BBC SCIENCE FOCUS MAGAZINE COLLECTION 27DIET5 t hei r cou nt r ies of or ig i n a s t hey at ta i n t rendy
status in the developed world. Quinoa tripled
in price between 2006 and 2011, becoming
too expensive for many in its native Peru and
Bolivia. Diversity of crops also takes a hit as
farmers jump on the lucrative bandwagon. And,
ironically, people in those countries wind up
eating more imported junk food, because it’s
cheaper. The good news is that quinoa is now
being grown in the US and Europe.
Meanwhile, the Ethiopian government
recently lifted a ban on the export of teff
(a gluten-free super-grain), which was imposed
in 2006 amid fears of a grain shortage. They’re
increasing yield by 40 per cent first to ensure an
adequate supply, but there are still concerns.
Superfoods can be costly for consum-
ers too – they drive us to spend more,
feed the untrue notion that healthy
eating has to be expensive and lead
us to overlook other beneficial foods.
“Açaí and similar exotic-sounding foodshaven’t been shown to be healthier than any
other foods, and there are few if any long-term
studies on their effects on disease,” says Patel.
If such things as superfoods do exist, then
they’re hiding behind their secret identities
as the mild-mannered Clark Kents of the
supermarket produce section. “Garlic has a
ton of evidence,” says Patel. “And potatoes are
cheap, nutritious and filling, yet they don’t get
much attention.”
So, rather than spend a fortune and hero-
worship particular superfoods, think of your
diet as being more like the Avengers – a diverse
assortment of colourful characters with different
powers that have to work together to achieve
the best possible outcome. And the largest part
of it should be green.Fields of the crop quinoa
lie in front of a majestic
mountain range in ChileGETTY IMAGES / ISTOCKPHOTO
Find out how diet affects
the brain in How To Have
A Better Brain: Diet
bbc.co.uk/programmes/
b065xhtmby JAMIE MILLAR (@mrjamiemillar)
Jamie is a freelance writer and contributing
editor to Men’s Health.