New Concepts in Nutritional Science: Food Not Nutrients

Nutrition science has often been focused on individual substances in food. But disease mechanisms are seldom so simple that they can be properly explained by the intake of single substances. For example, a relatively high intake of fat and of saturated fat was widely believed to be a major cause of cardiovascular disease. Similarly, it was widely claimed that supplements of various micronutrients (especially vitamin C, beta-carotene, calcium, and multivitamins) would be protective against particular diseases. However, more recent evidence has revealed that the relationship between diet and disease is best explained in terms of food rather than single nutrients. This concept is known as food synergy. Features of a healthy diet include a generous intake of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and nuts, but with a low intake of red meat and processed meat and salt. Such a diet is protective against cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Healthy eating plans are described, including MyPlate, the DASH Eating Plan, and the Mediterranean diet.