Truths and myths about superfoods in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic
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Tarih
2024
Dergi Başlığı
Dergi ISSN
Cilt Başlığı
Yayıncı
Taylor & Francis Inc
Erişim Hakkı
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
Özet
Nowadays, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, consumers increasingly seek foods that not only fulfill the basic need (i.e., satisfying hunger) but also enhance human health and well-being. As a result, more attention has been given to some kinds of foods, termed superfoods, making big claims about their richness in valuable nutrients and bioactive compounds as well as their capability to prevent illness, reinforcing the human immune system, and improve overall health. This review is an attempt to uncover truths and myths about superfoods by giving examples of the most popular foods (e.g., berries, pomegranates, watermelon, olive, green tea, several seeds and nuts, honey, salmon, and camel milk, among many others) that are commonly reported as having unique nutritional, nutraceutical, and functional characteristics. While superfoods have become a popular buzzword in blog articles and social media posts, scientific publications are still relatively marginal. The reviewed findings show that COVID-19 has become a significant driver for superfoods consumption. Food Industry 4.0 innovations have revolutionized many sectors of food technologies, including the manufacturing of functional foods, offering new opportunities to improve the sensory and nutritional quality of such foods. Although many food products have been considered superfoods and intensively sought by consumers, scientific evidence for their beneficial effectiveness and their superpower are yet to be provided. Therefore, more research and collaboration between researchers, industry, consumers, and policymakers are still needed to differentiate facts from marketing gimmicks and promote human health and nutrition.
Açıklama
Anahtar Kelimeler
Active compounds, consumer's health, coronavirus, emerging technologies, fourth industrial revolution, functional foods, healthy diet, immune system, nutritional quality, sensory properties
Kaynak
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
WoS Q Değeri
Q1
Scopus Q Değeri
Q1
Cilt
64
Sayı
3
