The Newest Superfruits to Hit NYC

Move over pomegranate, there’s a new superfruit in town. A plethora of exotic fruits including ligonberry, schizandra berry and pitaya are hitting the produce shelves of NYC in hopes of becoming the next health food craze.

According to Time, sales of superfruits have spiked since the mid-2000s and global superfruit launches grew by 6 percent in 2011 following a 10 percent boost between 2010 and 2011. But the question remains… are the fruits really super or is it just good advertising?

“There’s an implication that if I eat one superfruit, it’s the equivalent of eating two fruits,” explained Jeffrey Blumberg, director of the antioxidants research laboratory and professor of nutrition at Tufts University.

While it’s unclear if the new wave of superfruits offer added health benefits, nutritionists believe that individuals should eat two to four servings of fruit per day. “I think every year we are going to see a new fruit or vegetable that’s the hot new thing,” said Jessica Kolko, Whole Foods Market’s Healthy Eating registered dietitian and culinary educator. “From my perspective as a dietitian, the more fruit you eat, the more super you are.”