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Superfoodies needed for ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide study

Thursday, 28 November 2013

A ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide researcher is seeking 'superfoodies' to participate in a study about changing cultural perceptions of diet and health on ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n food production and consumption.

The word 'superfood' was introduced to ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ in the late 1990s to describe food items that are naturally highly nutritious, including chia, maca, quinoa, kale, salmon, cranberry, coconut and broccoli. ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide PhD student, Jessica Loyer, is for the first time researching how and why ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ns consume superfoods.

"In the late 1990s, labels like 'low fat', 'low carbohydrate' and 'superfood' started to appear on food items in ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n supermarkets, and consumers appeared to become more conscious of the nutritional content of food," Ms Loyer says.

"In my study I hope to identify what cultural changes drove this lifestyle change and find out what people really know about superfoods today."

Ms Loyer says superfoods are often 'displaced' foods - they have travelled to new markets, but they've arrived without a sense of how to use them in cuisine - and her research will also involve tracing back their origins.

"In Mexico, chia seeds are commonly used to make a refreshing drink, while in ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ they appear more often as supplements and in bakery products," she says.

"Maca has become popular in ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ as a superfood that provides energy, balances hormones and acts as a libido stimulant. It's primarily sold in powder or capsule form, but in the Peruvian high Andes it's eaten as a whole root vegetable, either roasted fresh or dried for future use in a range of recipes.

"Knowledge of how to use these foods has to come from somewhere, so I'm also interested in how ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ns learn about superfoods."

The study will involve focus groups to explore ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ns' use and knowledge of superfoods and their values and practices relating to food and health.

If you are over 18, use superfoods, and are interested in participating in a focus group in Adelaide, please register at .

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