Superfoods – is healthy eating just hype? | DW Documentary
Superfoods – is healthy eating just hype? | DW Documentary
Are superfoods all that they’re cracked up to be? There’s plenty of worldwide hype about eating chia seeds, goji berries and quinoa - but what benefits do they really bring?
This documentary looks at what superfoods do for people and more. How is the healthy eating boom influencing agriculture and business? There are more and more restaurants serving superfoods in Germany. Florian Klar of Bochum opened the first superfood bistro in the Ruhr region about a year ago. He buys in all types of food, using local suppliers when he can, but he also uses exotic superfoods in his meals.
Quinoa, goji berries and chia seeds can now all be found in supermarkets as well. The food industry has discovered selling these products is lucrative and changed its product selection accordingly. Superfoods are simply that a foodstuff contains a high amount of nutrients. “Every country has its own superfood,” says nutritionist Matthias Riedl. Blueberries, flax seed, blackcurrants, and kale are all superfoods native to Germany.
The film also takes viewers to Bolivia, a key quinoa exporter, to see how the hype has influenced farming there. Exports of the so-called “Inca corn” quadrupled between 2007 and 2013. The rising price of quinoa on global markets has led Andean farmers to increase the size of their fields. Yet after just two straight years of quinoa harvests, the soil is already exhausted and barren.
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Content
0.44 -> They’re hip and healthy,
2.56 -> and more than just a
passing trend: superfoods.
9.08 -> For me, superfood means what does you good,
because superfoods are super for my body.
14.92 -> Quinoa, goji berries,
and chia seeds:
17.6 -> just three of the
countless superfoods
19.36 -> in big demand due to their
nutritional credentials.
23.92 -> The points is what
a person needs.
26.92 -> There's complete
confusion on that issue.
29.84 -> And now you see these products
where we’re told: "You need this.
32.84 -> If you eat this,
you'll get well or you won't get sick."
36 -> But it's not really true.
39.08 -> How does superfood-hype
impact on local people
42.4 -> in countries where the
products are actually grown?
46.72 -> Does the continually increasing
demand have the potential
49.4 -> to even destroy
entire ecosystems?
54.08 -> We're on the road to disaster
here if something doesn't change.
57.2 -> And the region will
turn into a desert.
75.08 -> The superfood craze started as
is so often the case, in the US.
79.84 -> And now, superfood restaurants are
at home in cities around the world.
84.44 -> They serve dishes with exotic ingredients
such as avocado, chia and quinoa —
90.08 -> which come with the promise of
making you slim, healthy and happy.
95.84 -> The customers in this restaurant in
Bochum, Germany, like it.
101.84 -> It looks healthy. And you know you're
doing something good for your body.
106.92 -> I like to eat a lot, but I like to
eat healthy, too. This a perfect mix.
111.08 -> There's lots of
healthy stuff here,
112.68 -> and it's good to have a change from
cafeterias or other places in town.
118.56 -> Florian Klar recognized a niche and
opened his business about a year ago.
123.84 -> He came up with the
recipes himself.
128.4 -> His aim is to offer a healthy
alternative to fatty, fast food.
136.84 -> Another one of the reasons why we're here
is because it's much easier to eat stuff
140.68 -> that's bad for you than
eat in a healthy way.
143.08 -> We want to
change that.
144.56 -> And with the term "Superfood"
you attract more customers
147.16 -> than if you call yourself a
"bistro for healthy food."
151.68 -> The food here is served
in special bowls.
154.52 -> Warm ingredients are combined
with cold ones, most of them raw.
158.72 -> The food is supposed to look
tasty and have an exotic touch.
166.72 -> The nice thing about
a bowl like this
168.36 -> is that there are lots of
individual foods in it.
171.2 -> A — that makes it nice and colorful,
and B, it's good for your body,
175.36 -> because each individual ingredient
contains minerals and vitamins.
180.56 -> That makes it a perfect meal.
183.6 -> These are
our kidney bean balls:
189.56 -> Chickpeas...
193.92 -> Here we have quinoa,
an ancient Inca grain from South America.
200.56 -> It’s a grain that is cooked with water
and contains loads of healthy proteins.
207.68 -> But are superfoods really
all they’re cracked up to be?
211.2 -> The protein content of quinoa, for
example is comparable to everyday millets.
217.68 -> Quinoa has more fiber. But millet
has more than twice as much iron.
