"Superfood" isn't a scientific or medical term — it's a marketing label applied to foods that are nutrient-dense, such as berries, leafy greens, oily fish, nuts and seeds. These foods are genuinely good for you, but no single food can compensate for an otherwise poor diet, and no food can prevent or cure disease on its own.
Rather than chasing expensive or exotic "superfood" products, you'll get most of the same nutritional benefits from ordinary, affordable options like broccoli, oats, tinned oily fish, and frozen berries, eaten as part of a genuinely varied diet.
See also our pages on healthy diets and nutrients.
Common questions
Is superfood a scientific term?
No, it is a marketing label applied to nutrient-dense foods such as berries, leafy greens, oily fish, nuts and seeds.
Can one food compensate for an otherwise poor diet?
No, no single food can compensate for an otherwise poor diet or prevent disease on its own.