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| Superfoods could be bad for you. | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 7 2014, 10:05 AM (122 Views) | |
| Guest | Apr 7 2014, 10:05 AM Post #1 |
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They are hailed as the key to health, but so-called superfoods may do more harm than good, a nutrition expert has warned. Foods such as Gillian McKeith's favourite goji berries, quinoa and kale can cause a host of problems from thyroid malfunction to arthritis flare-ups, says Petronella Ravisheer. Writing in this month's Vogue, she says: 'My only comment about these foods is that they should be avoided'. She goes on to explain that kale - a favourite among celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow - and increasingly used in 'green smoothies' can 'interfere with thyroid function' when eaten raw. Eating too many grains such as quinoa, regardless of how healthy they are - can cause an overload of potentially gut-irritating compounds. This may be because it may not be as wheat-free as originally thought. Meanwhile goji berries are rich in a chemical compound that increases the risk of a digestive syndrome condition called 'leaky gut'. Research last year found that 61 per cent of people have bought a food or drink because it had been labelled as a superfood. But the British Dietetic Association has warned that many products give us false expectations of the benefits or are not fully substantiated. For example, you would need to drink 13 servings of goji berry juice to get as many antioxidants as one red apple. Ms Ravisheer adds that chia seeds - another celebrity favourite - can also cause gut problems. Although high in protein and omega-3, they swell up to a gelatinous mass in the stomach. While this may help curb the appetite, they are also high in phytates - (antioxidant compounds that have the potential to inhibit the absorption of certain mineral, says Ms Ravisheer. And goji berries? 'Consume with caution, especially if you have arthritis, and instead eat blueberries, raspberries,strawberries and blackberries for antioxidants – and a better taste,' she advises. Ms Ravisheer said: 'Their [superfoods] appeal is easy to understand: we all long for a magic bullet for weight loss, detoxification and general rejuvenation, and we worry about how much nutrition there is in modern farmed food, so we seek out superfoods to fill the potential nutritional gaps.' 'They might be exotic and packed full of promise, but do we need to eat little-known berries from far-flung places or the foods of ancient civilisations to stay well? Superfoods notwithstanding, their lives were short and brutal; the average Aztec lived for 37 years. 'And who’s to say they might not have preferred a comforting carrot and chicken casserole to another bowl of quinoa or chia seeds? They simply ate what they could find, and fished and hunted when they got the chance.' Mr Ravisheer's opinions appear in a piece in this month's Vogue magazine +5 Mr Ravisheer's opinions appear in a piece in this month's Vogue magazine So what should we be eating? Ms Ravisheer goes on to explain that at the end of last year, experts at the Institute for Functional Medicine conference voted for the following foods: avocado, spinach, seaweed, pomegranate, blueberries, broccoli (and all cruciferous vegetables), grass-fed buffalo/beef, wild Alaskan salmon, almonds, coconut oil, olive oil and green tea. However, some experts have an even stronger stance. Last year, a leading scientist said fashionable anti-cancer superfoods and supplements do not prevent the disease and may even cause it. James Watson - who helped discover the structure of DNA - said the cure for many cancers will remain elusive unless scientists rethink the role of antioxidants, which include vitamin pills and food such as blueberries and broccoli. It is widely believed that superfoods boost health and fight cancer by mopping up oxygen molecules called free radicals. But Dr Watson argues these free radicals may be key to preventing and treating cancer – and depleting the body of them may be counter-productive. He said a vast number of studies had found antioxidants including vitamins A, C and E and the mineral selenium, to have ‘no obvious effectiveness’ in preventing stomach cancer or in lengthening life. Instead, they seem to slightly shorten the lives of those who take them, and vitamin E may be particularly dangerous. 'Many are rediscovered foods of the ancients, adding an extra layer of intrigue to their stories – cacao from the Mayans and Aztecs, amaranth and quinoa from the Incas. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2598694/Why-called-superfoods-BAD-Nutritionist-says-kale-send-thyroid-haywire-quinoa-irritates-gut.html |
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| Tybee | Apr 7 2014, 10:42 AM Post #2 |
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You can die if you drink too much water. Too much of anything is bad for you. Petronella is probably just trying to get her silly name in the news. I think Petronella is what I use to spray for mosquitos.
Edited by Tybee, Apr 7 2014, 10:43 AM.
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