[ ♪♪ ]
>> Charlsie: Take a walk down
almost any grocery aisle and
you're going to
spot this stuff.
We're not talking
about ordinary foods.
We're talking about super foods.
We reviewed the label
on about 100 products.
And one thing we learned,
when you're talking about
superfoods usually
that means super prices.
Let's talk about some
of the things that are in
these products-- omega-3s,
protein, electrolytes...
These things sure sound super--
but are they really?
It's time to find out...
>> Charlsie:  This is
your Marketplace.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> Charlsie:  First
up...coconut water.
Did you start the clock?
>> Yes I did.
>> Charlsie: We're getting
ready to put this popular drink
through a stress test.
It's tap water
versus coconut water.
On the street
there's no contest.
How are you?
Feeling good?
Can I stop you for
a quick second?
Why choose it
over just tap water?
>> It's more hydrating.
It has electrolytes, so--
I'm a cyclist, so when I go on
long rides--
it's better fuel.
>> Charlsie: What have you
heard about coconut water?
>> It hydrates
better than water.
>> Charlsie: And do
you believe it?
>> Yes.
>> Because it's more refreshing.
>> Charlsie: Uh-huh.
What about
for hydration?
Yeah--
>> Very much, yeah.
>> Charlsie: Hydrating?
Yeah?
>> Like ten times more.
I heard about that.
>> Charlsie: Really?
You think it's ten
times more hydrating?
>> Than regular water.
>> I think originally I
heard that it has, maybe,
electrolytes in it, or something
like that, to help replenish
more than just water.
>> Charlsie: And they may have
gotten some of those ideas from
years of
advertising like this...
>> If you want
the ultimate ride,
you need the
ultimate hydration drink.
>> Hydration comes naturally,
>> It's loaded with electrolytes
so it's incredibly hydrating and
that's really the key.
>> Charlsie: Coconut water
is costly.
Prices range from
$3.00 to $6.50 a litre.
>> More importantly,
you're metabolizing all of the
great stuff that's inside
at a much higher rate.
>> Five times more
potassium than a banana.
>> Charlsie: Marketing that
seems to have hit the mark.
In just two years, sales of
coconut water increased by 66%.
Boosted by some high profile
investors and 'coco-vangelists'.
>> Having Vita Coco on stage
helps because it tastes good but
it keeps you hydrated.
>> Charlsie: It may sound super,
but for our test, we want
to know, is it that much better
at keeping you hydrated than
plain tap water?
At Brock University,
Stephen Cheung is a
sports scientist.
At his lab, he puts people
through extreme temperatures and
stress to see what
happens to their bodies.
Right now I probably
run 3-4 times a week.
>> We're going to be
exercising in the heat today,
and you're going to be
running at a decent pace.
You're going to be
sweating quite a bit.
And so one of the purpose--
what we want to do is see
whether water or
coconut water helps you
maintain hydration better.
>> Charlsie: Right.
To figure out how
well coconut water hydrates me,
i need a little privacy.
We're going to the washroom.
Oh, my god, I'm actually
doing this.
Next big hurdle,
weighing myself on television.
68.5 kilograms, and so
in pounds that is 151.
So this is my 500 ml
of coconut water.
There are about 45
calories in here,
11 grams of carbs,
11 grams of sugar,
jam-packed with naturally
occurring electrolytes,
and what's the other one?
Oh, um, more potassium
in here than a banana.
>> One of the things we want to
see is whether you absorb it and
get it into your fluids,
into your cells,
or whether it just
comes straight out
through your kidneys.
>> Charlsie: And how
hot is it in that room?
35 degrees?
>> Yes.
And 40%
relative humidity.
>> Charlsie: Whoa.
>> Just like a
nice hot Ontario day.
>> Charlsie: It feels
like a sauna.
My speed and incline are set.
I'm running for an hour.
Stephen is going to ask me how
i'm feeling and take my core
temperature and my heart
rate every 15 minutes.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> Get off whenever
you're ready.
>> Charlsie: Wow.
After 60 minutes
the results are in.
And so far?
Coconut water is living up
to the public's perception.
Stephen is
surprised with the results.
>> You haven't really, kind of,
shown any signs of dehydration.
>> Charlsie: But we're
not done yet.
In less than
24 hours, I'm at it again.
I still have that one hour
run ahead, but the pay off?
Finding out what
hydrates me better.
Yesterday it was coconut water,
and today it's the challenger.
Let's see how we do.
Good old fashioned
Ontario tap water.
I'm savouring this because I
know it's the only water I'm
going to get.
As soon as I go in there,
I'm going to want more.
>> So unlike coconut water,
this doesn't make any claims to
be jam-packed with
electrolytes or, of course,
there's no calories either.
>> Charlsie: And after
drinking the water...
>> Well you're definitely
nice and hydrated.
