-foods-for-a-healthy-diet">balanced diet</a>, and downplay the impact of increased demand for “exotic” superfoods on <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2013/01/quinoa_bad_for_bolivian_and_peruvian_farmers_ignore_the_media_hand_wringing.html">producers in the global south</a>.</p>
<h2>The lure of ‘all-natural’</h2>
<p>Many of us are living, arguably, in an era of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17070538-nutritionism">functional nutritionism</a>. In wealthy countries like Australia, we’ve largely solved the public health problems of malnutrition. Most research and dietary advice focusses on eating the “right” nutrients and foods to maximise health and prevent chronic disease.</p>
<p>One outcome of this focus is the rise of “<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/stories/2009/06/17/2601507.htm">functional foods</a>” designed to offer extra nutritional value: vitamin-D fortified orange juice, omega-3 enriched eggs, or cholesterol-lowering margarines, for example.</p>
<p>Many people accept the idea that if we consume large quantities of the right nutrients we can be extra healthy, but reject “functional foods”. They want all those nutrients, but they don’t want to eat highly formulated and often heavily processed foods.</p>
<p>This is where superfoods come into the picture. They embrace the premise of functional nutritionism, and flaunt their high levels of vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients. But they insist these nutrients are better when they come in a more natural form. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131355/original/image-20160721-8631-19rk1gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131355/original/image-20160721-8631-19rk1gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131355/original/image-20160721-8631-19rk1gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131355/original/image-20160721-8631-19rk1gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131355/original/image-20160721-8631-19rk1gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131355/original/image-20160721-8631-19rk1gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131355/original/image-20160721-8631-19rk1gm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131355/original/image-20160721-8631-19rk1gm.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"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">WILLIAM ISMAEL</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Nutritional primitivism</h2>
<p>For many of the more exotic superfoods, like quinoa, chia seed, and açai, associations with “ancient” or “indigenous” traditions are another major selling point.</p>
<p>For example, chia, a seed native to Mesoamerica, is often called the “superfood of the Aztecs”, while the Peruvian root maca is frequently marketed as the “Inca superfood.”</p>
<p>The assumption that a food or diet is healthier because it is more natural, authentic, and ancient is widespread in contemporary food and nutrition culture: Paleolithic and low-carbohydrate diets are two popular examples. </p>
<p>Food culture researcher Dr Christine Knight has called this trend <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15528014.2015.1043107">nutritional primitivism</a>: the tendency to romanticise ancient or indigenous food practices as being inherently healthier because they are supposedly simpler and more in touch with nature.</p>
<h2>Superfoods as global food products</h2>
<p>Representing superfoods as “exotic” and “primitive” can have consequences for producers in the global south. By depicting superfood production in primitive utopias, the real lives – and real <a href="http://aciar.gov.au/aifsc/food-security-and-why-it-matters">food security</a> and <a href="http://viacampesina.org/en/index.php/organisation-mainmenu-44">food sovereignty</a> struggles – of these populations are erased in favour of more romantic images.</p>
<p>For example, the packaging of popular Australian superfood brand <a href="http://www.powersuperfoods.com.au/">Power Super Foods</a> features illustrations of indigenous-looking women happily harvesting products by hand in pristine surroundings.</p>
<p>In reality, most superfoods are grown using modern agriculture, with machinery such as tractors and dehydrators. The people who produce superfoods face the same real problems as farmers anywhere, like climate variation and fluctuating prices. But often their struggles are even harder as they have <a href="https://ccafs.cgiar.org/blog/why-perus-highland-needs-gender-responsive-mitigation-policies#.V4RDXuZ95E5">less political and economic power</a>.</p>
<p>All of this doesn’t mean that superfoods aren’t healthy or good for you. But we should be aware that superfoods are a symptom of nutritional confusion and an often-exploitative global food system, not a cure.</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><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/62424/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessica Loyer received funding for this research from the Australian Federation of University Women South Australia, Doreen McCarthy Bursary, and from an Australian Postgraduate Award.</span></em></p>Chia, acai, quinoa, guradji - our supermarket shelves are awash with superfoods. They may well be healthy but in attributing magical qualities to these products are we glossing over an often-exploitative global food system?Jessica Loyer, PhD Candidate in Humanities, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/596252016-06-06T14:30:24Z2016-06-06T14:30:24ZPotatoes deserve to be a part of the super-food family<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/124569/original/image-20160531-13804-1yumkwq.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">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Potatoes have been the carbohydrate family’s favourite child since the 16th century when they were a staple food on long ship voyages to discover <a href="http://www.potatogoodness.com/all-about-potatoes/potato-fun-facts-history/">new land</a>.</p>
