Over the past few decades, people have become increasingly interested in the idea of superfoods, with so many different grains, fruits and natural foods being sold by superfood suppliers over the years to meet this demand.
Whilst the definition of what exactly makes a food a superfood has not been completely clarified, it typically means foods that are nutrient-dense and filled with vitamins, minerals, fibre, antioxidants and other compounds that when eaten as part of a balanced diet are beneficial to someone’s health.
Often, these superfoods are the headline part of a highly restrictive diet, which due to its limitations can sometimes do more harm than good.
These sorts of quick-fix diets have exists as long as civilisations have, with some particularly awful examples including Lord Byron’s water and vinegar diet sounding especially unpleasant.
However, whilst a lot of popular diets are based on dubious science and should not be recommended, there are others that in certain circumstances might be the absolute best choice.
Ketogenic Diet
There are a lot of low-carbohydrate diets out there, particularly after the popularity of the Atkins diet and the South Beach diet in the early 2000s. Most of them are based on either outright lies or misapply nutritional principles to imply that a diet full of fat is somehow good for you.
However, it must also be noted that there is a use for low-carbohydrate diets for children suffering from epilepsy. The ketogenic diet is undertaken with the help of a dietician that has experience with treating epilepsy and is typically only used when medication is found to be ineffective.
It also often requires the use of vitamin and mineral supplements to offset the restrictive nature of the diet.
Gluten-Free Diets
Gluten-free diets will not inherently help you lose weight, they may not necessarily make you healthier or feel better about yourself, especially if you opt for gluten-free foods that are still filled with fats, salt and calories.
But whilst for most people the biggest benefit of gluten-free foods is being more generally conscious of what you are eating, it can save the lives of people with Coeliac.
Coeliac is an auto-immune response that can manifest as a stomach ache but can also cause serious complications such as fatigue, anaemia and malnutrition.