ADE WILLIAMS

What is a superfood?

Ade Williams MBE, lead pharmacist at Bedminster Pharmacy and brilliant Bristol ambassador shares his thoughts on superfoods and remembers the University of Bristol scientist who helped thousands of people during WWII with his remarkable invention widely known today as Ribena...

Superfoods –do you know what they are? Chances are you have heard about them. If so, that is a brilliant testament to the reach and success of specious creative marketing. The invention of the phrase and its continued prominence has no defined scientific basis amongst nutrition scientists and dietitians or even a regulated definition. Since that fateful decision around 1917 by the United Fruit Company to initiate an enthusiastic advertising campaign to promote its major import of bananas, a template was created. With a slick marketing campaign, research that lends itself to an exceptional properties narrative and trusted endorsements, it becomes a superfood and sales grow exponentially.

Regarding said benefits, a 2007 marketing ruling, which sadly did not define the weight of scientific evidence for compliance, requires some link to be made. Many foods, fruits and grains are now in bad reputation due to the exaggerations employed to pursue mega-sales. What was missing in the early 20th Century was easily capturing and sharing images of superfoods, supergrains and superfruits. It may have started with bananas, but it soon came blueberries and pomegranates; even now, we wait with bated breath for the next list to be published, accompanied by purported health benefits.

The term itself draws on widespread ignorance about food. Playing up nutritional content and benefits into a ‘this is all you need to eat’ offer. This is harmful. It is difficult to redeem much from the ‘superfoods’ tag, yet one truth shines through: we know little and, in some cases, also care much less about the foods we eat, how they are grown and what benefits they offer our body. Some of the interventions to correct this can create tensions about a perceived erosion of personal choice –enter the Nanny State debate.

All healthcare professionals respect personal choice and must actively work to respect it by sharing and providing details that inform choices. Take fruits and vegetables, which are wonderful sources of dietary fibre, contributing to a healthy balanced diet, especially as they are good sources of vitamins and minerals. They help maintain a healthy gut and prevent constipation and other digestive problems. We know they reduce the risk of cancers like bowel cancer as well as heart disease and stroke. Best of all there is a wonderful selection of them.

Evidence shows there are significant health benefits to getting at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. So much so that the World Health Organisation advice recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems. An adult portion of fruit or vegetables is 80g. Children should also eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day. As a rough guide, one portion is the amount they can fit in the palm of their hand.

The NHS website provides helpful descriptive guides of fruit and vegetable portions for fresh fruit sizes, dried fruits and tinned fruits. It also covers vegetables: green, cooked, salad, tinned and frozen, pulses and peas. Remember to use fruit canned in natural juice rather than syrup and for tinned vegetables, choose those canned in water with no added salt or sugar. Not forgetting unsweetened 100% fruit juice, vegetable juice, and smoothies, which can also count as a maximum of one portion of your five-a-day.

What is ‘super’ about fruits and vegetables is how they offer uniquely needed nutritional benefits that enhance what is offered when added to a healthy balanced diet. The British story of evidence-based good use of this knowledge has a Bristol ambassador. Dr Vernon Charley was a leading scientist at the University of Bristol who developed Ribena in 1938. Becoming aware of the high levels of vitamin C in blackcurrants through his research, he developed a cordial, now known as Ribena. It was distributed free to children and expectant mothers during WWII when other fruits with vitamin C became increasingly scarce. In the face of cost-of-living pressures, agricultural workforce shortage and food price inflation wreaking havoc on the insufficient gains made on food poverty, we need to find ways to value and harness alongside protecting our society. This will involve choices. Supporting our local fruit and veg producers and retailers, taking an active anti-food poverty stance and looking for ways to ensure we can provide for everyone in a generous, dignified, and nourishing way is the example set by Dr Charley we can all follow. Thankfully, we don't need a science degree today, but sharing your pictures and menus, including any homemade low-sugar cordials, especially alongside essential cost-saving tips will be most welcome and help make a lot of positive difference. ■

Ade Williams’ portrait as taken by acclaimed photographer Rankin