229.2 -> Florian Klar buys a lot of his ingredients
at the Bochum wholesale market,
233.4 -> which boasts local products AND
foreign foods like sweet potatoes, too.
238.44 -> As always: quality
flesh inside.
241.4 -> The freshness of the products is
important to Florian when he’s shopping.
247.92 -> I need some herbs.
251.4 -> You've come to
the right place.
254.92 -> The mix is key to
Florian's menu.
257.72 -> He combines local fruits and veg
with foods from faraway lands.
265.92 -> Every fruit and vegetable has
its own nutritional composition.
269.2 -> That's why it's so nice to
combine the local with the exotic,
272.44 -> because many diverse nutrients,
vitamins and minerals
274.92 -> come together,
and they form a very complex meal.
279.92 -> And that’s great
for the body.
283.8 -> But healthy doesn't
necessarily mean sustainable.
287.32 -> The superfoods
served up in Germany
289.2 -> come from countries
thousands of kilometers away.
293.64 -> Quinoa is a good example.
Among the major producers is Bolivia.
298.92 -> The variety that sells best in Germany,
quinoa real, is harvested on salt flats.
307.8 -> The indigenous peoples of the
South American Andes highlands
310.68 -> were already farming quinoa
six thousand years ago.
314.52 -> The nutrient-rich grain has
always been a staple food here.
322.92 -> Joachim Milz is a
sustainable-farming consultant.
326.08 -> For years, he's been watching how quinoa
cultivation has developed in the region.
337.2 -> On these relatively saline and
poor soils with little rainfall,
341.2 -> we find a crop that can
deliver fantastic yields.
347.56 -> And with the llamas it's an ingenious
or ideal form of production,
352.16 -> and is good for the
region’s economy.
358.36 -> But that's changing.
359.72 -> Shrubs used to provide food for the
llamas and protect the soil from erosion.
364.2 -> After the harvest,
the animals came to graze.
367.2 -> Llama dung provided
fresh nutrients.
370.2 -> Since the quinoa boom started, farmers
have been pushing for maximum yields —
375.08 -> while the scrubland
has been cleared.
380.84 -> I was shocked by the fact that 150 to 200
thousand hectares of llama grazing land
386.04 -> has been ploughed
up for quinoa.
392.28 -> There are now quinoa fields
as far as the eye can see.
395.76 -> Rising demand has led to massive
expansion in the plant’s cultivation.
400.4 -> Clearing the fields has left
the soil without the vegetation
403.68 -> that had protected
it from wind erosion.
410.6 -> When you walk along here,
you only see annual weeds growing now.
415.4 -> The soil is completely
unprotected.
418.56 -> Ultimately, what they're doing is promoting
the development of a highland desert.
425.44 -> Farmers won't have the conditions
they need to produce here,
429 -> so people will have
to go elsewhere.
433.4 -> That change is already
making itself felt.
437.04 -> With crop yields declining,
438.28 -> some farmers have already
given up and gone to the cities
441.84 -> to make a living as
unskilled laborers.
444.92 -> And Bolivia is
just one place
446.72 -> where superfood monoculture
has left the land scarred.
456.08 -> The problem we see here with quinoa
is basically going on everywhere
460.4 -> around the world.
466.08 -> Take the avocado
for example.
468.16 -> As a superfood, it’s grown as
a monoculture on large farms.
475.04 -> Once profits become
the priority,
476.92 -> short-term economic interests
override everything else.
483.6 -> And hardly anyone really thinks about
what will become of these ecosystems —
488.32 -> where people
also live.
493.32 -> Massive demand for avocados has led to
problems in countries that grow the fruit,
498.04 -> just as it has with
quinoa here in Bolivia.
500.92 -> Within a decade, the area of land used to
grow avocados increased by 30 percent —
506.28 -> with 15 hundred liters of
water now needed per kilo.
510.28 -> Vegetables in Germany such as
lettuce or tomatoes require far less.
517.36 -> Enormous single-crop farms,
especially in dry regions,
520.52 -> only ensure short-term
high yields.
523.32 -> Raising quinoa the traditional way
is based on a different principle —
527.52 -> using less land,
but yielding better quality.
534.44 -> Jobia Calani farms a
small plot of land.
537.72 -> It takes her two weeks to
harvest the field by hand.
541.2 -> Since tractors are now used to grow quinoa
more easily everywhere in the flatlands,
545.56 -> there are few people left who
want to toil away on hill farms.
