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DIET
Fields of the crop quinoa 5 their countries of origin as they attain trendy haven’t been shown to be healthier than any
lie in front of a majestic
mountain range in Chile status in the developed world. Quinoa tripled other foods, and there are few if any long-term
in price between 2006 and 2011, becoming studies on their effects on disease,” says Patel.
too expensive for many in its native Peru and If such things as superfoods do exist, then
Bolivia. Diversity of crops also takes a hit as they’re hiding behind their secret identities
farmers jump on the lucrative bandwagon. And, as the mild-mannered Clark Kents of the
ironically, people in those countries wind up supermarket produce section. “Garlic has a
eating more imported junk food, because it’s ton of evidence,” says Patel. “And potatoes are
cheaper. The good news is that quinoa is now cheap, nutritious and filling, yet they don’t get
being grown in the US and Europe. much attention.”
Meanwhile, the Ethiopian government So, rather than spend a fortune and hero-
recently lifted a ban on the export of teff worship particular superfoods, think of your
(a gluten-free super-grain), which was imposed diet as being more like the Avengers – a diverse
in 2006 amid fears of a grain shortage. They’re assortment of colourful characters with different
increasing yield by 40 per cent first to ensure an powers that have to work together to achieve
the best possible outcome. And the largest part
adequate supply, but there are still concerns. of it should be green.
GETTY IMAGES / ISTOCKPHOTO Find out how diet affects ers too – they drive us to spend more, by JAMIE MILLAR (@mrjamiemillar)
Superfoods can be costly for consum-
feed the untrue notion that healthy
eating has to be expensive and lead
the brain in How To Have
us to overlook other beneficial foods.
A Better Brain: Diet
bbc.co.uk/programmes/
editor to Men’s Health.
b065xhtm “Açaí and similar exotic-sounding foods Jamie is a freelance writer and contributing
BBC SCIENCE FOCUS MAGAZINE COLLECTION 27
