Healthy Eating A Guide To The New Nutrition

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Healthy Eating: A guide to the new nutrition

Forget your old ideas about healthy eating. There's a different nutrition story now. This story, based on evidence from rigorous scientific studies, is not about denying yourself the foods you love or following a rigid diet plan. It's about choosing foods you like based on the latest nutritional science and your own particular health concerns.

Research done since the 1990s shows beyond all doubt that you can lower your risk for the most serious diseases of our time by following a healthy diet. Healthy eating, based on this science, can prevent possibly 80% of cases of heart disease and diabetes and help ward off hypertension, osteoporosis, and some forms of cancer.

Embrace healthy foods for life.

We've known for many years that certain foods are healthy — especially fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. But now we know why they're healthy. Scientists can point to specific nutrients and other substances in foods that fight disease, including vitamins, minerals, and plant chemicals. But while "eat your vegetables" is a well-known refrain, it may surprise you to know that you should eat fat, too. That's right: Some of the healthiest foods are fats. Maligned for many years as the bane of a healthy diet, some types of fat — mainly those from most plants and fish — have been shown to keep arteries clear and hearts beating normally, and to inhibit some forms of cancer.

This mounting evidence triggered a wholesale revision of the U.S. government's nutritional recommendations in 2002 with the introduction of dietary reference intakes (DRIs) for protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber. These guidelines shift the emphasis away from low-fat diets and instead urge people to eat unsaturated fats, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and to exercise daily. In 2003, the World Health Organization concurred and also urged people to reduce salt consumption. And in 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revised its famous food pyramid to reflect the new emphasis on whole grains, healthy fats, and exercise. The same year, the USDA also reworked its Dietary Guidelines for Americans to emphasize calorie control and exercise.

This report gives practical advice to help you put these guidelines into use, uncover the useful information on a food label, and understand the science behind the latest food trends. You'll find out why healthy eating goes beyond nutrition; food safety is just as important.

This report supplies the information you'll need to choose safe, nutritious foods, avoid the junk food, and enjoy the vast array of delicious, convenient, healthy choices available to you.

Last updated:	January 23, 2007