549.32 -> Yet this is the cradle
of quinoa cultivation.
560.56 -> This is the way our ancestors
worked the fields back then.
564.56 -> Our grandparents taught our
parents, and our parents taught us.
569.72 -> We have to plow
this up every year.
572.04 -> Are these
Quinoa roots?
574.2 -> Yes, exactly,
the old roots.
576.4 -> And you leave
these twigs here?
580.64 -> We rake them, using tools like this.
That's our way of working the soil.
595.84 -> It's a traditional system that's
been practiced for centuries.
602.04 -> Even here there's room for improvement
in terms of sustainability,
607.08 -> but compared to the mechanized
farming down in the lowland plains,
611.4 -> this is more
environmentally-friendly.
616.64 -> The soil has time to regenerate between
the two harvests here on the hillsides.
621.4 -> The plants are large,
the individual kernels: plump.
630.72 -> See this plant here,
it's yielding really well.
634.44 -> Look at the seed heads,
the kernels are nice and ripe.
638.08 -> By our standards,
these are the best grains.
641.08 -> We store them and
use them as seeds.
645.6 -> Joachim Milz has brought along some
quinoa from a German supermarket.
652.64 -> He wants to show the farmers
how the grain they grow here
655.4 -> is sold and
consumed in Europe.
662.92 -> So how do you feel about Germany and Europe
suddenly discovering quinoa as a superfood?
673.36 -> Our product didn’t
used to be well-known.
677.08 -> Word hadn't got around yet
about how much protein it has.
682.68 -> It used to cost less than rice and pasta.
687.92 -> They said quinoa wasn't worth that much.
693.92 -> As farmers, we're a little proud that
quinoa is now known all over the world.
703.36 -> The farmers compare the quinoa
from the German supermarket
706.68 -> with what they've just
harvested from their own field.
712.2 -> The box says
"Class 1."
714.32 -> But even our Class 2 is bigger than
this.
720.76 -> I'd say it's Class 3.
724.84 -> And these little ones here,
they're nothing. That's chicken-feed!
734.36 -> Jobia is done with
this field for today.
737.04 -> Further up the hillside she has another
plot of ripe quinoa that needs harvesting.
752.2 -> When the superfood boom started in 2014,
the price for quinoa went through the roof.
757.6 -> Back then, even small villages like
Cierro Grande profited from this trend.
766.44 -> It’s home to just
seven families.
769.92 -> They were able to buy new equipment —
such as a small grain-sorting machine.
777.08 -> That made
work easier.
779.28 -> But in 2015, just a year later,
the market price collapsed again.
785.76 -> How much would you have to earn from quinoa
grown on the hillside for it to pay off?
792.08 -> They’d have to pay us a lot more for
our production costs to be covered.
797.4 -> Plus: we need to
feed our families.
805.68 -> The development of the price for quinoa in
Bolivia looks like a roller coaster ride.
810.4 -> In 2014 it peaked at just over
three thousand dollars a ton,
814.84 -> but only three years later, it plummeted to
a lower value than before the boom began.
826.56 -> The expansion of quinoa
farming on the plains
829.84 -> also led to major
fluctuations in its price.
835.56 -> And the hill farmers suffer because they
can't compete and don't get paid more
839.6 -> despite the additional effort
involved in working on the hillsides.
847.68 -> The farming is sustainable,
with high-quality yields.
851.52 -> But this way of working the
land is at risk of dying out.
855.44 -> European consumers are relatively
unaware of the farmers' problems —
859.92 -> while the superfoods selection in
their supermarkets keeps on growing.
864.2 -> Between 2014 and 2016 the turnover
generated by superfoods in Germany
869 -> rose from 1.4 million
to 42.6 million euros.
874.32 -> The bestseller is chia,
which accounts for 62 percent of sales.
879.16 -> But what's best to buy from
such a large selection?
886.2 -> Consumer are
completely confused.
889.2 -> So they're vulnerable to advertising
based on faith. It's like religion.
895.72 -> I show up promising a miracle,
and people in need of orientation
899.56 -> are ready to believe it.
That's the concept behind superfoods.
906.2 -> Doctor and nutrition specialist
Matthias Riedl inspects the superfoods
909.8 -> on the shelves of a
Hamburg supermarket.
912.6 -> Ginger, dried berries,
chia — customers find a wide variety
916.84 -> of supposedly healthy
products here.
919.68 -> But the list of ingredients
shows what's really inside.
