Healthy living foods claims debunked


Fans of those little yogurty probiotic shots were dealt a blow this month: they are a waste of money, claimed Danish researchers, who said they did nothing tangible to improve digestive wellbeing.

The study has highlighted the sometimes confusing world of so-called ‘naturally healthy’ and ‘functional foods’ – which make up five per cent of all food bought in the UK.

From coconut water and trendy, dairy-free milks to cholesterol-lowering spreads and smart water, we are bombarded with claims that must-eat products will give us glowing skin or a trimmer waist, or keep our hearts healthy.

Stars including Jennifer Aniston, left, Rihanna, centre, and Shakira, right, have all advertised ‘naturally healthy’ products including smart water, coconut milk and probiotic yogurt

But just how good for us are they really?

For my new book The Right Bite, a guide to eating smart on the go, and on my website, well-well-well.co.uk, I analysed menus from countless coffee shops and restaurants, and scoured supermarkets to find out which of these products’ claims are rooted in fact – and which are nothing but a fad.

So should you steer clear of frozen yogurts and pass on the popcorn, and does gluten-free necessarily mean healthy?

PROBIOTICS

THE HEALTH CLAIM: Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts added to yogurts or taken as a supplement to stimulate growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

THE BIG NAMES: Actimel says its bottle containing ten million bacteria and Vitamins B6 and D is a ‘great way to start the day’, while rival brand Yakult ‘cares about keeping your gut healthy’.

THE TRUTH: I wouldn’t bother with these shots or yogurts – at least not for their supposed probiotic benefits. 

It is true that we have bacteria in the gut that is vital for digestive and immune function. But as studies, including the recent Danish one, have suggested, probiotic-fortified foods probably don’t affect the balance of gut bacteria in healthy people. 

The dose is probably too small to have much of an effect. I do recommend probiotic supplements, though, as they give a bigger dose that is scientifically proven to help recovery from C.diff infection in the elderly, and may well be a remedy for other digestive upsets.

VERDICT: FAD

POPCORN

THE HEALTH CLAIM: Popcorn has been touted for years as a low-fat, high-fibre snack. It’s rumoured that Madonna got back into shape four weeks after the birth of her daughter Lourdes by snacking on the stuff.

THE BIG NAMES: Metcalfe’s Skinny Popcorn (70g, £1.49) says its Cinema Sweet flavour has ‘only 93 calories per serving, say hello to guilt free munching!’ Propercorn (90g, £1.59) claims to be ‘a brilliant source of fibre’.

Skinny popcorn is a ‘good option’ for a snack according to Jackie, as long as portions are properly limited

THE TRUTH: If you’re going for a snack, this is a good option. Plain popcorn is a wholegrain food with more fibre per serving than a skin-on baked potato (3.5g compared to 3g). 

Studies have proved that you will also feel fuller for longer after eating a packet, compared to crisps. Just watch out for shop-bought versions that are slathered with oil, sugar and salt. 

And limit your portions! A large cinema bucket of sweet or salted popcorn can deliver more than 900 calories.

VERDICT: FACT

COCONUT WATER

HEALTH CLAIM: Low in calories (about 40 per 200ml carton) and, due to naturally occurring potassium and magnesium, more hydrating than plain water.

THE BIG NAMES: Vita Coco (500ml, £1.99), promoted by Bajan pop star Rihanna, has dubbed its ‘refreshing and nutrient-packed’ coconut water ‘Mother Nature’s drink of choice’, while Chi (1 ltr, £3.49) promises its drinks are ‘high in potassium and packed with electrolytes [sugars and salts] which keep your body rehydrated, vibrant and healthy’.

THE TRUTH: This is touted as a natural sports recovery drink containing electrolytes. 

But you will only really benefit from one of these after training for more than an hour at medium to high intensity – and losing a lot of salt in sweat. 

For the average person, quaffing coconut water throughout the day won’t deliver any benefits, and a small 330ml carton contains more than four teaspoons of sugar – over half of your recommended daily limit – which won’t do your waistline any favours.

VERDICT: FAD

SMART WATER

HEALTH CLAIM: Bottled water that contains natural or added ingredients that make them more hydrating than plain water, or provide vitamins, minerals and other nutritional benefits with zero calories.

THE BIG NAMES: Coca Cola’s Glaceau Smartwater (600ml, 50p), drunk by Friends star Jennifer Aniston, is ‘vapour distilled’ so it is ‘pure and crisp like from a cloud’ with ‘added electrolytes’, while their vitamin-enriched Vitaminwater has flavours named ‘focus’, ‘endurance’, ‘refresh’, ‘defence’ and ‘essential’.

Vitaminwater, pictured, contains almost four teaspoons of sugar per bottle, says nutritionist Jackie

THE TRUTH: Smartwater is just distilled tap water with added salts – or electrolytes. But the amounts here are too low to make it work as a sports recovery drink. 

What’s the point? I would steer clear of Vitaminwater, too. It contains almost four teaspoons (15g) of sugar per 500ml bottle, which is half the recommended daily limit.

VERDICT: FAD

BRAN MUFFIN

THE HEALTH CLAIM: A bran muffin instead of a butter croissant seems like a virtuous choice when grabbing breakfast on the go.

THE BIG NAMES: Sandwich chain Pret A Manger boasts that its High Fibre Muffin (130g, £1.50) is ‘delicious and nutritious… with more fibre than a bowl of All Bran’.

THE TRUTH: I’m impressed by the Pret muffin: it has 11g of fibre compared to 2g found in the average shop-bought chocolate or blueberry version, and 10g of protein (there’s 26g in the average chicken breast). 

It’s a combination that will balance blood sugar and keep hunger at bay. However, at 442 calories and nearly six of your daily seven teaspoons of sugar, it should be an occasional treat.

