Originally published April 13 2005
Health food chain Wild Oats markets superfoods that offer substantial health benefits
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Wild Oats, a health food chain, is now marketing "superfoods" that will reduce the risk of cancer, improve cardiovascular health, and boost the immune system. These superfoods are high in vitamins, minerals, or antioxidants and they have been shown to be very healthy additions to peoples' diets. Unfortunately, there are limits on how foods can be labeled. The FDA needs to approve all claims before they can be put onto the package. So unfortunately, products like cranberry juice can only claim to promote urinary tract health rather than that they help prevent urinary tract infections.
There is food, and then there is superfood.
At a health food store in St. Louis, Inda Schaenen loaded her cart with whole-grain bread, brown rice, beans and green leaf lettuce -- all labeled as "superfoods."
Wild Oats, a chain of health food stores, is promoting 20 different "superfoods," from berries to seeds and yogurt.
"We wanted to say, 'Here are things you should be adding to your diet, rather than taking things away,'" said Wild Oats spokeswoman Sonja Tuitele.
Nine in 10 shoppers have bought foods because the packages had health or nutritional claims, according to a 2004 survey by the Food Marketing Institute, which represents retailers and wholesalers.
Also, there were 825 new products claiming to be good or excellent sources of calcium.
But buying healthier food is not yet a trend, said analyst Harry Balzer of the consumer research firm NPD Group.
More of these disease-fighting, health-promoting foods are finding a market, according to the Institute of Food Technologists, the leading professional society in the food science field.
Researchers have found food components with potential to improve memory, ease arthritis and fight heart disease.
For example, juice makers can claim that cranberry products help maintain urinary tract health, but they cannot say cranberry juice cocktail prevents urinary tract infections.
The makers of the butter-like spread Take Control had clinical studies showing it lowers cholesterol.
In the grocery store, shoppers might see these claims on Cheerios, which has soluble oat fiber that can reduce the risk of heart disease, or on Boca Burgers, which has soy protein that can also fight heart disease.
Under review is whether products containing lycopene, found in tomatoes and watermelon, can claim the potential to reduce the risk of cancer, particularly prostate cancer.
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