A new study reveals that eating a wide variety of foods may not be as beneficial to your health as we all thought. But researchers say some variety is still better than none at all. Getting a little confused? The American Heart Association team that conducted the study clears the air…
This tableau represents the foods you should eat under the Mediterranean Diet:
A very close analogue to what American Heart Association researchers
are recommending in their new study on dietary variety…
The team, helmed by report Lead Author Dr. Marcia C. de Oliveira Otto, reviewed reams of scientific reports published in respected peer-reviewed journals between 2000 and 2017. A clear consensus emerged among the authors of those reports on three points:
- There is no evidence that greater overall dietary diversity promotes healthy weight or optimal eating.
- There is some evidence that a wider variety of food options in a meal may delay people’s feeling of satiation (fullness), increasing the amount of food they eat.
- Limited evidence suggests that greater dietary diversity is associated with eating more calories, poor eating patterns and weight gain in adults.
In short, de Oliveria Otto says, “Eating a more diverse diet might be associated with eating a greater variety of both healthy and unhealthy food. Combined, such an eating pattern may lead to increased food consumption and obesity.”
What is ‘a healthy variety’?
The idea of ‘eating a healthy variety of foods’ is a has been a public health recommendation worldwide for decades. While some dietary guidelines highlight greater diversity of recommended foods, there is little consensus about what so-called dietary diversity is, how it is measured and whether it is a healthy dietary goal.
Instead of telling people to eat a variety of foods, the study’s authors conclude that dietary recommendations should emphasize adequate consumption of plant foods, such as fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains, low-fat dairy products, non-tropical vegetable oils, nuts, poultry and fish, and limit consumption of red meat, sweets and sugary drinks. The American Heart Association Dietary Recommendations and the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) are both examples of healthy eating patterns.
My take…
That bottom-line recommendation by the study’s authors seems to describe, pretty closely, the Mediterranean Diet, which we’ve all heard so much about in the past few years. It’s been shown, in a multitude of studies, to reduce the risk of a variety of diseases and conditions modern humans are susceptible to. The only drawbacks to it involve affordability: The Med Diet involves eating more Fish and Seafood, and more fresh Fruits and Veggies. Too bad those foods are so expensive.
The Med Diet has, in fact, been linked to reduced risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, and improved cognitive performance in the elderly.
But there are ways to make the Med Diet more affordable. And this post by the Mayo Clinic gives you all the details.
Another plus to the Med Diet: Red Meat in moderation has been declared okay on this eating plan. And… Recent findings also show that Pasta in reasonable amounts, doesn’t cause weight gain!
~ Maggie J.