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Dr. Nandita Iyer weighs in on how Indian cuisine is and always has been packed with 'superfoods'

<ul><li>Nutrition expert Dr. <keyword id="4449519" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="nandita-iyer">Nandita Iyer</keyword> shares her views on what the term ‘<keyword id="1695225" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Superfood">superfood</keyword>’ actually means, and whether we need to indulge in the trend or not. </li><li>Any food that has a high proportion of one or more of these nutrients — such as vitamins, minerals or antioxidants — qualifies to be known as a superfood</li><li>"If you look at Indian superfoods, something like <keyword id="6400986" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="amla">amla</keyword> clearly tops the list because if blueberries are topping every international listicle on superfoods, amla has fifty times the antioxidant capacity of blueberries." - Dr. Nandita Iyer </li></ul> From <keyword id="55635" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Turmeric">turmeric</keyword> to <keyword id="6446946" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ghee">ghee</keyword>, Indians often tend to undervalue their historic possessions, but the moment it starts making waves abroad, we are more than willing to embrace something that was available to us all along. And strangely enough, some also resort to splurging copious amounts of money on imported fruits, vegetables, seeds, oils and whatnot while ignoring the real gems our land provides us. Business Insider spoke to nutrition expert Dr. Nandita Iyer who, after her first book — The Everyday Healthy Vegetarian — is set to launch her next book Everyday Superfoods in March, this year. She shares her views on what the term ‘superfood’ actually means, and whether we need to indulge in the trend or not. <div type="Video" msid="81211869" hostid="261" title="Dr. Nandita Iyer weighs in on how Indian cuisine is and always has been packed with 'superfoods'" dataSource="BUSINESSINSIDER" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=81211869"></div> In her book, she has a section on 'Superfood Compendium' in which she lists out 39 of the most potent superfoods grown in India. These include: <div type="image" title="Superfoods" msid="81242013" hostid="261"></div> <div type="image" title="Indian superfoods" msid="81241421" hostid="261"></div> Edited excerpts of the conversation with Dr. Nandita Iyer follow: What is your definition of a superfood? When I was researching my book Everyday Superfoods, the first question that came to my mind is, how did this word come into being? And what I discovered was quite funny. The first-ever recorded usage of this word was in a Jamaican newspaper, and it was actually a reference to a wine brand — they just got creative. And the second known instance was in 1949, where another Canadian newspaper was advertising a muffin using the word superfood. So I think that the whole thing of using this term for marketing is definitely not a new thing because even before the term started being used in its true sense of the word, it was actually being used by brands. The definition of a superfood is pretty simple — it is any food that is nutrient-dense. Any food that has a high proportion of one or more of these nutrients — such as vitamins, minerals or antioxidants — qualifies to be known as a superfood, which is the well-accepted definition in the scientific community. Some believe it is just a marketing gimmick. Would you say otherwise? A true superfood will definitely have health benefits that are good for general health and boosting immunity. But to loosely use this term for processed goods, packaged foods, is definitely, I would say, a marketing gimmick. In the pre-Covid times, I used to love walking around supermarkets and see what new products were there. And invariably, there would be a whole bunch of new products that called themselves superfood, which is pretty misleading. It is the worst possible way to mislead people who may not be aware of nutrition and who may not be having a scientific bent of mind, so they may believe what is written on the packet. It is just a way to jack up the price of any product — if a regular food item costs X, by calling it a superfood, you can easily charge 5X. Considering the environmental cost, what are your thoughts on imported food items like avocados, <keyword id="573117" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Quinoa">quinoa</keyword> etc. In my book Everyday Superfoods, I have a whole chapter on sustainability. Anything that gets the label of a superfood does benefit the farmers who are growing that particular superfood. However, it also leads to a whole bunch of other unpleasant side effects. Instead of focusing on what is local, instead of focusing on what is in season, everybody starts rushing towards buying that one thing because it is in trend, it is popular, and it is getting a lot of attention and likes on Instagram, and that is not a good way to eat at all. If a lot of farmers start growing turmeric alone because it is the next big thing it will lead to monocropping - where farmers, instead of growing a variety of foods, grow one kind of food in one place. And that means the soil gets depleted, so they are adding extra fertilisers, further polluting groundwater. So it is like a vicious cycle. When it comes to quinoa, I think it started getting popular in the 1980s in the US because it began getting imported from Central America etc. Then the United Nations (UN) declared 2013 "The International Year of Quinoa." That just led to prices going up, and every farmer in South America was growing quinoa, and they did not even want to eat it themselves because they said, 'I could sell it for so much more so why should I eat into my own earnings, right?' The locals themselves stopped eating their ancient grains, something they were so used to, and they started eating wheat and other grains. It just destroys the balance of things in nature. This is why the emphasis is on - what is local, what is in season, and what have your ancestors been eating? Michael Pollan is someone I really consider a guru, and he says, "Don't eat anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn't recognise as food." And did my great, great grandmother know about quinoa? That said, this is a complex issue. Quinoa is now well grown in Karnataka. That is why the prices have fallen from what used to be like Rs 1500 or kilo to now it is literally Rs 