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Should you try that superfood recommended by Daily Break

Daily Break is a website that offers news articles, quizzes, recipes and other bits of information every day. I tend to visit daily because you can get points for viewing the articles or taking the quizzes, which you can then turn into gift cards to Amazon, Walmart and other places. Today I logged in to discover a quiz titled, Which Superfood Should you Try?

Naturally, my mind immediately leapt to this blog and whether anything suggested would potentially be interesting. I've found some yummy recipes through Daily Break before, found some nice exercise apps and even bought a baby gift for a friend that I saw mentioned on there. I figured this should be fun and I might be able to find something new to try.

Just to be upfront, I really hate these 'superfood' trends. Unless the food actually tastes good on its own then I want to see scientific studies backing up its claims of usefulness. And even if it is super tasty, I don't want to be fed potential lies about how it will increase energy or help with weight loss without scientific studies. Just call it tasty and market good food to me.

I took the quiz and my delivered result was:

Maca Powder
You should incorporate maca powder into your daily eats! Maca has a variety of benefits, including increased energy levels and clearer skin. It's also refreshingly simple to add maca powder to the foods you already enjoy, like smoothies and oatmeal.


Maca root has a rather huge list of claims for things it can fix, from erectile function to helping women going through menopause. This is actually the first time I've ever seen it claimed to give 'clearer skin', but what's one more thing to add to the pile of claims? One basless claim is just as good as another, right? Because maca root has limited or no scientific evidence to back up any of these claims. It has been studied for menopausal women though the studies were too limited to draw firm conclusions. It was also studied for erectile dysfunction a number of times with varying results which showed limited evidence of effectiveness in only a small number of patients. Not only has it not been shown to provide substantial medical benefits, it can lead to goiters if you don't consume enough iodine while using it.

It also tastes awful, being described as bad by most first-time tasters and an 'acquired taste' by others. It's definitely not a food to add for taste, and according to the studies, it's not one to add for any medical benefits either. Which makes this super food trend, a super dud.

The other results were:

Goji Berries
You should add goji berries to your diet! This superfood is supposed to promote healthy skin and eyes, while also providing a boost to your immune system. What's not to like? Add them to your trail mix or use as a topping for yogurt or salads.

Seaweed
You should give seaweed a try! Seaweed is a vitamin-packed superfood that also has natural antioxidant properties. You can put some in any soup or stew for an added boost, or even create your own seaweed salad. Yum!

Chia Seeds
You should try chia seeds! This superfood is loaded with antioxidants, protein, and fiber; all of which equals a healthier you. Wondering how to add them to your diet? Chia seeds are an easy addition to recipes for baked goods, puddings, and jam.


Oddly these other options look better than maca powder. Seaweed and chia seeds have no unsubstantiated claims made about them. And while the goji berries slide does make unsubstantiated claims, at least these berries taste good – a bit like a sweet tomato.  

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