From The March 2004 Issue of Natural Foods Merchandiser

Superfoods To Combat Aging

Rachel Hauser

Aging Americans face a health conundrum. As they get older, they need fewer calories to maintain good health, but at the same time, their bodies require more nutrient-dense foods, says nutritionist and gerontologist Jennifer Warner of Sacramento, Calif.

“All of the common health complaints around aging—heart, lung and vascular disease, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction—can be affected by good nutrition,” says Warner. “For instance, flax oil and omega-3 [fatty acids] found in fish and supplements can help lubricate joints. And studies have found that soy has cholesterol-lowering benefits and can help the menopause experience.”

Intrigued by the health effects different foods have on maturing humans, Steven Pratt, a researcher and ophthalmologist specializing in ocular plastic surgery at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., was in a perfect position to observe signs of aging and disease in his patients. Many signs of poor health and aging manifest outwardly—eyes lack clarity, and skin discolors or loses elasticity. In his research, he saw clear connections between food, specific nutrients and health.

Based on this research, Pratt wrote SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life (William Morrow, 2003), which looks at the importance of micronutrients in certain foods. He describes these micronutrients as the nutritional equivalent of cellular-level rust prevention for human bodies. Pratt targets 14 foods as particularly nutrient-dense: beans, blueberries, broccoli, oats, oranges, pumpkin, salmon, soy, spinach, black or green tea, tomatoes, turkey, walnuts and yogurt.

Baby boomers drive demand
Baby boomers are living longer than their parents did. In pursuit of maintaining youthful vigor—both internally and externally—they are discovering superfoods. “Seniors who shop with us tend to be much more open to getting the necessary vitamins and minerals from pills,” says Sonja Tuitele, spokeswoman for Boulder, Colo.-based Wild Oats Markets. “But baby boomers are a little more skeptical. They’d rather get the nutritional benefit that comes from healthy and wholesome food—like the superfoods.”

In response, Wild Oats has created a “Did You Know?” signage program that identifies all of the superfoods and their benefits. At the fish counter, consumers might see a sign saying, “Did you know that wild salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and is a heart-healthy choice?”

Placing signs at the point of sale makes it particularly easy for consumers interested in finding high-nutrient foods to identify desired products easily, says Tuitele. “We give people choices—maybe someone doesn’t like the taste of fish, or they don’t eat it daily, which is really what they should be doing to get the recommended amount of omega-3s,” says Tuitele. “But you can complement eating fresh fish by picking up fish oil capsules from our Natural Living department to get the desired omega-3 dose.”

Marketing moves
David Bennett, co-owner of Mollie Stone’s Markets, a chain of seven upscale grocery stores in the San Francisco Bay Area, says his stores rely on signage, too, to efficiently direct customers to the foods and grocery sections they desire. The staff’s dedication to learning helps, too. “We depend on the natural[s] suppliers, magazines and natural food[s] shows to help educate us and keep us current on the trends,” says Bennett.

David Hollister, a master broker at Market Connections, a research and analysis firm based in Fairfax, Va., suggests that grocery buyers might also look to growers’ groups for help or inspiration with product marketing. “I think, for example, the blueberry folks—growers’ groups promoting blueberries—have done a great job. Even I, with limited exposure to this stuff, have heard about how great blueberries are for you,” Hollister says.

Wild Oats designs quarterly programs that address customers’ food and nutrition desires. In previous quarterly pushes, the store has provided customers with detailed information on a chosen topic, whether the focus is on gluten-free diets, celiac disease or superfoods. Topical specialists are brought into the stores to speak, and events, such as cooking demonstrations, are planned around the quarterly theme.

“We might do an educational program that talks to consumers, not only about the health benefits of superfoods, but about the taste profile, freshness and seasonality,” says Tuitele. “We want to show how superfoods can be made fun and how to incorporate nutrition-packed foods into an everyday diet plan so you don’t feel as though you have to take a pill.”

Rachel Hauser is a free-lance food writer in Boulder, Colo.