200 a kilo. The good thing is that the crop does not consume as much water as rice because it is a pseudo-grain and grows in slightly harsher conditions. So it is okay for me to buy quinoa, which is locally-grown and it has not travelled 10,000 miles to reach me. So there is no binary in this aspect, which is why this whole subject is so complex and so tough for people to decide what to eat, what not to eat. It takes a few extra seconds to see the back of the pack and see where it is grown because it will definitely be mentioned. <div type="image" title="Amla" msid="81241745" hostid="261"></div> Can you give us a bit of a primer on Indian superfoods? Since we talked about how it is not really a label that matters, the questions we need to ask are, is this a nutrient-dense food? Is this locally available? Is it readily available? Because anything you label as a superfood is usually costly, it is not available round the year and is often imported from far away. These will be very difficult to include in your daily diet, and like we already discussed, no superfood is a miracle pill that you eat once a year, and your life will be sorted. So, whatever it is, it needs to be consumed in a fairly regular way. It needs to be part of your lifestyle, and for that purpose, these can only be readily available and affordable foods. If you look at Indian superfoods, something like amla clearly tops the list because if blueberries are topping every international listicle on superfoods, amla has fifty times the antioxidant capacity of blueberries. And it is so cheap, local, and though it is seasonal, the beauty in Indian food and Indian cuisine is that there are at least five different ways in which amla is preserved - it is dried, it is made into a supari, it is preserved in honey, it is preserved as a sharbat, and of course, pickled. So while amla is available possibly for three months in a year, we can actually eat it round the year by just using our traditional preservation techniques. We do not need any factory or industry to be preserving it, these are all home-based preservation techniques. Fermented drinks like kombucha seem to be all the rage. What are the Indian alternatives to the same? So, we have our chaach, and there is a kaanji made in the North using mustard seeds and carrots fermented over two to three days. In the South, you have kanji, which is nothing but rice that is overcooked and soft and some buttermilk is added to that, and it is actually kept overnight to ferment. Sometimes it is also hard because when there was rice leftover the previous night and there was no refrigeration in the earlier days, so people would just add water to the rice and leave it outside on the counter. Next morning, it will be slightly fermented, and they will have it with some chopped onion or pickle. In Odisha, you have the pakhala bhata, which is again a similar thing where it is an overnight fermented rice gruel. This is a double dose of probiotics from fermenting the rice itself, and you are adding buttermilk, which is also a fermented drink. Do you believe that those who are not buying into this trend are destined for doom? I definitely think they are not doomed. But the superfoods I have mentioned in my book are so every day that invariably, people living in India are eating many of them in their standard diet. Like dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, lobia (black-eyed peas), green moong, these are all everyday ingredients but poor things — they do not come with this crown or this fancy label, but they are superfoods. Whether you buy into the trend or not, if you are eating Indian cuisine, you are already eating many of these things. We eat turmeric every single day, and black pepper is there in our masalas, plus our chai masala has so many ingredients. So Indian cuisine is so rich in superfoods by itself that even if someone is a non-believer in this trend, they are already eating it. I am sorry to disappoint them. However, it is definitely not true that they are doomed if they do not buy into the trend because, anything that we adapt, it has to be a gradual change in lifestyle itself, and that is what we need to believe and invest in it rather than just flipping from trend to trend because a trend is very temporary and a lifestyle is forever. In life, health and nutrition, there are absolutely no binaries. People want binary answers because it saves them from analysing their own life and health problems. They need to think for themselves and find out, 'Am I able to do this? Is this sustainable for me?' This is why I get quite frustrated when I see a YouTube video saying, 'drink this pink tea and you will lose 20 kilos'. Which is one of the reasons I wrote this book. It is not fancy, it is not clickbait, and it is not anything shocking. It is pretty much everyday knowledge, but definitely, that common knowledge and moderation seem to be somewhere lurking in the background. It is not convincing enough for people to follow a more moderate path. Also, our health is heavily dependent on our genetic lottery. I may abuse my health in every possible way, and I may still live to 100 with absolutely no problems. And someone who is so careful about their health does everything right and suffers a cardiac problem in their 40s. I am not saying follow the trend and go after every superfood you see, but try to take some baby steps towards a good lifestyle that you sustain for life. Not something you do because it is in the news today. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/ignore-low-cibil-score-for-street-vendor-loans-work-on-holidays-and-other-diktats-from-indian-government-to-banks-rushing-to-meet-march-target/articleshow/81223572.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">EXCLUSIVE: Ignore low CIBIL score for street vendor loans, work on holidays, and other diktats from Indian government to banks rushing to meet March target</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/bharat-bandh-over-eight-crore-traders-across-india-shut-shop-in-protest-against-rising-fuel-prices-and-changes-in-gst-rules/articleshow/81223361.cms">Bharat Bandh – over eight crore traders across India shut shop in protest against rising fuel prices and changes in GST rules</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/rbi-wants-you-to-memorise-all-your-debit-and-credit-card-numbers/articleshow/81186570.cms">RBI wants you to memorise all your debit and credit card numbers — Amazon, Zomato, Netflix and others argue this will make online payments more tedious</a>

