Are Superfoods Really Super?

What do blueberries, tuna, kale, and macadamia nuts have in common? Aside from potentially being ingredients in a salad, they all appear on various lists of superfoods. The term “superfood” was first introduced in the 1990s, as a means of identifying foods considered nutritionally superior to others (Singh et al. 2021). Use of this term has increased over the decades since then, helped along by the internet and social media. But is there any scientific evidence to back the hype?

In general, superfoods are characterized as those foods with higher nutrient profiles than their non-superfood counterparts; that is, they have a higher concentration of desirable nutrients and a lower concentration of undesirable nutrients (Cobos and Diaz 2023, Drewnowski and Fulgoni 2014). Macronutrients of interest include protein, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and fiber, while most individual micronutrients—vitamins and minerals—appear on at least one list of superfoods. Undesirable nutrients include saturated fats, sodium, and cholesterol, although having these constituents does not preclude a food from being called a superfood (Drewnowski and Fulgoni 2014).

In fact, there is no standard for what defines a superfood. And herein lies a problem. Without a standardized definition, what prevents people from labeling any and all foods as superfoods?

A quick online search will reveal not only a plethora of health and wellness blogs and websites, each with its own disparate list of superfoods, but also a wide variety of claims surrounding said superfoods. One study from 2023 found that the most frequently cited effects of superfoods included cardiovascular protection, antioxidant activity, and cancer risk reduction, while another 2023 study found weight loss and blood pressure among the most frequently mentioned phrases in online media about superfoods (Cobos and Diaz 2023, Gandhi et al. 2023). However, there is a paucity of evidence to support such claims. Research studies investigating the purported benefits of individual superfoods are few and far between, often focusing on the effects of single nutrients or bioactive substances on in vitro cells or laboratory animals (Van den Driessche et al. 2018, Cobos and Diaz 2023).

In contrast to the sparse data corroborating the benefits of superfoods, there is a wealth of research to support the positive effects of the Mediterranean diet.

This is not to say that superfoods cannot be included as part of a healthy diet. Some of the most ubiquitous superfoods include blueberries, avocados, kale, quinoa, spinach, broccoli, and salmon—all nutrient-dense foods from multiple food groups (Cobos and Diaz 2023, Gandhi et al. 2023). Rather, the issue is the overemphasis on the impact of individual superfoods on a person’s health. These foods do have benefits, but not in isolation. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and unsaturated fats, such as those foods listed here, are some of the core components of the Mediterranean diet. And in contrast to the sparse data corroborating the benefits of superfoods, there is a wealth of research to support the positive effects of the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular risk factors, risk of cancer, and all-cause mortality (Mitrou et al. 2007, Soltani et al. 2019, Ahmad et al. 2024).

Thus, while placing the term superfood on a product label may seem like an appealing option to marketers, food companies should consider whether it is meaningful or truly health promoting. Avoiding hype and helping consumers differentiate fact from fiction helps position the food industry as a reliable, trusted source of information.

Rather than applying the somewhat arbitrary term superfood, nutritional messaging should highlight the importance of consuming a wide variety of foods in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Why limit consumers to whatever happens to be the latest superfood trend? Perhaps unsurprisingly, moderation, in the context of a Mediterranean diet, is key.

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