Introductory Chapter: Design of an Ideal Diet Using Common Foods

Abstract

Recently, superfoods, instead of dietary supplements or functional foods, are considered an effective mode of intake of active ingredients. The word "superfood" is a marketing term and is not correctly defined. The idea of superfood was first proposed by Platt [3] and Wolfe [4]. According to the concept of Platt, superfood can be defined as a low-calorie food containing active ingredients that decrease the risk of diseases, such as cancer and dementia. Wolfe defined the word "superfood" as a food that contains extremely high concentrations of active ingredients or important nutrients. Foods shown in Table 1 have been selected as typical superfoods based on these concepts, and their characteristics have been previously examined [5, 6].

Is Tea a Superfood?

“…Both terms are commonly used nowadays, and they are sometimes used to refer to the same food product, although they actually describe to two very different categories of foods. Functional foods are whole foods that have a complex and nutrient-rich composition, providing well-being beyond what the body simply needs to survive [1]. An example of a functional food is the purple or gold potatoes which have enriched contents of beneficial compounds such as anthocyanins or carotenoids.…”

“…The term "superfood" is constantly used nowadays to describe food products that have certain ingredients in them that are believed to prevent the occurrence of diseases. The term differs slightly from "functional foods," which are actually whole (non-processed) foods, such as nuts or legumes, that have are complex and nutrient-rich and provide well-being beyond what the body needs to simply survive [1]. Superfoods have more active ingredients than functional foods, and superfoods are associated with the ability to fight specific disease conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.…”