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superjuices

Kombucha Is Gaining Mainstream Status: This Trendy Fermented Tea With a Funny Name is Mushrooming

by Janet on April 23, 2010

kombuchaorganicrawbottled-main_FullThe trendiest drinks used to be pomegranate and acai juice.  It was the battle of the superjuices.

Now there’s a new contender vying for the top spot:   kombucha.

Goodbye Amazon berry, hello bacteria-laden tea.

Kombucha was once limited to the kitchen counters of homebrewers and the shelves of health food stores.  Now it’s hard to miss colorful bottles of this fizzy fermented tea in the refrigerated cases of mainstream markets.

Maybe you read my recent post about kombucha.  I’ve also written a column for MSNBC.com that was published today. I hope you’ll check out.

So what do you think about kombucha?  Do you love it or hate it?  It seems that people are passionately lined up in either camp — no one seems to be neutral about this ancient drink that’s making a major comeback.

Here’s my bottom line view of kombucha: [click to continue…]

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Why You Can Ease Up On Superfoods

by Janet on April 19, 2010

mona-vie-product-picsThe race is on to be the next superfood.

I’ve frequently written about these boastful foods and beverages — whether it’s chia seeds, coconut water, kombucha, tropical berries like acai and gogi, or superjuices, such as MonaVie and Vemma.

As I’ve said before, these products may actually be good for you.  Many do contain an abundance of nutrients or they’re high in antioxidants. But I’m just not sure they deserve such glowing praise — or in many cases, the steep price tag.

Bottom line, I’m opposed to the magical thinking.

And I’m worried an over-reliance on superfoods could cause you to take your eye off the bigger picture and distract you from eating a wide array of nutrient-rich foods.  I’m also concerned about the “health halo” effect that I recently wrote about.  Maybe a giant muffin contains a sprinkling of flaxseed, but that doesn’t erase the amount of calories and fat inside this breakfast cake. [click to continue…]

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The Top Overrated Food Trends of 2009

by Janet on December 24, 2009

As the year comes to close, I was thinking about the foods that made a lot of headlines but didn’t really live up to the hype.  The most overrated food trends of the year was the topic of my latest article in the Chicago Tribune. Click on the link to view the article online (which includes a slideshow of the five trends), or the article is reprinted below.  What would make your list?

5 most overrated health-food trends

Looking back on the year, some foods seemed to take the country by storm. You couldn’t miss the ads — your neighbor talked them up and you followed all the chatter online. Maybe you even bought a book devoted to these “miracle” foods. Yet, despite the flashy marketing claims and convincing Internet buzz, many of these products deliver far less than they promise. Either the science behind them is weak, nutritionists warn, or their steep price tag is simply not worth what you get in return.

We asked nutrition experts to tell us what foods they thought did not live up to the hype. Here are their votes for overrated food trends.

–Janet Helm, special to the Tribune

1. Super juicesvemmabottle

The claim: These elixirs, extracted from acai, goji berry, mangosteen and other exotic fruits, tout extraordinary antioxidant levels and claim to burn fat, cleanse toxins and fight the flu. Often fortified with extra nutrients and sold online or through distributors, the juices can be quite costly.

Why they’re overrated: You’re paying more for the marketing than the value of what’s inside the bottle, said dietitian Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “It’s a pricey way to get your antioxidants,” she said. “You’d be better off with a glass of orange juice and simply add more color on your plate.” Even the antioxidant levels in many of these superjuices have been questioned. Some studies have revealed that the amounts are comparable to apple juice.

Bottom line: Buy a less expensive juice at the grocery store and eat whole fruit more often. Limit juice to one glass (8 ounces or less) a day.

2. Tropical oils

The claim: Coconut, palm and palm kernel oils are frequently used to replace trans fats in processed foods, and they’re now being positioned as the new ?healthy? oils. Coconut oil is especially coming on strong, with books such as “The Coconut Oil Miracle” and Web sites claiming that the oil can decrease your heart disease risk, prevent cancer, boost your immune system and help you lose weight.

Why they’re overrated: While it’s true that some of the fatty acids in coconut oil are different from those found in animal products, there is no evidence to suggest coconut oil is better for you than other saturated fats, said Alice H. Lichtenstein, a nutrition researcher at Tufts University in Boston. Numerous studies have shown that coconut oil can raise LDL or bad cholesterol, she said. For years, it’s what researchers fed to animals to induce atherosclerosis. Despite the aggressive attempts to improve its tarnished image, coconut oil is still mostly saturated fat, and research does not support the battery of claims.