Whether we like it or not, Indians are already partaking in the superfood ‘trend’

<ul><li>While the effort and intent are laudable, the question remains are you really contributing to your or the earth's health by embracing <keyword id="1284616" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="veganism">veganism</keyword>?</li><li>A poorly planned <keyword id="739882" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vegan-diet">vegan diet</keyword> can be quite harmful and can lead to various health risks, including a heightened risk of heart disease.</li><li>If it is the environment you are concerned about, then perhaps it is time to consider that splurging on imported avocados and almond milk is hardly sustainable. </li></ul> “I ate a lot of meat — I ate my 10, 15 eggs a day. I had my 250 grams of protein in a day because I weighed 250 pounds… As I got older and I started reading up on it, I recognised the fact that you really don’t have to get your protein from meat — or from animals,” <keyword id="22324" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arnold-Schwarzenegger">Arnold Schwarzenegger</keyword>, Hollywood star and former California Governor says in the popular <keyword id="128682" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword> documentary, <keyword id="908691" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Game-Changers">The Game Changers</keyword>. That alone moved many meat lovers in India to go vegan, overnight. However, there ought to be more thought behind a life-changing decision like stopping the food you have been consuming forever. The documentary itself faced its share of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/game-changers-review#limitations">criticism</a> for scientific inaccuracies and promoting misinformation. Whether it is to live a healthier lifestyle — to lose weight, counter diabetes, dairy intolerance, improve sexual health — or save the planet, several Indians are embracing veganism. Also, there is the added bonus that following a vegan diet is not too much of a segue for Indian vegetarians, barring giving up on milk, curd, or paneer. However, while the effort and intent are laudable, the question remains are you really contributing to your or the earth's health by embracing veganism? Is the diet even sustainable in the long-run, particularly if you live in India? A poorly planned vegan diet can be quite harmful and can lead to various health risks, including a heightened <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/vegan-diets-are-adding-to-malnutrition-in-wealthy-countries-107555" class="editor-rtfLink">risk</a> of heart disease. So, before you pat yourself on your back for giving up on cow milk while sipping on almond milk, it may be crucial to consider all the factors below before embracing the new lifestyle. <div type="image" title="Representative image." msid="81601105" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Representative image.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Affordability Often considered a diet for the rich, the first thing to consider here is will you be able to splurge thousands of rupees per week on items like plant-based milk, vitamin supplements or expensive vegetables and nuts required to provide the nutritional balance you need. Then, there is the added consideration that even if you are lucky enough to afford it, are the items you are buying genuine or, for that matter, fresh? For example, a litre of almond milk can set you back 200-300 rupees, and avocados can cost anywhere from 200 to 300 bucks for one piece, and that too the quality is suspect. However, nutrition expert and author of Everyday Superfoods, Dr Nandita Iyer tells Business Insider that "apart from almond milk, substitutes like soy milk or oat milk can be easily be made at home or even bought at reasonably cheaper rates, but of course the flavour might be slightly different and takes getting used to." She also points out that if you are looking to give up on dairy from an environmental perspective, then almond milk is "definitely not an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2018/sep/05/ditch-the-almond-milk-why-everything-you-know-about-sustainable-eating-is-probably-wrong" class="editor-rtfLink">environmentally friendly option</a>". But given the rising popularity, many Indian brands, like Bengaluru-based Good Milk, are producing vegan plant-based dairy products like milk, butter, yoghurt at relatively reasonable prices. Age The common consensus is that a vegan diet is less than ideal for both children and the elderly. Children - Providing a child nutritious diet is tricky even under normal circumstances, where there is no dietary restriction. During their formative growing years, depriving children of essential nutrients derived from milk products and meat may lead to various health issues in kids. While during the first six months, babies primarily rely on breast milk or infant formula, post that what they eat will essentially lay the foundation of their future health. Within one year, a baby is meant to triple its birth weight. And while plants can provide sufficient proteins, the issue is substituting essential vitamins (B-12 and D) and minerals (iodine, zinc, iron and calcium) that can only be substituted via fortified foods and supplements. A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/15027383_Macrobiotic_nutrition_and_child_health_results_of_a_population-based_mixed-longitudinal_cohort_study_in_The_Netherlands" class="editor-rtfLink">study</a> conducted in the The Netherlands on children between 0-10 years who are on a macrobiotic diet — a diet based mainly on whole-grain cereals, pulses, and vegetables — noted that "ubiquitous deficiencies of energy, protein, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, and riboflavin