foodperson.com

Don’t get me wrong; I have great confidence in scientific research. At the same time, though, it seems that a large share of scientific research regarding food, diet and health merely prove what most of us know in our gut (both the literal and figurative kind). And that is: Our bodies are healthier when we eat a wide variety of genuine food, meaning unadulterated products of nature.

It only makes sense. Our human forebears evolved eating the fruits of the earth, first as hunters of wildlife and gatherers of wild fruits, nuts and roots. It’s folly to think that the food-processing “improvements” of the last 100 years would change our DNA-derived needs for variety in our foods. And even those whose taste buds have adapted to a diet laden with fat and salt know in their hearts (again, literally and figuratively) that fresher and more varied foods would do their bodies good.

Unfortunately, lots of people are more tuned in to advertising and sales prices than they are to their bodies and the long-term price of bad diets. For them, there are diet books and scientific research. Without further ado, a few links to some of the latest incremental advances in understanding food, diet and health:

• A case for plant fats. A study finds that getting Omega-3 fatty acids from walnuts and flaxseed is good for men’s bones. (It’s a long, academic article. Scroll to the very end for the conclusion.)
• Old people need vitamin D. Elderly people who don’t get enough vitamin D-which is most of them-are at greater risk for weakness and falls. They can get D through fortified milk, juices, supplements and sunshine.
• Healthy food prep is healthier. People who use water-based cooking methods (steaming, boiling, stewing) are probably healthier than the people who fry and grill and used a lot of processed foods. What a shocker.
• Taking too many multivitamins raises cancer risk. Face it, excess is a bad idea, whether it’s too many cupcakes or too many vitamins. Moderation, people!
• Whole grains reduce heart risk (NYT registration required to view). We knew that already, didn’t we?

In short: Read the studies if you want, but when in doubt eat like a Cro Magnon.