Five Common Health Buzzwords (And What They Really Mean)

By Carmarlena Murdaca

Five Common Health Buzzwords (And What They Really Mean)
Take a walk through any grocery store and you'll see multiple health food buzzwords plastered across food packaging. And whilst there are some health food buzzwords that have some weight behind them, others don't necessarily mean what you think.

To help you navigate around these confusing words, we’ve broken down five common health food buzzwords into what they really are:

Superfoods – superfoods are thought to be nutrient dense foods that are beneficial to your health and may even help fend off some disease. But, the truth is, they have little grounding in science. These health foods labeled “super” are definitely good for you, but there isn’t any food out there that will actually change your life.

Low GI – GI refers to the speed at which carbohydrates are absorbed into the body and raise the glucose readings in the blood. GI can be used as a guide to healthy eating, as long as you are aware of the limitation for example the GI of some fruits can be higher than selected treats such as chocolate and cakes.

Macrobiotic – macrobiotic diets avoid the use of highly processed foods and most animal products, focusing on wholegrain, fruits and vegetables instead.

Trans fats – these are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, occurring naturally in some meats, but mostly found in processed foods such as doughnuts.

Organic – organic foods are grown without the use of synthetic chemicals, such as artificial fertilisers and pesticides, and environmentalists tend to suggest it’s a better option for the world around us. There are also several different certification systems for organic so if organic is important to you, you want to make sure it’s appropriately accredited.

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