were detected in macrobiotic infants, leading to retarded growth, fat and muscle wasting, and slower psychomotor development." It further adds that the breast milk of mothers who are on a vegan diet contained less vitamin B-12, calcium and magnesium. Seniors - While there are some health benefits of going vegan, it is essential that older adults get enough calories as well as nutrients to avoid the pitfalls of a vegan diet. Once again, planning meals is key because seniors need more protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin B-12. For <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/vegetarian-and-vegan-diet-five-things-for-over-65s-to-consider-when-switching-to-a-plant-based-diet-144088" class="editor-rtfLink">example</a>, while an average adult would need a daily dose of 700mg of calcium, men over 55 and postmenopausal women need 1200mg of calcium daily. It is essential to consult with a certified dietician before senior adults decide to give up on meat and dairy. <div type="image" title="Representative image." msid="81601190" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Representative image.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Actual dietary requirements Compared to a diet that includes meat and vegetables, a vegan diet is believed to be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24667136/" class="editor-rtfLink">higher in fibre but lower in </a>protein, fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium and vitamins D and B-12. It is crucial to figure precisely what quantity of vegan alternatives you have to consume to make up for the switch. You may have to go heavy on the alternatives. For example, both fish and flaxseeds <a target="_blank" href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/is-a-vegetarian-or-vegan-diet-for-you" class="editor-rtfLink">contain</a> omega-3 fatty acids, but the human body doesn't absorb omega-3s from flaxseed as easily as it would from seafood. And while the other dietary requirements may have vegan alternatives, vitamin B-12 is an essential nutritional requirement that is absent in fruit or vegetables and present in meat, fish, eggs and dairy. Vitamin B-12 helps prevent nerve damage, and adults should consume 1.5 micrograms of the vitamin per day. According to a British Medical Journal <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l4897" class="editor-rtfLink">study</a>, while fish eaters and vegetarians had lower rates of heart disease compared to non-vegetarians, vegetarians and vegans are believed to be more prone to strokes, possibly because of the B12 deficiency. While the quantity requirement is minuscule, B12 is only available via nutritional yeast (though the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200122-are-there-health-benefits-to-going-vegan" class="editor-rtfLink">claim</a> that this doesn't provide sufficient B-12) or fortified food, such as plant-based milk or vitamin supplements in a vegan diet. Where it comes from If it is the environment you are concerned about, then perhaps it is time to consider that splurging on imported avocados and almond milk is hardly sustainable. In addition to the air miles it consumes, which is definitely not good for the climate, there is an added burden on land and water resources, and increasingly, farmers are choosing to give up on sustainable farming practices and burdening the land by overgrowing these trendy products. For example, in Chile, which is one of the largest producers of avocados, the focus on growing water-guzzling avocados for profit has caused an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05oMsK0-jjA&amp;t=98s" class="editor-rtfLink">acute water shortage</a> in the country — for context, to grow around a kilogram (3-4 pieces), 1000 litres of water is needed. So, whether a vegan diet is actually contributing towards mitigating climate change or helping your health is a contentious issue, but it can, without doubt, be sustained here in India. Most of the supplements are easily available on places like Amazon, but yes, it will be on the steeper side. However, as and when this trend blossoms, it will lead Indian manufacturers to expand into this territory, and that will bring the costs down. Already there is a whole range of <keyword id="99613" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="mock-meat">mock meat</keyword> manufacturers making waves in the market. Dr Iyer tells us, "we have a huge bank of innately vegan recipes in Indian cuisine. For example, a lot of recipes from Kerala rely heavily on coconut milk and not regular cow milk. Even an entire sadhya meal that consists of 25-26 dishes can be entirely vegan and that is the beauty of Indian cuisine — I think it is the most vegan-friendly diet." SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-is-fourth-least-happy-country-in-the-world-checkout-list-of-10-unhappiest-countries-in-the-world/slidelist/81588422.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">India is the fourth least happy country in a year of lockdowns, deaths and work from home</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/tcs-to-dole-out-a-second-salary-hike-within-a-span-six-months-this-time-in-double-digits/articleshow/81589561.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">TCS to dole out a second salary hike within a span six months</a>

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Dr. Nandita Iyer weighs in on how Indian cuisine is and always has been packed with 'superfoods'

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Whether we like it or not, Indians are already partaking in the superfood ‘trend’

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Is a vegan diet practical or sustainable for those living in India

Kavita Majumdar

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