Blueberries: Superfood or Superhype?
Q. I hear so much about blueberries and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. People like Dr. Oz on the Oprah show say they are superfoods. But when I look them up on ND, it seems that there are many other fruits that are just as nutritious, or even more nutritious. Is all of this about blueberries just buzz or am I missing something?
A. While its true that some fruits have more going for them nutritionally than others, I often wonder myself how blueberries got promoted to "superfood" status. Are they good for you? Sure! Are they so much better for you than other foods, or even other berries? I'm not so sure.
Here are the kernels of truth out of which the blueberry legend seems to have grown:
1. When measured for total antioxidant capacity (the ability to neutralize free radicals), blueberries score very high.
2. Blueberry extracts have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties in various animal and test-tube studies.
But these two things hardly make blueberries unique. Foods like artichoke hearts, chocolate, kidney beans, and cranberries have similar antioxidant capacity. Extracts of other berries and plants have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. So to annoint blueberries as a superfood is, in my mind, a little ridiculous.
While we're drawing comparisons, shouldn't we also take into consideration that blueberries are higher in calories and sugar and lower in fiber and vitamin C than most other berries? And the differences aren't minor:
- Strawberries have 6 times as much vitamin C, half the sugar, and 40% fewer calories
- Raspberries have 1/3 the sugar, twice the fiber and vitamin C, and 25% fewer calories
I could go on, but I won't.
Personally, I think the whole idea of superfoods is silly. Clearly, some foods are more nutritious than others. But even in the realm of reasonably nutritious foods, different foods offer different nutritional benefits (and hazards). For my money, a balanced variety of nutritious foods is the way to go.
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Posted by: Jenny | Jul 23, 2009 2:26:26 PM
On the Super Foods Plan (http://www.superfoodsplan.com) Blueberries are placed at 58 on the super foods list while Pears are at 42 and Cranberries at 41.
Dried Acai are placed at number 6.
I really like this plan. It's easy to remember, easy to integrate into your daily routine and makes a lot of sense they way they put it into the context of the environment around us.
The bit that helped me the most was the explanation behind why people are driven to overeat in the first place. Until I read the plan, I just assumed it was down to me and my food choices. But actually only a small part of it is down to person food choices. The explanation really helped to change my outlook on life and now I'm not that stressed about my weight and guess what, I started to lose weight!
:-) J.xx
Posted by: Dave | Sep 15, 2008 1:53:20 AM
Hi Monica,
I just found your book and LOVE IT! It's a great help that helps make the Atkins' Diet more anti-inflammatory with a few simple changes.
I've been using Acai (palmberry) powder and pulp since Dr. Perricone recommmended it in his books. He considers it the #1 superfood. You only have one IF Rating on a juice made with it. Can you derive the IF from the nutrition label? For berries, it is supposed to be highest in ORAC value, good fatty acid profile and low glycemic. A nutrition label can be found here: (click on pic to enlarge) http://www.sambazon.com/nutrition/powerScoop.jpg
It's being added to many "health" products. I add it to applesauce, yogurt, whip it into heavy cream and would like to make Atkins cheesecake with it to offset the neg IF rating of eggs, cream cheeese and heavy cream if baking doesn't negate the benefits. Thanks!
Posted by: Monica Reinagel | Aug 20, 2008 1:23:10 PM
Bruce, you might find this post interesting:
Is a varied diet over-rated? http://blog.nutritiondata.com/ndblog/2008/04/is-a-varied-die.html
Posted by: Bruce | Aug 20, 2008 12:51:02 PM
I totally agree that it is the combined synergy of all nutrients(including phytochemicals) from a wide assortment of foods(main emphasis being from plant sources) that contributes to the best possible health-promoting diet. Just look at the Okinawan elders, who consume up to 20 modest servings per day of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, have a high daily flavonoid intake, and eat reasonable amounts of omega-3-rich fish several times per week. They are, by all major disease markers, the healthiest, most long-lived people on earth and one of the four populations singled out in Dan Buettner's book "The Blue Zones"(bluezones.com is a website worth exploring). My self-created "Mexiterrasian Food Pyramid" embraces the best of this culture as well as that of the Mediterranean and all of Latin America. So, variety is not only the spice of life, but also may well be the sustenance of life.
Posted by: nina | Aug 11, 2008 2:02:37 PM
Jonny Bowden in his 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth says that blueberries have gotten the highest ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity)of any food in the world.
Posted by: Mark Dial | Aug 11, 2008 12:09:19 PM
I am a big fan of blueberries due to fact they freeze so well. I find the comments on superfoods interesting.
What needs to happen are a few growing tests.
