Abstract
Superfoods. The term conjures up visions of vitality and longevity gained by the consumption of single potent foodstuff. While the idea of something being a superfood has gotten its greatest traction in the twenty-first century, the term has been around for at least a hundred years. The quest to find superfoods is likely tied to the human fascination with the idea of immortality. The idea that the consumption of a single foodstuff can improve vitality and extend longevity is appealing to those who feel vulnerable in their physical and spiritual world. The idea of superfoods is as old as written history and probably older; it retains its potency today.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abbott, E. (2010). Sugar: A bittersweet history. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Ahamed, S., Madan, P., & Singh, A. K. (2019). Transhumanism in India: Past, present and the future. In N. Lee (Ed.), The transhumanism handbook. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16920-6_56
Anderson, E. N., Jr. (1987). Why is humoral medicine so popular? Social Science & Medicine, 25(4), 331–337.
Bajpai, P. (2019). Characteristics of algae. In Third generation biofuels (pp. 11–15). Springer.
Baratz, A. (2015). The source of the Gods’ immortality in archaic Greek literature. Scripta Classica Israelica, 34, 151–164.
Bronstein, J., Stern, E. J., & Yehuda, E. (2019). Franks, locals and sugar cane: A case study of cultural interaction in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. Journal of Medieval History, 45(3), 316–330.
Cirillo, M., Capasso, G., Di Leo, V. A., & De Santo, N. G. (1994). A history of salt. American Journal of Nephrology, 14(4–6), 426–431.
Craig, W. J. (1997). Phytochemicals: Guardians of our health. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 97(10), S199–S204.
Dubick, M. A. (1986). Historical perspectives on the use of herbal preparations to promote health. The Journal of Nutrition, 116(7), 1348–1354.
Fischler, C. (1987). Attitudes towards sugar and sweetness in historical and social perspective. In Sweetness (pp. 83–98). Springer.
Gutiontov, S. (2014). Vital amines, purple smoke. A select history of vitamins and minerals. The Pharos of Alpha Omega Alpha-Honor Medical Society, 77, 18–24.
Hajdu, S. I. (2002). The first use of the microscope in medicine. Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Science, 32(3), 309–310.
Haleem, M. (1997). Adam and Eve in the Qur’an and the Bible. Islamic Quarterly, London, 41(4), 255. Jan 1, 1997.
Harvard. (2021). https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/superfoods/. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
Hulkower, R. (2016). The history of the Hippocratic Oath: outdated, inauthentic, and yet still relevant. Einstein Journal of Biology and Medicine, 25(1), 41–44.
Khong, N. M., Yusoff, F. M., Jamilah, B., Basri, M., Maznah, I., Chan, K. W., & Nishiwaka, J. (2016). Nutritional composition and total collagen content of three commercially important edible jellyfish. Food Chemistry, 196, 953–960.
Kotecha, P. V. (2008). Micronutrient malnutrition in India: Let us say “no” to it now. Indian Journal of Community Medicine: Official Publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, 33(1), 9.
Kutala, V. K., Parinandi, N. L., Khan, M., Iyyapu, K. M., & Kuppusamy, P. (2008). Spirulina-a blue-green alga with novel therapeutic actions. Phytopharmacology and Therapeutic Values, IV, 127–151.
Lewis, J. (2020). Merck manual: Consumer version retrieved March 11, 2021 from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/electrolyte-balance/overview-of-sodiums-role-in-the-body
Madihassan, S. (1984). Outline of the beginning of alchemy and its antecedents. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 12, 32–42.
Mintz, S. W. (1986). Sweetness and power: The place of sugar in modern history. Penguin.
Mozaffarian, D., Rosenberg, I., & Uauy, R. (2018). History of modern nutrition science—Implications for current research, dietary guidelines, and food policy. BMJ, 361.
Nadolu, D., & Nadolu, B. (2019). About immortality: A socio-anthropological approach
Vandendriessche, F. (2008). Meat products in the past, today and in the future. Meat Science, 78(1–2), 104–113.
Verma, A. K. (2016). Evolution, merits and demerits of five kingdom system. Flora and Fauna, 22(1), 76–78.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Miller, J.P. (2022). Introduction to Superfoods. In: Miller, J.P., Van Buiten, C. (eds) Superfoods. Food and Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-93240-4_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-93240-4_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-93239-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-93240-4
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)