“‘Empty’ health promises are unhelpful to the public and can be misleading,” she says.
Often the superfood du jour is exactly that, a passing fashion. Today’s CBD is tomorrow’s goji berry. Sugar content is also a concern. “All kombucha requires sugar as part of the fermentation process to a lesser or greater extent,” says Shepherd, who recommends fermented foods with more human-based research studies, such as fermented milk and evidence-based probiotics.Article contentIt’s been lauded as an alternative to overly processed loaves with additives that often are the root cause of gluten problems. It should be as simple as flour, water and salt.
However, for most healthy people, she says: “They are very likely unnecessary, but if you have IBS, diverticulitis or are taking long-term antibiotics, they may well be helpful.” “That and birch water are very slightly more hydrating than regular water because they are from a plant and therefore contain minerals, but they are still mostly water,” says Marber. “Studies showed that after exercise, some athletes were marginally better hydrated from having coconut water. And, of course, that translated into marketing it as, ‘The secret Olympic athletes use is coconut water.