<p>Today in excess of 300 million metric tons of <a href="http://cipotato.org/potato/facts/">potatoes</a> are consumed by more than a billion people across the globe. It is a staple in developing countries along with rice, wheat, maize and sorghum and is among the 40% of root vegetables eaten in sub-Saharan Africa. </p>
<p>Apart from being a staple food, potatoes have found their way to fine dining menus. Their popularity is ascribed to the simple way they are cultivated as well as their <a href="http://advances.nutrition.org/content/4/3/393S.full.pdf+html">affordability and diversity</a>. </p>
<p>But <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/top-10-most-popular-diets-review.aspx">trending low-carb diets</a> in recent years along with the increasingly high potato prices <a href="http://www.potatoes.co.za/industry-information/market-information.aspx">due to droughts</a> have resulted in the spud being <a href="http://www.potatoes.co.za/industry-information/rehgional-information.aspx">shunned at many tables</a>.</p>
<p>Traditionally the South African Food Based Dietary Guidelines recommended that carbohydrates as the main fuel source for the body make up between <a href="http://www.adsa.org.za/Portals/14/Documents/FoodBasedDietaryGuidelinesforSouthAfrica.pdf">45% and 65%</a> of total energy intake. Recent arguments in the nutrition arena are that less is better. As a result carbohydrate-rich foods – including the carb-loaded potato – have seen increasing consumer dissonance. </p>
<p>But despite this, potatoes are a really important part of the diet. And they can be a better carbohydrate than many others. </p>
<p>Our <a href="http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=66053">study</a> quantified the nutritional value of different potatoes to see whether there are significant differences in the nutritional value of different potato types.</p>
<p>We found that potatoes are more nutrient-dense than many other staple foods in South Africa. These include maize meal, rice, bread and pasta. Certain potato varieties compare well to popular and healthy foods such as tomatoes or beans.</p>
<h2>There’s more to the potato</h2>
<p>There are <a href="http://www.potatocertification.co.za/">more than 80 types of potatoes</a> grown in South Africa. Many of these are sold to South Africans but <a href="http://www.potatoes.co.za/media-events/chips.aspx">three out of four</a> consumers are ignorant to the alternating content of their grocery basket. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.potatoes.co.za/SiteResources/documents/Top%20cultivars%20on%20FPMs,%20Jan%202016.JPG">Mondial and Sifra</a> dominate the market. Both have a waxy-floury texture. Mondial potatoes are oval shaped and Sifra potatoes are rounder with a more buttery flesh. <a href="http://www.potatoes.co.za/SiteResources/documents/Top%20cultivars%20on%20FPMs,%20Jan%202016.JPG">Lanorma</a> potatoes are the new kids on the block and have been growing in popularity. </p>
<p>These, along with a type called BP1, are South African favourites. In Europe, the favoured potato is the Maris Peer while Americans prefer the Russet Burbank potato.</p>
<p>As part of our study, we looked at the different potato types in South Africa. We were investigating natural biodiversity and its effect on human diets. <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:XEzgyPKjLQ0J:www.fao.org/3/a-i1983e.pdf+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=firefox-b-ab">Dietary diversity</a> has an array of positive effects on human health. It is proposed that it leads to an increase in nutrient adequacy.</p>
<p>Our study found that there are significant differences in the nutritional value of different potato types. We found that there were <a href="http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=66053">statistical differences</a> in the nutrient content of various potato types which were commonly consumed in South Africa.</p>
<p>These differences explain why some potatoes won’t go soft, while others spontaneously disintegrate into a heap of mash after boiling.</p>
<p>But we also compared the nutrient count of potatoes to other vegetables.</p>
<h2>A new super-food</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125382/original/image-20160606-13067-1we55q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125382/original/image-20160606-13067-1we55q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125382/original/image-20160606-13067-1we55q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125382/original/image-20160606-13067-1we55q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125382/original/image-20160606-13067-1we55q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125382/original/image-20160606-13067-1we55q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125382/original/image-20160606-13067-1we55q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Potatoes compare favourably to many other vegetables, including tomatoes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We found that when it boils down to health, many potatoes trump other so-called super foods.</p>
<p>For example, bananas are a well-known potassium powerhouse. They help regulate blood pressure. South Africa’s most <a href="http://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/agri/plant-pathology/ac4tr4/foc-tr4-in-africa/banana-production-in-africa">popular commercial banana</a> – <a href="http://www.producebusinessuk.com/supply/stories/2016/03/08/banana-market-faces-great-change-as-monoculture-threatens-extinction-of-west-s-most-popular-variety">a Cavendish</a> – contains 432mg potassium. </p>
