Superfood supplements, what say you hivemind?

I've heard ads on Hannity's radio program for Texas superfood supplements.....so off I went to Amazon to read reviews. A lot of positive results, especially for this competitor http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Schulzes-Superfood-Replacement-Powder/dp/B000SHOBQE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1418090794&sr=8-3&keywords=texas+superfood. Any experience out there amongst you GRMers? SWMBO and I have been looking after her daughter's 2 and 4 year olds and have been loosing the germ warfare battle these 2 little armadas possess.

Instead of using the supplements why not eat the supper foods and do away with all the prosesing??

The wife and I use Advocare products for our supplements after doing a fair amount of research on the products and the company.

The thing to understand about the supplement industry is that it is mostly unregulated so companies can use any amount of stuff in their products provided they are safe to eat and they don't need to be consistent about it either.

Things to look for when looking at supplements:

Are the products and claimed backed by actual science?

What scientists do they have on their staff that are actually trained in nutrition?

Do they self-regulate their products using a 3rd party solution to validate their products potency and the compounds included?

Do they provide a money back guarantee for their products?

Are their products legal for use with NCAA, NFL and other regulated sports leagues?

Do they even know if they are? Could they provide documentation to prove that?

What about celebrity endorsements? How are they handled? Do they require the endorsers to use the products? Do they require them to only use those products, eschewing other more potentially lucrative endorsement deals to use the products?

In reply to danvan:

Many in the food science industry have acknowledged that food is getting less and less nutritional due to the higher yields required so products are being grown faster and faster using GMO's and they are being harvested earlier and earlier.

Basically eating properly is one piece of the puzzle, but think of it like the old discussion about filling a jar with rocks, pebbles and sand. Exercising regularly, getting enough sleep and generally taking care of yourself with reducing stress and trying to be in a happier place is the larger rocks. Proper nutrition would be the pebbles that fill in more of the gaps between the rocks. A proper set of supplements would be the sand that filled in the rest of the empty areas.

Agreed food is not what it was even 50 years ago Wheat is a good example but there is a growing network of farmers growing heirloom crops maybe a bit more expensive but worth it

PS.

Do not eat any wheat products for 2 weeks and if your like me you wont believe how much better you feel

You know "superfood" is a BS marketing term that doesn't even have much to do with nutritional value, right?

danvan wrote: PS. Do not eat any wheat products for 2 weeks and if your like me you wont believe how much better you feel

Bangs head against wall

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wheat. You are getting a false negative; because you have taken out wheat, you've taken out most bad things. If you watch the portion size (in relation to how many calories you should be eating with each meal while ensuring you still get the necessary nutrients), you're fine.

Thank you Turboswede, that's the kind of info I was looking for.

We do eat healthy, are generally happy, and handle stress pretty darn well. It's the 'sand', as you said, that we are looking to fine tune.

mthomson22 wrote: Thank you Turboswede, that's the kind of info I was looking for. We do eat healthy, are generally happy, and handle stress pretty darn well. It's the 'sand', as you said, that we are looking to fine tune.

Since I don't know your diet, and any inherint deficiencies you may or may not have, I won't make a statement on the supplements other than to be very careful with which ones you are buying. They are not FDA regulated, and you need to be careful to ensure you're really getting what it says you're getting, and make sure that you are not getting... well, sand.

I'm pretty doubtful that you can get much of the benefit of so-called superfoods from a jar of powder. I do strongly believe that a diet rich in berries and dark leafy greens, Omega-3 fatty acids, and other healthy fresh food can benefit anyone who chooses it. Equally important is avoiding the highly-processed junk in the boxes and cans at the supermarket, as well as any hydrogenated oils.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/trans-fat/art-20046114

http://www.livestrong.com/article/272066-why-is-hydrogenated-oil-bad-for-you/

Turboswede has done his due diligence.

I work in the Dietary Supplement industry, which is FDA regulated, and there is a lot of unscrupulous activity. Some companies add known pharmaceuticals to keep people buying the product because it makes them 'feel good'. In 2013, FDA issues 2,100 warning letters to dietary supplement companies.

