How Superfoods Have Become The Need Of The Hour Post Covid
Boosting immunity has now become more important than ever as the Covid-19 pandemic has escalated the frailty of the human body and affected everyone to a certain degree. Consuming a variety of nutritious food options available in the market is a good start to counter the ravages of viral inflammation. These minerals and vitamins rich food options help us in improving our health and body immunity. Concerning this, superfoods have emerged as the ideal immunity-boosting solution because of their high nutritional value. Superfoods have a high amount of bioactive substances which have distinct biological features and positive effects on the human immune system.
Superfoods is a new food trend that has swept the market especially after the outbreak of Covid-19. Though, it's not a novel concept. So, let us have detailed information about the superfoods.
What are Superfoods?
Superfoods is a term given to such foods which have high nutritional density. They provide a substantial amount of nutrients to the body and are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Superfoods can be included as a part of daily nutritional intake while maintaining a proper balanced diet. Some common superfoods are berries, soy, salmon, leafy greens, dark chocolates, grapes, beets etc. The increasing consumer’s health consciousness along with rising awareness towards diverse nutritional benefits of superfoods have become the main reason for its market growth in the past couple of years.
Demand of Superfoods in the Market
As the diabetes and obesity rate are rising rapidly across the globe, people are turning to food options that have high vitamin and nutritional content but low calories. This has been a key source for the expansion of the superfoods market. Many people have started adopting a vegan diet post pandemic which has fueled the demand for fruits and vegetables in the superfood market. It is further expected to rise with the upcoming natural and healthy launches in the beverages firms. E-commerce platforms have played a major role in introducing healthy food options to people and making them aware of its benefits.
Surge towards Healthy Lifestyle
When the pandemic hit the streets, lockdowns were imposed globally. People were confined in their homes and had no physical activity to do. Soon, a healthy eating habit attracted everyone’s attention claiming huge potential in keeping the covid-19 infection away. Studies have shown that healthy eating habits can help in lowering the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and some other malignancies. Also, people nowadays are leading a stressful life which is inevitably affecting their health. Thus, people should start consuming superfoods on a daily basis as they have miraculous benefits which act as a shield for them.
If we go by the report by “Industry Research” in 2020, the global Superfoods market size was US$ 172050 million and it is expected to reach US $ 287750 million by the end of 2027, with a CAGR of 7.7% during 2021-2027. Some of the factors which have become growth drivers for superfoods are changing lifestyles post pandemic, rapid digitalization, disposable income, increase in social media usage, and proactive behaviour towards health. Consumption of superfoods, in moderation, is a great addition to a balanced diet to improve overall health, boost immunity while increasing the production of serotonin and other hormones.
About the author -
Food Scientist & Nutrition Head at CORA Health- a Health and Wellness Aggregator Platform.