<p>But a medium <a href="http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=66053">Darius</a> potato, we found, contained 698mg potassium. And the <a href="http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=66053">Fianna</a> potato could provide more than 60% of the daily dietary requirement for manganese which is essential for the formation and upkeep of strong and healthy bones. This is also more manganese than is found in the same portion of lima beans.</p>
<p>Potatoes have at least 4mg more vitamin C than tomatoes, which are famed for their high levels of vitamin C.</p>
<p>There’s more to potatoes than just their vitamin and mineral content. A portion of potatoes provides 24g of carbohydrates, 2,5g protein and nearly no fat. This is similar to a portion of rice containing 21g carbohydrates and 2g protein. But potatoes have an added benefit: they contain 2.6g fibre while rice only contributes 0.7g of fibre. </p>
<p>Potatoes are also a lower caloric option than our main staple food, maize meal. A portion of cooked maize meal porridge would provide 40g carbohydrates and 727kJ – almost double that of potatoes.</p>
<p>Potatoes are a nutrient dense crop that can form part of a diverse diet. The tubers have a rich history and will be a favourite starch for many years to come.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/59625/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carmen van Niekerk receives funding from Potatoes South Africa. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Prof Hettie Schönfeldt consults to Potatoes South Africa as a researcher affiliated with the University of Pretoria.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicolette Hall consults to Potatoes South Africa as a researcher affiliated with the University of Pretoria. </span></em></p>Potatoes are more nutrient-dense than many other staple foods in South Africa including maize meal, rice, bread and pasta.Carmen Muller, Researcher and PhD student in Human Nutrition, University of PretoriaHettie Carina Schönfeldt, Associate Professor of Human Nutrition at the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Wellbeing, University of PretoriaNicolette Hall, Researcher in Human Nutrition, University of PretoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/535132016-02-16T04:20:44Z2016-02-16T04:20:44ZWhy Nairobi must spread the right food message in an unhealthy environment<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111468/original/image-20160215-22596-gphpen.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">Thomas Mukoya/Reuters</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Scientific evidence shows that consuming at least <a href="http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/fruit/en/">five portions</a> of fruit and vegetables a day can prolong your life and reduce your risk of developing non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer.</p>
<p>Yet not enough people across the world are consuming adequate amounts of fruit and vegetables. In low and middle income countries, over <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19362694">75% of adults</a> consume less than the minimum recommendation. In <a href="http://www.who.int/chp/steps/UR_Tanzania_FactSheet_2012.pdf?ua=1">Tanzania</a> more than 95% of people consume less than the minimum requirement. </p>
<p>In the slums of Nairobi, our <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tmi.12200/full">research shows</a> that less than half of the adult population are meeting their daily fruit or vegetable requirements. Instead, as global fast food outlets flood the Kenyan market, they prefer junk food which they see as a status symbol. </p>
<p>This could be why there are high levels of <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tmi.12200/full">hypertension</a> and diabetes in these slums where one in every five people has one of the two conditions. In addition, we found that less than a quarter of those who had diabetes were aware of their condition. And fewer than 5% of all people with diabetes had their blood sugar under control. </p>
<h2>Africa’s fat map</h2>
<p>The increase in non-communicable diseases such as diabetes in low and middle income countries is largely driven by rapid urbanisation and preferences for high-calorie diets with decreasing levels of physical activity.</p>
<p>In sub-Saharan Africa alone diabetes sufferers are projected to double from 12 million to <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20609971">24 million</a> in the next two decades. <a href="http://www.who.int/nmh/publications/ncd_report_full_en.pdf">Evidence</a> from the World Health Organisation shows type 2 diabetes will be the key contributor to this rise. </p>
<p>Several <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dmrr.1106/full">studies</a> from the continent show excessive body weight and obesity as risk factors for diabetes. </p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20003478">review</a> of the Demographic and Health Survey data from seven African countries over 10 years shows that there are rising trends in overweight and obese urban women. Even more worrying is that the increase is seven times higher among the poorest urban women compared with the richest urban women.</p>
<h2>Price is not the problem</h2>
<p>Nairobi’s slums are known for their thriving <a href="https://www.bioversityinternational.org/fileadmin/user_upload/online_library/publications/pdfs/1265_Analysis_of_markets_for_African_leafy_vegetables_within_Nairobi_ant_its_environs_and_implications_for_on-farm_conservation_of_biodiversity.pdf">vegetable markets</a>. So, why are slum residents not consuming adequate amounts of fruit and vegetables? </p>