VERDICT: FACT

FROZEN YOGURT

THE HEALTH CLAIM: A familiar sight in supermarket frozen food sections and billed as a ‘guilt-free’ low-fat alternative to ice cream. One 100ml serving of Waitrose frozen natural yogurt dessert has 90 calories and 1.1g saturated fat.

THE BIG NAMES: Yoo Moo (500ml, £2.50) claim to make ‘the best guilt-free frozen yogurt in the land’, while Snog (450ml, £2) says ‘make your Snog as healthy or as indulgent as you fancy.’

Frozen yogurt is a ‘classic diet misconception’, says Jackie, because it has roughly the same amount of sugar as ice cream, although is lower in fat

THE TRUTH: This is a classic diet misconception: frozen yogurt is lower in fat than standard ice cream, but contains roughly the same amount of sugar. 

And we now know it’s the sugar that’s the most damaging thing to our bodies. In fact, the healthiest thing about a tub of Haagen-Dazs (also loaded with sugar) is the full-fat cream used.

VERDICT: FAD

DRIED FRUIT

HEALTH CLAIM: Seen as a ‘healthy’ snack – especially for children – with added benefits of fibre, antioxidants and vitamins and minerals.

THE BIG NAMES: Bear Yoyo (five 20g packs, £2.29) says its products are ‘high in fibre with the same natural sugars as a small apple’, while Nakd flavoured raisins (25g, 40p) boast ‘all natural flavours and ingredients, no added sugar and count towards your five a day’.

Jackie says dried fruit is a ‘shocker’ because it is ‘mainly sugar’ and the drying process ‘reduces’ its antioxidant content

THE TRUTH: It’s a shocker, but dried fruit is mainly sugar. People often say they’re a good source of fibre but a single date provides 0.6g (of the 30g a day recommended) along with a whole teaspoon of sugar. A raisin contains about four times as much sugar as a grape. 

The commercial drying process can be extremely brutal on delicate plant compounds, so much of the antioxidant content is significantly reduced. Give your kids an apple instead!

VERDICT: FAD

MAPLE SYRUP HONEY

HEALTH CLAIM: Millions of Britons have turned to so-called sugar-free diets, substituting the white stuff for natural, unrefined substitutes such as maple syrup and honey, which contain minerals and antioxidants.

BIG NAMES: All supermarkets stock their own-brand honeys and maple syrups. Pure Maple (330g, £6.95) says its 100 per cent Canadian maple syrup is ‘packed full of antioxidants and nutrients’ while Hilltop Honey (110g, £2.61) says its product is ‘purity in a jar… contains all the enzymes that make honey good for you’.

THE TRUTH: Maple syrup contains small amounts of calcium, potassium, iron and zinc, and some antioxidants, and honey contains trace amounts of vitamins and mineral. 

But both are more than 75 per cent sugar (the rest is water). And sugar is sugar.

VERDICT: FAD

GLUTEN-FREE BREAD, PASTA AND CAKES

THE HEALTH CLAIM: Gluten-free foods are suitable for people who have an adverse reaction to gluten, a protein that’s present in bread, pasta and cakes.

THE BIG NAMES: Udi say they make the ‘best-tasting’ gluten-free bagels, rolls, snacks and sweet treats. Genius say their range of gluten-free foods ‘smells, tastes and feels every bit as good as traditional wheat products’.

Gluten-free bread is both ‘fact and fad’, says Jackie, because it is essential for people with digestive problems but is not a ‘byword for healthy’

THE TRUTH: I’d put this in the same category as trendy dairy-milk alternatives. 

Gluten-free food is essential for people with coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition triggered by gluten, or an intolerance. 

But it’s not a byword for ‘healthy’. There’s a trend for going gluten-free without having a digestive problem, which is misguided. 

Gluten-free muffins, cakes and biscuits can contain just as much sugar as standard types.

VERDICT: FACT AND FAD

TRENDY MILKS

THE HEALTH CLAIM: Dairy-free milks such as those made from almond and soya are suitable for people who can’t digest lactose, a type of sugar found in dairy, or casein, a milk protein.

THE BIG NAMES: Alpro Soya Original (1 ltr, £1.40) is ‘plant-based goodness’ and ‘a source of calcium, just like milk’. Arla Lactofree (1 ltr, £1.35) has added enzymes to help ‘conquer cramps’.

THE TRUTH: There is no arguing that lactose-free milks are a good option for anyone who has been diagnosed with lactose intolerance or casein (milk- protein) allergy. 

Nut milks are my favourite – almond milks tend to be made with just almonds and water and are the least processed of all non-dairy milks. 

Watch out for added sugar in some soya drinks. And, if you’re not intolerant or allergic to a component of dairy, or vegan, there’s no huge benefit to be had.

VERDICT: FACT AND FAD

LOW-FAT SPREADS

HEALTH CLAIM: Brands such as Flora have half the saturated fat of butter and are made with seed oils packed with heart-healthy Omega-3 and 6 and Vitamins A, D and E, with compounds called plant sterols that help to reduce blood cholesterol.

THE BIG NAMES: Flora Proactiv (500g, £3.50) says it harnesses the ‘natural power of added plant sterols’. Benecol Light Spread (500g, £3) is ‘proven to lower cholesterol’.

Studies have show low-fat spreads do work to reduce cholesterol in conjunction with a balanced diet

THE TRUTH: People are sceptical about these spreads as they are not ‘natural’. 

But they do work. Studies have shown that a daily intake of 1.5g to 2.4g of plant sterols (30g of spread every day – about two-and-a-half tablespoons) does reduce cholesterol. 

But it is important to remember that having a low level of cholesterol is just one part of the heart-health jigsaw, along with staying a healthy weight, not smoking or drinking too much, and eating a balanced diet.

VERDICT: FACT