926.56 -> You could think this is
the natural foods section.
930.84 -> But here we have
cranberries.
933.68 -> You don't see it right away, but they have
an extra 40% sugar — and sunflower oil,
939.84 -> which isn’t
the best oil.
942.8 -> So this bag of cranberries has more
sugar in it than a bar of chocolate.
947.16 -> Almost 70 percent.
So they're anything but healthy.
954.92 -> Chia seeds do contain
the very-best nutrients.
958.72 -> But they're usually consumed
in very small quantities.
963.84 -> Superfoods are just a diversion
from the real problem.
968.08 -> The German diet
isn't healthy enough.
971.16 -> And adding 15 grams of chia
seeds daily won't change it.
975.72 -> But that's exactly
what happens.
977.76 -> Chia seeds are something of an alibi food
to make up for an otherwise unhealthy diet.
985.84 -> 15 grams provide even less omega
three fatty acids than, for example,
991.32 -> a generous portion
of walnuts.
995.76 -> Flaxseed could be another
alternative to chia.
999.72 -> It has more protein and about the same
proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
1004.92 -> Although when it comes to
calcium, flaxseed can't compete.
1013.92 -> Big industry is eager to
join the superfood trend.
1017.8 -> Even long-time staples such
as ready-to-serve cereals
1020.76 -> are now being supplemented
with exotic grains and berries.
1026.08 -> Here are two examples
of what's going wrong.
1030.2 -> They've got far too much sugar
and just a smidgeon of cranberry
1033.76 -> to let the consumer know:
"Look, it's got fruit in it!"
1039.64 -> But the percentage of cranberries is
well below five percent — negligible.
1046.08 -> The key here is the
high level of sugar.
1048.92 -> It's unhealthy and neutralizes
anything beneficial
1052 -> that the dried
cranberries contribute.
1056.92 -> Lingon berries are an alternative
to cranberries that grow in Europe,
1060.8 -> for example.
1062.08 -> The sugar content in raw
cranberries is lower.
1065 -> But due to their
relatively sour taste,
1067.4 -> far more sugar is added
to the dried version.
1073.92 -> The term "superfood" isn't
a registered trademark,
1076.52 -> but does suggest a positive
effect on consumer health.
1080.08 -> But that's not always the case.
1084.68 -> Here's a nice example.
1086.36 -> One hundred percent natural
doesn't mean 100 percent healthy.
1091.08 -> This small portion for two euros gives you
47 grams of sugar per 100 grams of product.
1098.28 -> So eating this little bag-full
means nearly 25 grams of sugar.
1102.84 -> That's the World Health Organization's
maximum daily intake recommendation,
1107.44 -> so that's pretty
much it for the day.
1111.52 -> The nutrition expert
advises people in Germany
1114.16 -> to eat local fruit and vegetables,
even if they're less trendy.
1120.6 -> Our produce has
an image problem,
1122.76 -> and we need to inform people about
how good these fruit colors are for us
1126.4 -> and the benefits of
our local products.
1130.8 -> Allioids have a
natural anti-inflammatory effect,
1133.76 -> whether it's chives, garlic or leek.
1140.2 -> There are local alternatives in
Germany for many overseas foods —
1144.08 -> and they don't have to
be shipped thousands of kilometers
1146.44 -> to get to supermarket shelves.
1148.76 -> And they're a sound choice
on the nutrients front.
1154.28 -> The goji berry has seven times more
calories than the humble black currant,
1159.4 -> primarily because of the
former’s high sugar content.
1164.08 -> And when it comes to vitamin C the
black currant easily outstrips the goji.
1172.36 -> Some so-called superfoods come from
countries where farming regulations
1176.32 -> are not as strict
as in Germany.
1179 -> Sample measurements have shown that some
may contain pesticides and heavy metals.
1184.32 -> This lab in Bremen specializes
in detecting hazardous substances
1188.4 -> in food and other products,
and has tested the likes of goji berries.
1199.04 -> During pesticide screening
we check for the presence
1201.52 -> of about two hundred
different pesticides.
1204.44 -> These include insecticides,
fungicides and herbicides.
1208.76 -> We also screen for four heavy metals:
lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury.
1215.44 -> We've primarily found insecticides
in higher concentrations.
1223.84 -> And not just in
goji berries.
1226.4 -> Samples from other institutes have
indicated the presence of pesticides
1230.2 -> and mineral oil in raw cocoa,
chia seeds and moringa powder.