<p>Initially we thought that the price of the fruit and vegetables was prohibitive for slum residents given that the majority of them live on less than $2 a day.</p>
<p>But the price is not the main deterrent. While imported fruit such as pomegranates may, understandably, be expensive, local produce such as bananas or the trendy superfood kale – a Kenyan staple for generations known as <a href="http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/lifestyle/2013/05/13/the-amazing-benefits-of-sukuma-wiki/">sukuma wiki</a> – are affordable. </p>
<p>When we dug a bit deeper through focus group discussions, we found there was a social desirability issue: slum residents wanted junk food because it reflected a higher socioeconomic status.</p>
<p>Their aspirations are linked to a combination of clever marketing, celebrity culture and the social media frenzy around global fast food outlets opening in Kenya. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111469/original/image-20160215-22600-ejmrra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111469/original/image-20160215-22600-ejmrra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111469/original/image-20160215-22600-ejmrra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111469/original/image-20160215-22600-ejmrra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111469/original/image-20160215-22600-ejmrra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=531&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111469/original/image-20160215-22600-ejmrra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=531&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111469/original/image-20160215-22600-ejmrra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=531&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Several fast food outlets have opened in Nairobi in recent years, encouraging people to eat highly processed food.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Noor Khamis/Reuters</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And who could blame them? In the past few years, several major global <a href="http://venturesafrica.com/mcdonalds-to-join-growing-list-of-global-food-chains-flooding-kenya/">fast food brands</a> have set up shop in Kenya including <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2011-08-27/KFC-goes-to-Kenya-first-US-fast-food-chain-in-E-Africa/50108550/1">KFC</a> chicken and Pizza Hut. And more are said to be eyeing an entrance into East Africa’s largest economy. </p>
<h2>Why it’s hard to change eating habits</h2>
<p>Trying to find ways to promote fruit and vegetable consumption among slum residents isn’t easy. To add to the problem one of Kenya’s major dailies recently published a bombshell <a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Nairobi-residents-eating-poison-scientists-warn/-/1056/3028510/-/7thgf5z/-/index.html">article</a> slamming fruit and vegetables.</p>
<p>According to the article, laboratory tests conducted by scientists on samples of fruit and vegetables from across Nairobi found toxic levels of various substances.</p>
<p>It argued that samples of sukuma wiki had shown high levels of lead, most likely from contaminated riverbeds where the vegetable is typically grown. And samples of bananas and oranges had high levels of calcium carbide, which is used illegally to hasten the ripening of fruit.</p>
<p>The article sparked widespread negative reaction and has exacerbated the challenge of those living in urban slums not eating vegetables.</p>
<p>The World Health Organistion’s <a href="http://www.who.int/nmh/publications/who_bestbuys_to_prevent_ncds.pdf">recommendations</a> for improving fruit and vegetable intake are pitched at a high policy level. For example, one recommendation is that marketing of food and beverages to children should be restricted. </p>
<p>But for health practitioners on the ground suggestions such as these do not necessarily translate into practical steps to change eating habits. </p>
<p>The challenge health practitioners have is what message do we pass to the residents of Nairobi’s slums? Do we ask them to eat more fruit and vegetables given the revelations in the news article? Or do we ask them to stick with junk food until the relevant authorities get their act together and halt illicit practices affecting the fruit and vegetable industry?</p>
<h2>What needs to be done</h2>
<p>Clearly this is a catch-22 situation. The newspaper article highlights the need for developing countries like Kenya to review their food and agricultural policies.</p>
<p>There is an urgent need for policies that protect the lives of people by:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>promoting access to healthy food</p></li>
<li><p>regulating the production, sale and marketing of junk food (and drinks)</p></li>
<li><p>ensuring that the food supply chain is free of toxic chemicals, drugs and other contaminants, and</p>
<ul>
<li>minimising the effects of food production on climate change and vice versa. </li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
<p>The policy environment for these interventions is currently weak. And unless the government takes urgent steps to put these policies in place, there is no way to stop people from lining up at the next fast food outlet.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/53513/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samuel Oti receives funding from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. </span></em></p>Residents in Nairobi’s urban slums are opting for fast food rather than the healthy alternatives, which is increasing their risk of developing diabetes.Samuel Oti, Senior Research Officer, African Population and Health Research Center, and Millennium Promise Fellow, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.