Superfruits: Are They Worth the Money?

Dr. Mitchell is co-author of Fat is Not Your Fate, Eat to Stay Young and I’d Kill for a Cookie.
Listen to her weekly Internet Show on AM580 WDBO http://580wdbo.com/healthcenter/

Visit her websites: http://www.susanmitchell.org and http://www.fatisnotyourfate.com

Superfoods are a huge trend in the food and nutrition world. A superfood is one that provides benefits to your body beyond basic nutrition. When you think of superfoods, what do you think of? Salmon for the omega-3s, blueberries, spinach, or walnuts? The food-for-better health trend is hot because of the desire to have a sharper memory, age well, kick up energy levels and significantly cut the risk for disease.

A new term, superfruit, is one that you are going to hear more often. It’s very similar to a superfood except for the focus is on fruit specifically. Along with blueberries and cranberries, three of the hottest fruits in the superfruit arena are pomegranate, the acai berry, and mangosteen. Are they really disease busters or are they just alternatives to orange juice that are nutritious and expensive?

The potential health benefit of superfruits focuses on the antioxidant content. Antioxidants include vitamin C and E for example but also the naturally occurring plant chemicals in the fruit called phytochemicals (phyto meaning plant). These antioxidants beat up and destroy free radicals which are unstable oxygen molecules formed during normal body processes. Free radicals, if left unchecked, can damage healthy cells and potentially cause health problems such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease and inflammation.

Here’s what I want you to think about. Just because a superfruit has a high antioxidant content, does this mean it automatically translates into a health benefit in the human body? The only way to know for sure is to conduct nutrition research and test whether these antioxidants can destroy free radicals in humans and whether this cell destruction lowers the risk of disease and helps versus hinders something like inflammation.

Pomegranates are hot, hot, hot right now. You can find pomegranate in everything from juice and nutrition bars to cereals, smoothies and tea. Pomegranate juice costs three-four times more than orange juice and has almost twice the calories per serving. Unlike mangosteen and noni juice where little scientific evidence is available, preliminary studies have been done and long term studies are in the works. These preliminary studies show the potential benefit of pomegranates in helping to prevent prostate cancer. Preliminary data also points to potential benefits for the heart in terms of improving blood flood thru the arteries. Pomegranates rank right up there with blueberries and strawberries when it comes to antioxidant levels.

What about mangosteen juice? It comes from the fruit of the mangosteen tree native to Southeast Asia. It’s also called xango because of the xanthones or phytochemicals it contains. It’s not related to the mango although it sounds like it. Currently, mangosteen juice is heavily marketed thru multi-level marketing and Internet sites which boast strong health claims. You’ll find hyped benefits promising help to cure cancer and diabetes, migraines and many other diseases.

Is mangosteen a good source of antioxidants? Yes. Has it been shown to cure disease or even help prevent cancer and other diseases in humans to date? No. The American Cancer Society on their website contends while mangosteen juice is a source of antioxidants, there is no reliable evidence for its use as a cancer treatment. In fact the FDA sent out a warning letter to one mangosteen company in 2006 for marketing the product to treat illness for which there is no proof.

Another superfruit that you’re hearing more about are acai berries from Brazil (pronounced ah-SAH-ee). You can find acai berries incorporated into juice, cereals, smoothies and more. The berries are a source of phytochemicals called flavonoids Yes, these are the same ones you’ve heard about in chocolate and wine. A study from the University of Florida found that compounds in acai berries could reduce growth of certain leukemia cells in the lab. This preliminary data now needs to be confirmed through human studies. Other research in the lab and on animals shows the potential for an anti-inflammatory effect. Again, human studies need to follow.

Pomegranate, mangosteen juice and acai berries are all superfruits in that they are good sources of antioxidants and can be part of a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables. To date, research on the benefits in humans has not been conducted or else is very limited to back up the myriad of promises you’ll find associated with these products. They can be very expensive costing up to $70-80 a bottle and are not miracle cures as often promised. Always do a reality check when a product promises to treat/cure all types of diseases.

Dr. Susan