by Frederic Patenaude

I have recently discussed superfoods and supplements with my nutritionist and a good friend of mine that is a Dr regarding whether they are as good as some of the money making companies or websites are saying them to be. After long research and rational conversations we all have come to the point that what the article below, written by Fred describes as waste of money really sums up our thoughts on super foods. I really didn't want to repeat what has already been written, so here it is.

PS: I really thought it would be better to describe the skepticism on superfoods and supplements from a logical point of view rather then cold scientific facts.

This might make me a few enemies, but I believe that 99% of supplements and “superfoods” on the market are an absolute waste of money.

It seems like every time you turn your head, someone is offering the latest and greatest “beauty enhancing” or “breakthrough” superfood or supplement.

But what if I told you something shocking yet so simple to understand: there's no “food” that arrives in a bottle, having been made in a factory and sold in powdered form, that will ever compare in terms of “super-nutrition” to fresh fruits and vegetables.

But still, almost every day I get an e-mail that says, “what do you think of __________” (fill in the blank with whatever supplement or superfood is now being promoted as the latest “amazing” product).

Although it would take forever to review every product on the market, let's review some popular supplements and superfoods that, in my opinion, are an absolute waste of money.

Green Powder

Almost every supplement company has a variation of the “green powder,” which is basically a powder made with dried grass, dried grass juices or dried vegetables and possibly algae. This powder is supposed to make your body more alkaline and give you nutrition you can't find elsewhere.

First, I would say that grass powder is not a worthy food and anyone growing grass and turning it into a powder and making a lot of money selling it is really laughing their way to the bank at the expense of unknowing customers. Even if it's called “wheatgrass”, it's still grass.

A powder of vegetables or algae can never compare in nutritional value to fresh vegetables, even if those vegetables are not organic.

The real superfoods are dark green vegetables such as spinach, romaine lettuce, black kale, parsley, celery, arugula, and so on.

With the use of “green smoothies” made with *fresh* green vegetables and fruit, anyone can obtain superior nutrition in a few minutes a day (ruling out the argument that people don't have “time” to eat well).

Green smoothies and fresh raw greens literally put these green powders to shame.

Another all-time favorite of supplement companies is the protein powder, in all its forms. There's the ultra-refined soy protein powder, we've got whey protein, rice protein, and now a less refined hemp protein.

But the idea is the same: that somehow, no matter how much food you eat, there's still a chance you might not get enough protein, so therefore you should consume protein in a concentrated, powdered form.

This idea is especially popular among body-builders and gym-goers. It's interesting to note that starting from the Greek gymnasiums two and a half thousand years ago through the ages of gladiators and modern gymnastics, men and women of all ages have been able to build magnificent, muscular bodies eating nothing more than simple foods and without the use of protein powders.

This is a classic example of how you can market a product by first “creating a problem” that doesn't exist.

Nutrition textbooks teach that you can get all the protein you need as long as you consume enough calories from whole foods, even if all you eat is fruits and vegetables.

Noni Juice

Although this discussion could lead me to cover any possible supplement or superfood among the thousands of products available, I think you're starting to get my point.

I'll just finish with an example of a “superfood” called noni and sold as “noni juice.”

The noni is a fruit that's been used for centuries in Polynesia for its alleged medicinal properties. But there is very limited scientific evidence to support these properties.

When I visited Tahiti last winter, I was on the tiny island of Huahine and had the chance to try real noni juice from a local Tahitian couple who made the juice from their own fruit tree.

Let me tell you that it was the most disgusting, horrible concoction that I ever had in my entire life.

Obviously, the noni is not a natural food for humans, as there is no way anyone would want to consume it unless they thought it had some medicinal value.

My Tahitian friends explained how they prepare the noni juice. They put all these unappetizing, weird-smelling noni fruits in a jar and then let the thing ferment for several days.

Then the fermented juice that oozes out of the fruits and reeks like the juice that's formed at the bottom of a trash container is what they drink.

Now American companies have had the great idea of adding a bunch of sugar to this awful tasting Tahitian folk remedy juice, making up a fantastic story around it, throwing in some questionable science and selling millions of dollars worth of the stuff to suckers.

Listen closely: it's completely absurd to think that one food can be a universal remedy for all our ills. We need nutrients from different sources and Nature isn't so capricious as to put everything in one place.

We're meant to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, drink pure water and have a healthy lifestyle with lots of exercise and healthy relationships and positive thoughts.

All the rest is marketing and hype.

Of course, you are free to believe what you want about noni juice and other kinds of superfoods available on the market.

But do yourself a favor and make the decision to try for yourself what the study and experience of natural hygiene and health through a pure raw-based diet can do for you.

There are also Articles under the category of 'Raw Food for Newbies' based on how Superfoods are good for our health, and how can we replace them with fruits, vegetables, nuts and oils.

In the mean time, I hope that you consider the above article just food for thoughts.

By TTS Cofounder Botanical Chef Omid Jaffari