>> Charlsie: ..comes the
hard part...
Here we go for round two.
>> That's right.
>> Charlsie: So my legs
were definitely sore yesterday.
I feel okay right now.
Let's get 'er done.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> Charlsie: With a minute
to go, my core temperature
is the same
as yesterday.
And I've got a few
familiar feelings.
Hot.
>> Hot?
And comfort?
>> Charlsie: Very uncomfortable.
>> Okay.
>> Charlsie: Yeah,
I'm very thirsty.
Like, I keep licking my
lips and I'm getting nothing.
Um, so I really do want water.
Or something to hydrate me.
Stephen tells me my
response is similar both days,
but our test was actually
a bit tougher on tap water.
>> We stacked the
deck against water,
and it still held up just
as well as coconut water,
if not better.
I would sum everything up
by saying coconut water can
hydrate you, but it doesn't
necessarily do a better job
than water.
If anything, water might just
be a little bit better from what
you've shown, anyways.
>> Charlsie: But it's
not just my test.
The science is pretty new.
But studies are coming
to similar conclusions.
That there's no significant
benefit to coconut water over
plain water.
Vita Coco and O.N.E Coconut
Water are two of the top
selling brands.
We contact O.N.E Coconut Water
but its parent company, Pepsico,
didn't want to be interviewed.
When we tell Vita Coco
about the results of our test
with tap water, they say
it's the potassium that helps
your workout.
Take a look at the
side of the container.
It's right there.
Jam-packed full of naturally
occurring electrolytes.
>> That's absolutely true,
but it's jam-packed
with potassium, whereas what
you sweat out is really sodium,
so it may not be the best
rehydration tool that way.
>> Charlsie: And check
out this claim.
No fat and no cholesterol means
big hearts and small butts.
The other one is
"small butts, big hearts."
>> i have no idea
how to respond to that.
Water has no calories,
coconut water has 45 calories
a cup.
So you're gaining extra calories
that you may not really need.
>> Charlsie: And legally
speaking, in 2011 and 2012,
Vita Coco and
O.N.E Coconut Water were named
in class action lawsuits over
nutrition claims in Canada and
the US.
A California judge dismissed
the allegation accusing
O.N.E Coconut Water.
The class action accusations
against Vita Coco didn't go to
trial either.
Instead, the company settled and
they have stopped making certain
claims like their
products are...
Besides offering
consumers compensation,
Vita Coco agreed to change
its labels and its marketing.
Vita Coco tells us it now...
Bottom line,
if you love the taste,
and don't mind spending up
to six bucks a litre, go for it.
But if you're drinking
coconut water for the hydration,
then consider tap water,
which science says does
the trick.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> Charlsie: We break
the news on the street.
In terms of how it hydrated
me it was about the same.
>> Really?
>> Charlsie: Results were
about the same.
>> Is that right?
Huh.
>> Charlsie: Hydrates about
the same.
>> Really?
Well, that's just what
they advertise, right,
so I guess i'm paying
into the advertisements.
>> Charlsie: Super grain
or super hype?
This is not the way
to get your quinoa.
>> It's not.
Come on.
It's a chocolate bar. 
>> Charlsie: Taking a bite
out of quinoa and chia's
super claims.
So if you're
looking to get omega-3...
>> You'd have
to eat a lot of it.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> Charlsie: Get
more Marketplace.
Sign up for our
weekly newsletter at...
>> Charlsie: The real
deal on your Marketplace.
>> Charlsie: We're taking
a closer look at some
super claims.
Reviewing about 100
labels on popular superfoods.
Next up, quinoa.
A super grain often
imported from South America.
>> And lift off!
>> Charlsie: In 1993,
NASA scientists promoted quinoa
as astronaut food because
of its nutritional properties.
Fast forward 20 years,
and the UN declares 2013 the
international year of quinoa.
Seriously.
The international
year of quinoa.
Marketed as a
high protein, low carb grain,
quinoa's popularity
continues to rise.
In just two years,
sales have nearly doubled.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> Charlsie: You'd be hard
pressed to find people more
serious about their
diets than olympians.
That's why we came to this
high performance centre where
Canada's olympic track
and field team trains.
Team dietitian, Jen Sygo,
with her take on quinoa...
>> It's not going to be a major
protein source like a meat
or eggs, or even things like
beans and lentils and chickpeas.
A cup of cooked quinoa will give
you about 8 grams of protein,
whereas a typical chicken breast
can give you 30 grams or more.
>> Charlsie: And it's
not low-carb either.
>> It's quite high in calories,
at 220 or so calories per cup of
cooked quinoa, so you're
not going to lose weight.
>> Charlsie: And that's
quinoa is in its purest form.
Jen says its nutrition
seriously goes sideways when
this happens...
So these are
skinny quinoa sticks.
Look at her face.