Bottom line: Do not run out and buy coconut oil, especially if you plan to use it in place of more beneficial oils that have been thoroughly studied, such as olive, canola and other vegetable oils.

3. Enhanced watersskinnywater

The claim: Supermarket shelves are filled with bottles of brightly colored waters that are spiked with vitamins, herbs, antioxidants and other ingredients with names like “defend,” “rescue” and “focus.” Some claim to stave off colds, boost alertness or relax you, while others attempt to lure you with promises of weight loss.

Why they’re overrated: Many of these waters are sneaky sources of extra calories and sugar, said dietitian Keri Glassman, who owns a nutrition consulting firm in New York City. Some waters contain 125 calories per bottle — which is equivalent to the calories in two pieces of fruit without the nutritional attributes of the fruit. The advertised benefits are often overblown, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group that sued Coca-Cola this year over the “deceptive and unsubstantiated claims” of its line of VitaminWater beverages.

Bottom line: Get your nutrients from foods or take a multivitamin and drink plain water. If you want flavor, add a slice of lemon to tap water or look for calorie-free flavor-infused waters.

4. Miracle seeds

The claim: Flax seeds are showing up in all sorts of foods — including bread, cereal, pasta, yogurt, salad dressing and soup. The latest seed on the scene is chia, which comes from the same plant that gives us Chia Pets. Both seeds are promoted as a top source of omega-3, the good fats linked to heart and brain health.

Why they’re overrated: While flax-fortified products may offer some benefits, flax seeds  are not a reliable source of omega-3 because the potency is much weaker compared with what you’ll find in fish, said Evelyn Tribole, a California-based dietitian and author of “The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet.” Only a small percentage of the omega-3 in plant sources gets converted into the most beneficial form once you eat it, she said. Chia seeds claim to be a new superfood, yet the amount of seeds you would likely eat is quite small — not sufficient to deliver meaningful amounts of nutrients or omega-3s.

Bottom line: Enjoy flax and chia seeds if you like the taste, but don’t let them distract you from eating more omega 3-rich fish or incorporating a variety of seeds, nuts, whole grains, fruits and vegetables into your diet.

5. Natural sugarsagave nectar

The claim: Scores of new foods and beverages boast about the lack of refined sugar, yet they contain “natural sweeteners” such as agave nectar or evaporated cane juice. The new darling of natural foods, agave nectar is sold as a syrup for home use and claims to be diabetic-friendly with anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.

Why they’re overrated: There is no real difference. The body treats all of these sugars the same, said Liz Applegate, who teaches nutrition at the University of California at Davis. Even the wholesome sounding “fruit juice concentrate,” she said, is basically equivalent to table sugar. Agave nectar may come from the same cactus-like plant that gives us tequilia, but the refined sugar is similar to the oft-maligned high fructose corn syrup. The terminology of “evaporated cane juice” came under fire this year because the name falsely suggests the sweetener is juice. It’s dried sugar cane, just like table sugar.

Bottom line: Sugar is sugar. All forms are virtually the same and should be consumed in moderation

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Dirty Dealings of a Brazilian Berry

by Janet on April 14, 2009

It’s getting ugly.  The insanely popular berry from the Amazon rainforest known as acai (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) appears to be hitting new lows. Involved in everything from bogus blogs and fake ads to pyramid schemes, the acai berry has become the Bernie Madoff of nutrition. Maybe you read my earlier rant about the sly allure of  super juices that included MonaVie, the $40 bottle of acai juice and 18 other fruits that is sold by enthusiastic distributors.  But this pyramid scheme is only the tip of the iceberg.

monavie_family_products

Earlier this year, the Better Business Bureau warned consumers about dozens of online companies that operate scams for acai berry weight loss supplements. Some owners of acai Web sites have even been indicted for consumer fraud by a federal grand jury and are slated to go on trial, according to  Nutrition Action, which has done an excellent job reviewing the full scope of the acai Internet scams. 

The tactics of these unscrupulous marketers were revealed by a tremendous blog called waffesatnoon (It’s time to wake up”), which is written by an ad guy who is dedicated to exposing Internet scams and questionable advertising practices. 

If you have a Facebook account or simply go online to shop, there is no way you’ve missed the ads touting the purported weight loss benefits of acai — many of them featuring Oprah and Rachael Ray. But rest assured, neither is associated with these products or have authorized the use of their name.  Learn more at ABC News.

