Author: Yuliya Shneyderman

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.

Products like vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins, fats, and others are often sold in pharmacies and specialized stores. These products are often labeled as dietary supplements – https://nccih.nih.gov/health/supplements .

Do you need to take these for your health?

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://nccih.nih.gov/health/supplements/wiseuse.htm.

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/. Hover and click on each bubble to see the evidence. 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.

Another concern is that supplements can interact with any other medication you may be taking. Some of those interactions may be concerning – check if there are any interactions here https://reference.medscape.com/drug-interactionchecker.

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.

Some basic information on nutrition can be found here – https://www.nutrition.gov/faqs.

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.

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 chart 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.choosemyplate.gov/protein-foods-nutrients-health. 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.

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.

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.