Your doctor may have recommended that you take a particular supplement, like Vitamin D, because your blood may have shown to have an insufficient quantity of this important nutrient. You can also easily find a variety of consumer products on your own, with lots of claims about how they can help your health. It is important that you use these products wisely – https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/using-dietary-supplements-wisely.
Studies have shown some benefits for particular substances for specific health-related conditions, however, there is not a magic pill out there that will keep you healthy and prevent all diseases.
A nice visualization that condenses a lot of research into dietary supplements based on scientific studies is here https://informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/snake-oil-scientific-evidence-for-nutritional-supplements-vizsweet/. The bubbles correspond to different supplements and their impact on a particular health condition. The bigger the bubble, the more popular the supplement. The higher on the list you see the bubble, the better evidence there is that the product works. Hover and click on each bubble to see the evidence in the form of a scientific study. Before taking any product, it is important to do some research.
Dietary supplements are also regulated differently by the Food and Drug Administration – they do not have to be proven to be effective to prevent, treat, or diagnose any health condition. Be wary of claims on the package, since many are not supported by scientific evidence.
The science of food which concerns itself with how food and its components play a role in our health is called nutrition.
Humans need food and water to survive. The main constituents of food that are needed for life are energy, measured as calories, and nutrients – macro-nutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) and micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals). Macro-nutrients are energy-containing nutrients and produce energy when they break down in the body via a process called metabolism.
Water is vital for staying healthy and hydrated. Our bodies need water to maintain pH balance, to transport molecules from place to place, and many other functions. Read more here – https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-much-water-should-you-drink. You can get fluids from all beverages, as well as many fruits and vegetables.
Calories are a measure of energy that your body uses every day. Calorie needs vary by age, sex, and activity level. Find out the right number of calories for you here – https://www.choosemyplate.gov/MyPlatePlan.
When you are shopping for food, you can make wiser choices by looking at the nutritional label. These labels contain information on the serving size, and the amount of calories and nutrients per serving. It is important to pay attention to the serving size of the food – many people will eat more than one serving at a time, this is called portion size. Portion control is important for sticking to your dietary goals. You may see one of the labels below – some have switched to a newer format.
Older format of nutrition labelNewer format of nutrition label
It is also important to read ingredients lists of the foods. This can give you a clue about whether the product contains some beneficial items like whole grains, or some harmful products like trans fats (these are often labeled as partially hydrogenated fats).
In general, try to have a diet that is adequate and moderate, balanced and nutrient-dense. Stay away from empty calories. As the writer Michael Pollan says, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
In order to eat safely, practice the four principles: clean surfaces and fruits/vegetables, separate meats and seafood from other foods, cook to the right temperature, and cool or refrigerate food promptly – http://www.fightbac.org/food-safety-basics/the-core-four-practices/.
Food allergies happen when the immune system of the body reacts to the food as an antigen (something that’s not supposed to be there) and produces an allergic response. That response can be fairly mild, like itching, or severe, like anaphylaxis. If you know you are allergic to something, make sure to read warning labels, let a waiter know, read ingredients lists, and carry an epinephrine injector with you for emergencies.
Food intolerance, or food sensitivity, can happen when people have a difficult time digesting a certain food. Symptoms happen in the digestive system, not the immune system, and can be bloating, gas, and diarrhea. One common intolerance is lactose intolerance, when people can’t digest large amounts of lactose found in dairy products.
You may have heard people talk about organic food or GMO’s and wondered whether you should change your habits. To make sense of all the labels and controversies, we will define these terms.
Processed food is an expansive category that spans from minimally processed foods that have been made easier to eat or store (e.g. pasteurization, fermentation, refrigeration) to ultra-processed foods (typically ready-to-eat foods that may have lower nutrient density like sugary beverages). However, it is not correct to say that all processed foods are bad for us. In many cases, processing can make a food safer, help foods last longer and prevent spoilage, and even add nutrients to foods. In some cases, especially for people who have limited time and money, processed foods can improve their nutrient intake. To know which processed foods are right for you, make sure to read the labels on foods you buy. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/processed-foods/
Organically produced food has a legal meaning according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In general, that means fruits and vegetables that have been produced without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and meats, seafood and dairy produced with organic feed and without the use of hormones. In order to display the USDA certified organic logo, the company has to undergo a review by the USDA to ensure compliance with the rules.
From USDA.gov
For consumers, it is usually clear that organically produced food is more expensive. But is it better for our health? Organic foods do contain fewer pesticide residues when tested (though still below safety thresholds), but studies have found different results when it comes to nutrition – some studies have found no differences in nutrient levels, while others have found higher amounts of antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids – https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/organic-food/art-20043880. This question is yet to be resolved.
