Is Superfood a Myth? An Analysis of Marketing and Nutritional Value

This essay critically examines the concept of "superfoods," evaluating whether they are genuinely beneficial for health and well-being or primarily a marketing strategy. The paper analyzes the nutrients found in foods marketed as superfoods, such as chia seeds, acai, salmon, kale, goji berries, coconut oil, and quinoa, and discusses their purported health benefits, including the presence of omega-3 in salmon and the fiber and antioxidants in kale. The essay compares these foods with more common, equally nutritious alternatives and explores the role of marketing in exaggerating their advantages. The essay also highlights the importance of a balanced diet, emphasizing that superfoods alone are insufficient for optimal health. The conclusion suggests that while superfoods can be healthy, their "super" status is often inflated by marketing tactics, and consumers should be aware of the nutritional value of all foods, not just those labeled as "super."

Running head: SUPERFOOD AND SUPERMYTH
Superfood and supermyth
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Author Note

1SUPERFOOD AND SUPERMYTH
Understanding whether the concept of Superfood is a super myth:
The following study evaluates whether “superfood” are just an intelligent method of
marketing tool. They are considered as the food helpful for health and well-being and connected to
the disease prevention. Their popularity are enhancing from previous few years. Nonetheless, there
is the argument on whether they are super and beneficial in reality s they claim and only a smart
marketing tool.
These type of foods involves different nutrients like amino acids, minerals enzymes and
antioxidants. They are also labelled as the superfoods under the marketplace and contemporary to
the food industry involving chai seeds, acai, salmon, kale, goii berries, coconut oil and quinoa and
special green teas. The foods delivers various advantages for body like salmon has been in high
amount in omega-3 and is able to secure the heart as consumed two times in a week. On the other
hand, the kale is been rich in terms of fibre and consists of good fat. This is high as far as Vitamin A,
K and C is considered and consists of various antioxidants. These are been sold at greater costs that
the foods that might have about the similar nutritional values 1. Besides, this is an agreed fact that the
foods have important nutrients and is never true that the foods re better than the other daily healthy
foods. Here, the instance of sweet potatoes and kale can be taken that consist of similar benefits of
nutrients. Both of them are been high in fibre and delivering various minerals like calcium and
antioxidants 2.
1 MacGregor, C., Petersen, A. and Parker, C., 2018. Promoting a healthier, younger you: the media marketing of anti-
ageing superfoods. Journal of Consumer Culture, p.1469540518773825.
2 Schiemer, C., Halloran, A., Jespersen, K. and Kaukua, P., 2018. Marketing Insects: Superfood or Solution-
Food?. In Edible Insects in Sustainable Food Systems (pp. 213-236). Springer, Cham.

2SUPERFOOD AND SUPERMYTH
Though the markets are never totally dishonest regarding the superfood since they have their
individual benefits related to wellbeing and health. Nevertheless, there are high quantity of
exaggeration regarding how advantageous, full of minerals and vitamins they are since the
consumers can purchase the daily healthy foods having same nutritional values having less price as
long as they understand what food comprise of maximum vitamins and minerals 3. By itself, the
superfood are healthy. However, the processing might not be that much useful. As for instance as the
green tea are brewed freshly, that comprise of many antioxidants with manufactured teams within
bottles often included with the inferior teams and is brewed with high amount of sugar. As per
Alison Patterson, an accredited practicing dietician, no official definition is there regarding what has
been and never have been a seafood. Thus it is the method for the markets in selling products and
then misleading consumers in thinking that greater process brings better quality of food. In this way
the leading consumers are able to spend the unnecessary money for the foods having cheaper types
of alternatives having similar beneficial results 4. Hence, this is vital to understand that the
nutritional diet comprise of foods like diary, exercise, vegetables and fruits and never only super
foods. Above all, there are smart tool for marketing for selling products and never has been likely to
be super like as they claim.
3 Varzakas, T., Kandylis, P., Dimitrellou, D., Salamoura, C., Zakynthinos, G. and Proestos, C., 2018. Innovative and
fortified food: Probiotics, prebiotics, gmos, and superfood. In Preparation and Processing of Religious and Cultural
Foods (pp. 67-129). Woodhead Publishing.
4 GoSSARD, C.M. and LIPSKI, E., 2019. Superfoods for Digestive Health. Integrative Gastroenterology, p.141.

3SUPERFOOD AND SUPERMYTH
References:
GoSSARD, C.M. and LIPSKI, E., 2019. Superfoods for Digestive Health. Integrative
Gastroenterology, p.141.
MacGregor, C., Petersen, A. and Parker, C., 2018. Promoting a healthier, younger you: the media
marketing of anti-ageing superfoods. Journal of Consumer Culture, p.1469540518773825.
Schiemer, C., Halloran, A., Jespersen, K. and Kaukua, P., 2018. Marketing Insects: Superfood or
Solution-Food?. In Edible Insects in Sustainable Food Systems (pp. 213-236). Springer,
Cham.
Varzakas, T., Kandylis, P., Dimitrellou, D., Salamoura, C., Zakynthinos, G. and Proestos, C., 2018.
Innovative and fortified food: Probiotics, prebiotics, gmos, and superfood. In Preparation
and Processing of Religious and Cultural Foods (pp. 67-129). Woodhead Publishing.