Is there a limit to how many superfoods the body can handle?
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During my week of superfoods, I became curious if I could get too much of a good thing. I asked the experts. “Too much of anything can get us into trouble,” advised BreAnna Guan, ND, a naturopathic physician in Boston.
Serena Poon, CN, CHC, CHN, certified nutritionist and celebrity chef adds that aside from possibly getting too much fiber—which can lead to digestive discomfort—it’s hard to overdo fruits and veggies. “Caution is recommended with powders and supplements, as these nutrients are often in a different form than their food counterpart and too many vitamins can be dangerous,” Poon says.
There are many different superfoods—including healing herbs and spices—and Stacie J. Stephenson, a functional medicine practitioner, reminds us that superfoods include some herbs and spices. “They aren’t all necessarily satisfying to the appetite, but they are good for the body,” Dr. Stephenson says. “You aren’t going to fill up on turmeric or kimchi, but sprinkling some turmeric into your soup or tossing some kimchi into your salad can be a good way to incorporate superfoods for greater satisfaction, as well as nutrition.”
Dr. Stephenson—and all the experts—agree that adding superfoods to your diet, either in the form of superfood powders or through whole foods, is a wise move. “A big salad with a lot of colorful vegetables and some wild-caught salmon or chickpeas is going to be more nutritionally satisfying than a slice of pepperoni pizza,” Dr. Stephenson says. “Superfoods might not be what you crave, but the nutrients they contain are what your body needs.”
