Unfortunately, these products aren’t the only so-called “superfoods” promoted within the mainstream raw food movement.
Here are 3 more not-so-superfoods you shouldn’t waste your money on:
Raw cacao consists of cacao beans (the seeds of the cacao fruit) that have been processed under 118 degrees F. It’s often sold in powder form, in pieces called “nibs, as cacao butter (the extracted oil from the cacao bean), or in chocolate bars.
Cost
• Powder: $13-27 per 16 ounces
• Nibs: $14-25 per 16 ounces
• Butter: $15-25 per 16 ounces
• Bars: $6-12 per bar
What (Supposedly) Makes It So Super?
• good source of magnesium
• lots of antioxidants
• gives you energy
Why You Shouldn’t Buy It
Raw cacao as a source of magnesium isn’t too special. Plenty of fruits and vegetables contain this mineral.
For instance, one pound of bananas (only 400 calories) contains 122.5 mg of magnesium. According to the FDA, that’s about 40% of the daily amount required for the average adult female (310 mg).
Antioxidants? A raw food diet is full of ‘em. Just get in enough fruits, greens, nuts and seeds and you will get TONS of antioxidants.
What about raw cacao/chocolate as a bringer of energy? Quite the opposite, actually! Cacao (raw or not) contains the stimulants caffeine and theobromine, making it an energy stealer.
#2: Bee Pollen
Bee pollen is just as it sounds. It’s flower pollen that has been gathered by bees for food.
Cost
$15-25 per 16 ounces
I also found some “special” Australian bee pollen for $44.95…for just 8 ounces!
What (Supposedly) Makes It So Super?
• provides all 8 essential amino acids
• good source of folate
• contains more enzymes and co-enzymes than any other food
Why You Shouldn’t Buy It
The complete protein theory was debunked a long time ago. You don’t need to ingest all the essential amino acids (essential means those that the body does not synthesize and, therefore, must be acquired from the foods you eat) at every meal or every day.
You can get all essential amino acids simply by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables and getting in enough calories.
As far as bee pollen and folate goes, who cares?
Greens are filled with folate, along with bioavailable protein, calcium, iron, and other vital vitamins and minerals. Plus, they won’t blow out your budget.
And enzymes? Big deal!
Enzymes are for the plant, not the person. The only enzymes that can help you digest the foods you eat are the digestive enzymes produced by your own body.
#3: Wheatgrass Juice
Yep, it’s juice made from wheatgrass. The wheat grass is typically sold as a powder or in seed form for you to sprout and juice yourself.
Cost
• Powder: $13-20 per 16 ounces
• Seeds: $3-5 per pound
What (Supposedly) Makes It So Super?
• good source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, and magnesium
• provides all 8 essential amino acids
• lots of enzymes
Why You Shouldn’t Buy It
You’ve probably heard that “one shot of wheatgrass is equal to one kilogram of vegetables” in terms of nutrition. But is this really true?
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find a complete nutritional analysis of wheatgrass. The best I found was for a specific wheatgrass brand, Nutrigrass.
According to their findings, one serving (2 tsp) of Nutrigrass wheatgrass powder contains:
• Vitamin A: 2500 IU
• Vitamin C: 13 mg
• Calcium: 25 mg
• Phosphorus: 24 mg
• Zinc: 105 mcg
• Iron: 2000 mcg
• Magnesium: 6.6 mg
How does one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of vegetables stack up? It depends upon the vegetable, but let’s use romaine as an example:
• Vitamin A: 104,206.9 IU
• Vitamin C: 695.8 mg
• Calcium: 554.5 mg
• Phosphorus: 763.2 mg
• Zinc: 5.4 mg
• Iron: 15.1 mg
• Magnesium: 599 mg
Wow. Not even close. 2 pounds of romaine is clearly much more nutritious than 2 teaspoons of this wheatgrass powder.
In fact, you could reduce the amount to 12 ounces of romaine and STILL get more vitamins A and C, as well as calcium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, and magnesium than you would from a serving of wheatgrass.
Oh yea, and this 2 teaspoon serving is actually 3x more than a typical 1-ounce shot!
Bottom line: There’s no reason to drink disgusting wheatgrass when you can get all the vitamin A, calcium, iron, etc. you need from delicious fruit and greens.
Do I sound like a broken record yet?
And I don’t really need to talk any more about the complete protein or enzyme myths again, do I?
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