The idea that some foods are better than others has been around for a long time. But the idea that certain foods have super powers is a big exaggeration. Several leading nutrition scientists question the evidence on some of these claims—and for good reason. The whole concept of superpower foods is far-fetched.
For instance, while the research on blueberries and brain function is very exciting, this work has so far been conducted only on animals. The studies were conducted on rats and mice, not humans. There are no completed studies that show comparable results in people. Until we have data on humans, we can’t go around telling people that blueberries have super powers.
While the evidence in the article isn’t exactly wrong, it tends to be misleading because it doesn’t differentiate between direct evidence and stuff that’s pretty speculative. For example, it’s a good idea to eat tomatoes because they’re full of nutrients, but we can’t promise that people who cat them aren’t going to get cancer. The same is true for broccoli and other vegetables in the cabbage family. They might prevent colon cancer, but we don’t yet have direct proof of this.
Another thing, the statement that garlic has the power to lower cholesterol probably isn’t true. According to a more recent review of the evidence, the effect of garlic on cholesterol is unclear. While garlic may produce a drop in cholesterol for the first three months, the decline disappears after six months.
What I’m saying is, no food has magic powers. You have to realize that a lot of these so-called “studies” are poorly designed and unscientific. So when you read claims about certain foods, you have to be careful to distinguish direct, scientific evidence from simplifications, opinions, and misleading statements.