Do your due diligence and investigate what you are buying.

1988RedT2 wrote: I'm pretty doubtful that you can get much of the benefit of so-called superfoods from a jar of powder. I do strongly believe that a diet rich in berries and dark leafy greens, Omega-3 fatty acids, and other healthy fresh food can benefit anyone who chooses it. Equally important is avoiding the highly-processed junk in the boxes and cans at the supermarket, as well as any hydrogenated oils.

This is the best plan.

If you want processed food, just 'juice' your fruits and veggies.

Best nutrition advice I've ever heard: Eat food, not much, mostly plants. Supplements are unregulated. In an FDA test of 100 different supplement companies, 6 actually had the product in them in the amount and potency advertised.

Is it wrong that I'm eating a Christmas chocolate treat while reading this?

stuart in mn wrote: Is it wrong that I'm eating a Christmas chocolate treat while reading this?

It would be wrong if you weren't!

Instead of superfoods that give you complete nutrition in a single shake, I'd rather have normal foods that have all the delicious taste of super fatty, creamy, saltiness, without all of the health implications.

When they develop a pill that blocks fat/cholestrol/carb intake without puking or E36 M3ting my brains out, I'll be in line.

danvan wrote: Instead of using the supplements why not eat the supper foods and do away with all the prosesing??

Yep. The way I see it, if you can find the "superfood" in the grocery store in the produce aisle or freezer, you might as well buy it there and eat the whole thing. And if you can't find it in a grocery store produce section (what's a goji, anyway?), you can probably do without it.

There is such a thing as a wheat or gluten allergy, but it's not common (I've got one cousin who suffers from it). If wheat has a property that causes it to make people fat, it's that it is very difficult to make cookies yummy without it. Can you imagine making them out of rye?

The world would be a better place if all grain were used to make alcohol!

oldtin wrote: Best nutrition advice I've ever heard: Eat food, not much, mostly plants. Supplements are unregulated. In an FDA test of 100 different supplement companies, 6 actually had the product in them in the amount and potency advertised.

That is scary.

Fortunately for me, I work for one that meets label claims. We verify through testing as required by FDA (most companies don't - FDA has issues lots of warning letters). We are the only dietary supplement company that publishes our test results on our website. Any consumer can find the information by the product lot number.

Wife has started us on the eat for your blood type thing.  There is a cookbook and everything.  Doesn't really require any "superfoods" just mainly what foods and condiments work best for your blood type.

Based on the topic, I'm shocked that this one hasn't been canoed at least annually.  

the notion of superfood is largely nonsense. many of the benefits are that you convince yourself that things have improved to justify the cost of buying them.

It's more a question of overall nutrition. Most people don't get enough omega 3 oils but this is easily fixed with a daily slack handful of Costo's finest. 

Similarly unless you live somewhere sunny you tend to be low in vitamin D and that's an easy fix too. 

otherwise, get enough protein, eat your vegetables like your mom told you to, do some exercise, add strength training as you get older to offset sarcopenia and try and get enough sleep.

if you are mostly a plant eater, get a protein supplement as plant proteins don't have everything you need.

Collagen powders seem to be cheap and beneficial, can't hurt to add some in


Blood type diets don't have any scientific background, but if the recipes taste good then go for it. 


 

oldtin said:

Best nutrition advice I've ever heard: Eat food, not much, mostly plants. Supplements are unregulated. In an FDA test of 100 different supplement companies, 6 actually had the product in them in the amount and potency advertised.

IRRC that good advice is from The Omnivore's Dilemma by M. Pollan.  I found the book very interesting and informative and suggest you all read it.

 

Powders and supplements are good for the people selling them.  Not for you.  Eat good, healthy food. 

Everything you need to know is in this book, seriously:

https://www.amazon.com/150-Healthiest-Foods-Earth-Surprising/dp/1592332285