This is superfood...
Another bag of chips.
Oh, superfood granola
with quinoa.
Ah, nourish pop
granola with quinoa.
>> Quinoa, quinoa's everywhere.
We basically have taken a
quinoa grain kernel and highly
processed it into this until
you've obliterated a lot of the
nutrition and then turned it
into something that might be
high in salt and sugar.
I'm not saying this
particular food is,
but I think we have
to be aware of that.
>> Charlsie: This is not
the way to get your quinoa.
>> Well, come on.
It's a chocolate bar.
>> Charlsie: Canadian
alternative to quinoa would be?
>> The potato.
Calorie-wise,
they're basically on par,
and yes you sacrifice
a bit of that protein,
but potatoes are
really high in potassium,
which is important for
blood pressure control,
and they're also good
sources of vitamin C,
they're great sources of fibre,
they're so under-appreciated.
>> Charlsie: And they're
also much cheaper.
For four bucks you can get a
four and a half kilogram bag of
potatoes or...
A 400 gram package of quinoa.
And get this, NASA has
changed course too,
away from quinoa,
focusing on fresh food instead.
After all, potatoes worked
for Matt Damon...
and that was on Mars.
>> I'm a botanist.
>> Charlsie: And Jen says
that simple swap of an expensive
superfood for a better for
you Canadian alternative,
applies to an
increasingly popular seed, too.
What about chia seeds?
Do you guys eat chia seeds?
>> Yes, I do.
>> Charlsie: And why?
Why chia seeds?
>> Because it's good
for cholesterol.
It's very good and
it's a superfood.
>> Charlsie: Do you
eat chia seeds?
>> I do.
>> Charlsie: What about
chia seeds?
Do you eat chia seeds?
>> Yes.
>> Charlsie: How do
you eat your chia?
>> Oatmeal, salad.
>> I put it in
with my, um...shakes.
>> Charlsie: Why chia seeds?
>> I heard it was good for you.
>> I heard that they
have omega-3 acid fats.
>> Charlsie: And seems
we're really buying in.
In just the past 2 years,
chia sales have more
than tripled.
When it comes to the
most common claim,
that chia is high in omega-3s,
our dietitian thinks there's a
better alternative.
Even if you ate this
whole bowl of chia,
an entire bag, you'd still be
getting less omega-3s than just
one piece of salmon.
Another catch.
For the body to
use the chia seeds,
it has to convert them to
acids and our bodies don't do
that well.
>> Your body converts somewhere
between about 0 and 10% of that
into a useable form of omega-3.
>> Charlsie: That's it?
>> Yeah.
>> Charlsie: That's not
very much.
>> So that basically comes down
to 0.3 mg or less per serving.
>> Charlsie: So that's
a lot of chia.
>> It's an inconvenient
way to get your omega-3s.
>> Charlsie: So if you're
looking to get omega-3,
this is going to take your body
a lot of work to get the good
stuff out.
>> You'd have to
eat a lot of it.
>> And you can't eat a lot of it
because it has too much fibre
in it.
>> Eventually it'll make you...
>> Charlsie: We all
see where that goes.
If you want to stick with seeds,
Jen suggests opting for a
Canadian alternative
to the imported chia.
>> Flax seed.
>> Charlsie: Besides being
a homegrown product,
flax is about a third
of the price of chia.
Remember a bag of
chia was about $15.
Compared to just $5 for flax.
>> Whoa, whoa, whoa.
>> Charlsie: Our pro
dietitian does a double take.
>> There's real issues
with the claims on here.
>> Charlsie: Is this
misleading consumers,
'prevents cancer'?
This is your Marketplace.
Got a story you think
we should investigate?
Email us... 
>> Charlsie: Busting superfoods.
Do you believe
in superfoods?
>> Yes, I do.
>> Charlsie: What's a superfood?
>> I don't know really,
I just see it on packages.
I'm like, oh, okay,
that sounds good.
>> Charlsie: Super seeds,
super grains, super food.
>> It makes me stop
and read the label.
>> Charlsie: But that
label, 'superfood',
is completely unregulated.
Companies can claim any product
is some kind of superfood.
We reviewed about 100 labels
and showed some of those to team
Canada's dietitian, Jen Sygo.
This one caught her attention.
Superfood granola with quinoa.
So, on the back here it
says energy booster,
sleep aid, cardiovascular,
controls blood sugar,
curb food cravings,
weight control,
lowers cholesterol,
prevents cancer.
>> Whoa, whoa, whoa.
>> Charlsie: Reduces risk
of Alzheimer's...
>> Wow.
>> Charlsie: All in this
convenient package of granola.
>> That's crazy.
>> There's real issues
with the claims on here.
Well the claims on here--
i'm quite concerned about.
>> They're just
stating the facts.
>> It's not that, though.
Health Canada is very clear
about what you can label.
