If you have recently been to a whole foods store, these foods will be front and centre. While all of them do have a myriad of health benefits, you may want to rethink eating them every day.
1. Avocado
Avocado served on toast is a staple of any brunch menu item in cafes. But while the fruit has good nutrients like unsaturated fats, magnesium, potassium, lutein as well as vitamins E and K, its benefits do not increase exponentially with more consumption. In fact, over-eating the calorie rich avocados for breakfast or as a snack might just put you over your recommended daily intake. For those with stomach sensitivity, avocados contain sorbitol and polyols which can lead to bloating, discomfort and diarrhoea. So next time, avoca-don’t overdo it.
2. Kale
Kale is a popular diet vegetable that is often eaten raw in salads or in green smoothies. It is exceptionally nutrient rich with vitamins A, B6, C and K, copper, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Kale is also packed with flavonoids like kaempferol and quercetin that counteract free radicals in the body. This sounds almost too good to be true and it is because kale has a darker side. The vegetable bioaccumulates heavy metals like thallium, cesium, lead, nickel, cadmium and arsenic that are present in the soil they grow in. These metals have the potential to cause a host of health problems if found in high levels. Over-consumption of kale can interfere with medicines like warfarin and kidney disease due to excess potassium.
3. Nuts
People are now nuts about nuts. While it is high in protein, fibre, fat and vitamins and makes for a filling and healthy snack, its tannin and phytate content can cause indigestion and inflammation. This will then lead to acne breakouts and some people can even get diarrhoea from eating too many nuts at one go. Daily consumption of certain nuts like almonds has to be closely regulated because it has hydrocyanic acid which might lead to respiratory difficulties.
4. Broccoli
Broccoli has cholesterol lowering and anti-inflammatory benefits. However, daily consumption could put you at risk for goitre as broccoli contains thiocyanates, a chemical that interferes with iodine, therefore enlarging your thyroid gland. Broccoli may also contain formaldehyde which is a carcinogenic compound linked to instances of cancer.
It may be tempting to load up on all the touted superfoods and eliminate all sources of seemingly unhealthy food but at the end of the day, having a balanced diet with all the food groups and moderate consumption of a wide range of foods is the way to go.