The acronym GMO stands for genetically modified organisms. Farmers have genetically modified many crops by the process of artificial selection for hundreds of years. However, science has now allowed faster genetic modification by allowing genes to be inserted or deleted in the lab. The purpose for this is usually to provide more yield for crops, resist pests and common plant diseases and thus require less pesticide use, and boost nutritional value. A law passed in 2016 has made it mandatory to label products produced with GMO crops – in the US most corn, soybean and cotton crops are GMOs (many others may also be produced using GM seeds). All foods produced in this way have to pass Food and Drug Administration clearance in order to be sold. Research has not shown there to be any health issues from eating GMO foods – https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/well/eat/are-gmo-foods-safe.html.
While GMO foods are widely considered to be safe, some controversies have arisen based on how the companies that own patents for GM seeds have chosen to enforce their intellectual property – through suing small farmers. Another concern about GMOs is that insertion of other genes into crops may cause allergies – this has yet to be seen in humans or animals.
Local food is generally food that has been produced or grown in close proximity to where people live, but definitions vary. The 2008 Farm Act defined it as being grown within 400 miles of your location, but many people consider 100 miles to make more sense. Local food is often sold in farmer’s markets, through community supported agriculture, or in small local stands and may be produced on urban farms. Some argue that because local food has to travel fewer miles during distribution, that this reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 and methane), can help slow climate change. While it’s true that emissions are reduced be eating more locally, a greater impact on climate change would be to switch to a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diet. https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/09/04/how-green-is-local-food/
What about the word “natural”? Surely foods that are natural are going to be better for our health! In legal terms, the word natural does not have any definition, so any type of food, including highly processed food, can be labeled natural.
What have you heard about these types of food? Remember, food choice is personal and everyone has to eat! Try to meet your nutritional needs with what works for you.
Vitamins are organic substances that are either water-soluble or fat-soluble. They have names like Vitamin A, B, C, and so on. There are many B vitamins. One type of B vitamin, B12, is mainly found in animal products, so people following vegetarian or vegan diets may need to take supplements.
Minerals are inorganic elements needed either in fairly large amounts (macro minerals, measured in milligrams), or very tiny ones (trace minerals). Read more about vitamins and minerals here – https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamins/.
This site lists all necessary vitamins and minerals and labels certain ones that are of concern, either because we don’t get enough (vitamin D, folate, iron) or because we get too much (sodium). For many Americans, it may be important to pay attention to their sodium consumption, since too much can lead to health problems.
Some of the best sources of many vitamins and minerals are fruit and vegetables. It is better to eat these whole, rather than as juices. There are many health benefits to diets that have many and varied fruit and vegetables – https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-and-fruits/. Try to eat the rainbow! Fruit and vegetables also have beneficial phytonutrients – chemicals that are linked to better health.
Proteins are the building blocks of life. In the body, they are important for making blood, bones, skin, muscles and cartilage, as well as various chemicals like hormones – https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/protein-foods. Proteins break down into amino acids. There are 9 essential amino acids – we must get them through food as the body doesn’t make them.
We get amino acids from eating foods rich in protein, like those found in the Protein and Dairy food groups. Animal-based foods tend to be complete proteins – they have all 9 amino acids (meat, seafood, eggs, dairy). Incomplete proteins come from plant-based foods (beans and peas, known as legumes; seeds and nuts; and whole grains), but these foods can be combined to ensure that we are getting everything we need.
How much protein do you need? For an adult, you need about 0.8 g per kg of body weight. Read more here – https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/. Most of us in the United States are getting enough or more than enough protein in our diets. There are times when we may need to get more – when one is pregnant, recovering from an illness or suffering from an injury. Here is an online calculator that can help you estimate how much protein (and other essential nutrients) you need – https://www.nal.usda.gov/human-nutrition-and-food-safety/dri-calculator.
In the MyPlate eating plan, carbohydrates are often found in the Grains food group, as well as Fruit, Vegetables and even Protein (mainly in the form of fiber in legumes and nuts/seeds.
One way that we can improve our diets is by eating fewer added sugars. Too much sugar can have a negative effect on our health. Another thing you can do is switch from refined flours to whole grain – these types of grains have many benefits to your health.
Fats are necessary for life and thus are an essential macro-nutrient. However, there are different types of dietary fats and research shows that some may be better for us than others.
Some ways to consume fats in a healthier way include choosing plant-based oils and lower amounts of animal-based fats in your diet. Find more information here – https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2019/03/skinny-fat.
From American Heart Assocation
A healthy eating pattern includes some Oils, which are not a food group. Some oils can be found in the Vegetables (avocados and olives) and Protein (nuts and seeds) food groups.