Contrary to the aggressive testimonials, there is no evidence to suggest acai supplements have any weight loss benefits — despite the claims “flush pounds of waste and toxins from your body.”  No studies have looked at the weight loss potential of acai and there’s no good reason to think the berry might help.

A few of the fraudulent tactics:dietingaid_081212_mn1

  • “Free” trials. Companies are trying to entice people with “free” trials of acai products in Internet ads and emails.  After sharing credit card information to cover shipping and handling, people are being hit by surprise monthly charges, often before they even receive their trial shipment.  For many, it’s been difficult to get the charges to stop.
  • Product reviews.  Don’t trust Web sites that claim to review acai products or warn against acai berry scams.  They may try to instill confidence with names like Acai Berry Report and Consumer Best Deals, but they’re simply trying to sell products. All of these acai supplements are basically the same, and none of them are worth the money. 
  • Bogus blogs. Beyond the fake celebrity endorsements, the acai marketers have set up more than 75 different diet blogs that feature women documenting their weight loss success with acai.  Trouble is, they’re all fake.  You can see the same woman with a dozen different names and the same “before” and “after” photos.  The blog scam was uncovered by waffesatnoon,

Yes, acai berries are high in antioxidants, but so are other less expensive “local” berries.  Higher is not necessarily better.  The actual number in a test tube is not a true indication of the health benefits.  You’re better off eating whole fruits…and it’s tough to do with acai.  Nearly all acai is shipped as pulp and turned into pills, juice or added as flavorings.

I’m not sure why acai has captured America’s imagination the way it did, but I’m hoping the frenzy will soon be over and the fraudulent Web sites shut down.  And I hope people will be just as enthusiastic in discovering the array of fruits found in their own backyard in produce aisles and farmers’ markets.

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The Sly Allure of ‘Super Juices’

by Janet on February 23, 2009

There’s a powerful movement sweeping the country (actually the world!) and if you’re not careful, you might fall victim to the allure of the super juice.   If you’re not drawn in by the purported curative powers – cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, immunity, depression, drug addiction – then you might be tempted by the potential to make some extra cash.

mona-vie-product-picsThese so-called super juices, including MonaVie, Vemma and XanGo which contain acai, goji, mangosteen and other exotic fruits, are at the center of multilevel marketing or “pyramid” schemes that rely on aggressive sales pitches by the converted.  Trouble is, the enthusiastic, well-intentioned distributors who sell these “liquid antioxidants” out of their homes or on the internet have been drinking the proverbial Kool-aid. These expensive juices –  $40 to $80 per bottle — do not live up to the hype. Studies have shown that eating an apple will give you more antioxidants. An independent investigation by the Associated Press found XanGo’s antioxidant strength is no better than other fruit juices that are readily available in supermarkets for a fraction of the cost.  

xango2An analysis by Men’s Journal found that MonaVie tested extremely low in  phytonutrients (anthocyanins and phenolics).  In fact, it contained even fewer of these beneficial compounds compared to apple juice, which also tested poorly.  Grape juice had five times more vitamin C.

vemma1Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool, but testimonials are not reliable evidence.  I always think it’s a red flag to take nutrition advice from someone without any credentials beyond their status in a marketing company (along with a big financial interest in the advice).   The National Council Against Health Fraud and Dr. Stephen Barrett of Quackwatch have issued several warnings related to multilevel marketing of health products.  Even some former distributors of MonaVie feel burned by the experience and are warning others in the blog Purple Horror.  

An Australia consumer watch-dog group called Choice  investigated the claims made by nine popular super juices and found that the antioxidant content was not as high as “their marketing hype had led us to expect.”  In many cases, eating an apple would provide you with more.

“You get a novelty fruit, call it a super fruit, throw in a secret Himalayan mountain or Chinese valley with mist on it, or a Pacific island with traditional healers who live to 150, and it’s a very potent brew.  Then if it costs a lot, people assume it must be rare and very good for you,” said Choices spokesman Christopher Zinn.

One of the earliest super juices was Juice Plus, and it has had several legal challenges and critics, including Dr. Stephen Barrett of Quackwatch. 

Now more than ever – when budgets are stretched – we do not need the distraction of super juices, which can set you back more than $100 a week if you follow the twice daily regimen.  Besides the high price, you’ll be adding a lot of extra calories for nutrients that you’d be better off getting by eating a VARIETY of fruits and vegetables every day.  Besides, dietary guidelines suggest “go easy on fruit juices,” which should be limited to just 1 cup a day.  As far as the vitamins and minerals in these super juices, you can simply take a much cheaper multivitamin and save the rest of your money for groceries.

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