1). The use of a select ultra sound on the plants roots. About one hour a day has been known to make lemons grow to the size almost of a softball. Likely due to past animal extiction due we have this problem.
2). The sound of a select chirping sounds for about an hour open the pours in the leaves. Then spray with an seaweed solution. The best adaption of this process is called sonic bloom. The problem is at one time before Noah's flood a mist came up from the earth. This is a mimic of a lost natural process.
The results of this is an uptake of minerals etc. in the plant and an improvement of taste. I would love to see the results of this on plants that have fruits like the insiped strawberry tree. The chriping sound likely mimics past extinct birds.
One more problem is the decline of Orgone in the earth. Seeds teated show a growth improvement.
Only with the use of these processes can you see what is a supperfood as with such a decline in our enviroment.
Posted by: tom lansdale MD | Aug 11, 2008 11:16:13 AM
M:
kudos on your "superfood" comments. nutrition soundbites are just as misleading as their political cousins!
did you get a chance to look into the gout-nutrition question i had before?
tom L.
Posted by: CookingCounts | Aug 2, 2008 7:53:29 AM
Family Nutritionist raises a good point; I've been wondering about the same thing: are the tiny "wild" blueberries MUCH higher in antioxidants, as their package labels often claim? Also, my family prefers COOKED blueberries to fresh ones. Does cooking destroy much of the nutritional value of the berries? (I microwave them with a little water and lemon juice to make a berry "compote" that we eat like a soft pudding...and of course we spoon it on top of pancakes.
Posted by: Family Nutritionist | Jul 31, 2008 10:54:26 AM
In light of recent research showing that a lot of artery damage happens during incidents of postprandial dysmetabolism right after inflammatory meals (caused by high sugar or fat in the blood), what do you think about the idea of striving to make individual meals inflammation-free? What would we eat for breakfast?
Posted by: Family Nutritionist | Jul 31, 2008 10:39:46 AM
I thought the big deal with blueberries was the antioxidant content.
Isn't there a difference between the super-big highbush blueberries and the tiny "wild" or "Maine" lowbush blueberries? The little ones have a much higher proportion of skin (with all its antioxidant anthocyanidins) to sugary pulp.
Great reference to Dr. Duke's Farmacy (http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/).
Posted by: CookingCounts | Jul 28, 2008 11:58:59 AM
Thanks, Monica. I had actually already emailed that "feedback" address twice last week (before posting here). I received a response that was probably automated; it said they would work on the problem. But as of today, my Total Consumption report feature is still not working. Thanks for checking; now I at least know that it's not a universal problem.
Posted by: Monica Reinagel | Jul 25, 2008 9:28:06 PM
CookingCounts,
I just checked the total consumption report and was able to generate one.
If you're still having trouble, please send an email to feedback@nutritiondata.com so they can troubleshoot it for you.
Posted by: CookingCounts | Jul 24, 2008 4:26:49 PM
Am I the only one whose "Total Consumption" feature has completely stopped working? All I get is an "Internal Server Error" message. I've used that feature daily for months with no problem....Can anybody help???
Thanks in advance!
Posted by: J. W. Townsend | Jul 24, 2008 2:06:04 AM
I agree with you 100% except to say that though all foods are pretty much equally nutritious, it does not mean that one particular kind of fruit or vegetable will suffice. Dr. Duke's Farmacy, the online phytochemical and ethnobotanical database provides much insight into the chemical profile of thousands of different edible plants(including fruits and vegetables).
One of the least known but most fundamental principles of healthy eating, and it's brought out in the database, is that phytochemicals, the chemicals in plants that help our bodies, form part of a synergy when they are absorbed by the body. Which means they WORK TOGETHER to aid our body in infinite ways. This means that we cannot simply take supplements, because they DO NOT WORK to their full capacity WITHOUT THEIR COMPLEMENTARY CHEMICALS. It also means that the object of healthy eating is NOT the most antioxidant capacity, but the widest possible variety of healthy foods to complete the synergy of phytochemicals.
Secondly, though I do not agree that blueberries are a superfood IN RELATION TO OTHER HEALTHY FOODS (IE. blueberries:33 antiinflammatory chemicals/Grapes: 51 antiinflammatory chemicals) a blanket statement that there are no superfoods is quite risky in that it may discourage people from eating healthy foods, thinking that any type of food will do.
One final note, take a look at Dr. Duke's Database, (It's 100% free, this is not advertising). You will notice some remarkable things in there. Antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties are just the tip of the Iceberg. There are literally hundreds of activities and superactivities just waiting to be uncovered.
p.s. Dr James A Duke is a 30 year veteran with the USDA and has authored 29 books on ethnobotany and botanopharmacology. Also, I am not him.