>> Charlsie: Real issues
because...
>> Yeah, no, this concerns me.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> Charlsie: We take our
concerns to Halifax to food
scientist, Vasantha Rupasinghe.
He's built a career studying
health benefits of foods.
He says the government
is failing to fix a key issue.
>> There is no scientific
definition for a superfood.
Companies are using the word
superfood without any scientific
base or without any
government criteria.
>> Charlsie: Why is
that a problem?
>> So the consumers believe
when you see the word superfood
it is better than the
other regular food.
>> Charlsie: But it
doesn't have to be that way.
Japan has strict rules
about using that word.
And in the EU, you won't find
superfood on any food label.
That term is banned.
He thinks Health Canada
needs to step up and crack down.
>> It is a problem if a company
use the word superfood and
misleads our consumer.
>> Charlsie: So how do
you think it should change?
>> I think our regulatory
agencies like Health Canada need
to come into the picture,
and act on kind of a regulation
which food you could
classify as either functional
food or superfood.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> Why is this a superfood?
Who decided that
this is a superfood?
And if you're going to
advertise it, it should
be regulated, right?
>> It's a fad almost.
>> Charlsie: Do you think
Health Canada should let
companies put
superfood on packages?
>> No.
>> Charlsie: No?
>> No, I really don't think so.
>> Charlsie: Why not?
>> It's kind of
misleading to the public.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> Charlsie: And so that's
where we're going next.
To Ottawa.
When it comes to
policing food labels,
that job is shared
between two agencies.
This is Maya Villeneuve
with Health Canada.
>> At Health Canada, we set,
basically, the regulations.
We actually do the
enforcement part.
>> Charlsie: And that's
Aline Dimitri with the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
They confirm, in Canada,
the term superfood is
totally unregulated.
So speaking of
superfoods, super flakes,
super oats, super grains,
super fruit freezie,
central roast super
food nut crunch,
super hydrating...
>> There's a lot of
very super things.
>> Charlsie: 'Cause the
critics say, superfood,
there is no definition.
What does it mean
to be a superfood?
So by allowing it on a
package it's misleading.
>> It's not just the
question of superfood,
it's what else is
on the package,
what makes that food superfood?
We often work
with the industries.
They'll often come to us with a
claim that they're planning to
use on the package, and ask
for our advice say, "Okay is
"this truthful and not
misleading to consumers?"
>> Charlsie: Hmm.
Good question.
Remember that product
that shocked our dietician?
This was alarming
to some of the people
that we talked to.
This is super food
granola with quinoa.
Reduces cardiovascular disease,
healthy digestion,
energy booster, sleep aid,
prevents cancer.
If you were to see
this on a grocery shelf,
what would you think?
>> Personally, my first thought
is this is too good to be true,
there is way too many claims
and I would be asking some
questions certainly from the
industry and as a consumer I
would also be
raising it to the CFIA,
the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency.
>> Charlsie: Is this misleading
consumers, 'prevents cancer'?
>> All of the packaging has to
meet the very foundational law
of truthful and not misleading.
So I cannot tell you--
is this misleading?
There's evidence behind it
that needs to be examined
and so when you just
look at a label,
that raises question, but it
doesn't mean that the answer
is automatic.
And we can't just jump
to judgement right away,
but we do have to
ask the questions.
It's very important.
>> Charlsie: After we contact
Nature's Mix, they pull the 
product from shelves and
review the label with the CFIA.
Remember all
those health claims?
They're now gone.
It's a drastic change.
Nature's Mix says they didn't
intend to mislead customers
and they made an honest mistake.
But the question remains...
Why didn't the government
catch this sooner?
Well, the CFIA tells us somebody
has to complain before they can
step in.
In the meantime, the government
admits there's more work to do.
>> Labeling is one of those
areas that we're also looking
to modernize.
We'll be consulting with
Canadians and with industry
on it.
So that for us is going
to be the ultimate way to
rejuvenating our framework to be
able to address situations that
perhaps when we developed
the framework 50 years ago,
were not part of
the conversation.
>> Charlsie: We're going
to check up on that.
Even if the government is
reviewing labelling practices,
it still falls to you,
the consumer,
to speak up and say
something if you see a label
you're concerned about,
and we want to see them, too.
So send us a tweet,
find us on Facebook, email us...
Leaving you with a little super
food for thought for the next
time you're in the supermarket.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> David: We're back on the
case investigating food waste.
Best before date, salad,
still three days from now.
These kids saw a need.
>> So many people without food
and they're throwing it out.
>> David: And they're taking
matters into their own hands.
>> Our project would
empower all citizens,
especially those trying
to get back on their feet.
>> David: What's changed?
For Walmart,
whose responsibility is this to
try and reduce food waste?
>> Well, it's our
responsibility.
[ ♪♪ ]