1238.92 -> The pesticide issue isn't
a problem with quinoa.
1242.08 -> Many producers have
organic certification.
1245.2 -> But that doesn’t make
the farming sustainable.
1248.2 -> Tractors churn
up the dry soil.
1250.8 -> And with demand
growing,
1252.36 -> the land being farmed now stretches
from the hills to the flatlands,
1256.2 -> with no end
in sight.
1260.84 -> Joachim Milz is concerned
that if things go on like this
1263.84 -> there won't be any quinoa
growing here one day.
1266.72 -> The farmers are already telling him that
the yields are shrinking from year to year.
1274.6 -> The conclusions that could be
drawn from this aren't being made.
1278.6 -> People need to ask, above all: what
can we actually do differently?
1283.08 -> Instead of saying: "Ok,
stop ploughing all that up,"
1286.32 -> the message
should be:
1287.84 -> "How can we produce quinoa without
destroying the whole region here?"
1294 -> Joachim Milz is headed for
the community of Rodeo,
1297.08 -> where they also grow quinoa in the
flatlands using mechanized farming.
1302.76 -> The quinoa boom
revived this village.
1305.8 -> Many locals returned
from the big cities,
1308.04 -> because they could make
a living here again.
1310.36 -> Houses were
rebuilt,
1311.8 -> and a modest level of affluence
developed in the form of assets
1314.84 -> like tractors and
other machines.
1318.84 -> And the villagers went back
to fostering local customs —
1322.36 -> such as traditional
dress, music and rituals.
1328.16 -> The big demand for quinoa has had a
really positive effect on our community.
1334.28 -> Our standard of living and our quality
of life have improved enormously.
1342.28 -> The way they grow quinoa in Rodeo
needs to change fundamentally
1346.16 -> if they are to
maintain that.
1347.84 -> The crop is farmed according
to organic standards,
1350.6 -> but natural vegetation is
still being largely cleared.
1354.36 -> That weakens
soil quality.
1362.92 -> Have a look at this tola plant and
the way its root system is formed.
1368.76 -> The roots are still firmly
anchored in the soil,
1371.72 -> and go several meters
down into the ground.
1377.4 -> This is one of the most important
species to maintain fertility
1380.6 -> in this extremely
dry region.
1385 -> It stops wind erosion and helps
to keep water in the soil.
1392 -> If the decline in soil
quality continues,
1394.52 -> soon it will no longer be
worth the farmers’ effort.
1399.2 -> Joachim Milz talks
to the farmers
1401.04 -> about ways to ensure decent
harvests in the long term.
1408.44 -> The soil is beautifully fertile here.
Because of these here.
1413.68 -> We must produce the quinoa with this.
It's like fertilizer.
1419.16 -> And at the same time it's
food for llamas, right?
1427.4 -> That's the best
thing for the quinoa;
1429.52 -> we just have to take all these woody bits
and sprinkle them on the field when we sow.
1434.28 -> We should try that.
1436.64 -> As such, we need to produce
everything — biomass, fertilizer —
1440.36 -> on the piece of land itself.
Then it’s sustainable.
1444 -> And at the same time we
also have to reforest.
1448.08 -> People are quite skeptical, but that's
always the case with something new.
1452.8 -> But people are listening.
1457.28 -> A place like this makes me optimistic
that something can be done.
1465.44 -> In the small
town of Salinas,
1466.92 -> preparations are underway
for a market fair
1469.4 -> where the regional quinoa farmers
will be able to present their wares.
1473.4 -> All the towns in the
surrounding area are represented
1476.2 -> in this showcase of the food
that is so vital for the region.
1480.76 -> Joachim Milz wants to
speak to the exhibitors.
1483.84 -> Many export their crops to Europe, and most
produce according to organic standards.
1490.04 -> The agronomist is hoping
that German consumers
1492.32 -> will soon not only want quinoa
that is farmed organically,
1495.08 -> but sustainably as well.
1504.04 -> It would be good if this demand could
be used to change farming practices.
1508.92 -> We have to make it clear
that the organic requirements
1511.52 -> are not nearly enough to
produce quinoa sustainably.
1518.08 -> Sustainability has to become
a quinoa farming standard
1522.08 -> if the ecosystems in Bolivia's
highlands are to remain intact —
1526.52 -> and offer their human and animal
inhabitants a viable long-term future.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRRoYeKztbY