in Science

No, Black Pudding Is NOT A Superfood

There’s been a lot of talk recently of how black pudding is apparently “the new superfood“.

Follow the money

Did you notice that the people who claim it’s a superfood all happen to sell black pudding?

The original source of the whole story was a website that sells food and supplements aimed at the bodybuilding community.

In a clever move, they realised that dangling a tasty tidbit in front of journalists hungry for a story would get them a lot of bites. And mentions in the press. Leading to website visits. And sales of the thing they told the journalists they thought would sell well.

Good news, bad news

Their reasoning is that black pudding is relatively high in protein and iron.

They’re both useful, but in reality you’re probably getting enough protein in your diet anywayand although there are certain groups of people who need to watch their iron intake, you would most likely know if you were one of them.

Black pudding is also high in fat, which makes it high in calories. A single 60g slice will give you over 160 calories and 9g of fat, so adding extra black pudding to your diet in the belief that all the iron and protein will somehow turn you from a sloth to a cheetah probably won’t work.

The awkward truth about superfoods

There is no such thing as a superfood. It’s a marketing term to try to convince you that some random berry or whatever is the secret to eternal life, but sadly the claims are usually exaggerated and the benefits minimal.

Of course there are foods that are relatively high in certain nutrients compared to others, but the human body needs a wide range of nutrients to be healthy. It’s how we evolved.

The reality

Black pudding can absolutely be a part of a balanced diet. Just don’t believe the hype.

This article was originally posted on BuzzFeed.