When It Comes to a Healthy Diet, Researchers Keep Guessing
By: Cohen, Placitella & Roth @ Jul 11, 2016
It was only a handful of months ago that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) changed its recommendation regarding dietary cholesterol, countering on its once held belief that eating high cholesterol causing foods caused high cholesterol (we now know that it is consumption of sugar, not fat, that causes high cholesterol).
And so it is no surprise that in light of the FDA’s newest guidelines for what comprises a healthy American diet – which includes cuts to sugar and protein and increases the recommended amount of veggies – some in the health community are raising flags, and a single question is being asked: What does a healthy diet look like?
Fat-free, Sugar-free, Gluten-free & More
What is proposed has a “healthy” diet can change from the season to the part of the country to the doctor whom you ask. Many people still hold onto the belief that a low-fat diet is key for health, although researchers have found that a low-fat diet has no positive effect on things like heart disease and cancer (against which it is reportedly supposed to prevent). See a recent article published in The New York Times for more details. Instead, a diet that focuses on healthy fats – like those found in olive oil and avocado – and few sugars has replaced the low-fat notion in terms of what can remedy or prevent health conditions like heart disease.
Outside of low-fat diets, there are also those who recommend low-sugar diet, low-carb diets, gluten-free diets, anti-inflammatory diets, the Mediterranean diet, and more. And what exactly makes for good health (outside of diet) is a whole separate debate. There are some who suggest that health is what it is due to genetic makeup, and there is nothing that an individual can do to change their genes. There are others who believe that microbes in the gut may be the key behind health. And those who believe that exercise, not diet, is what keeps you fit. And yet others say the opposite; that diet, not exercise, is the key to good health.
The debates over which diet (and lifestyle) is most ideal for health can leave many scratching their heads over what to do. Doing your research and listening to your doctor is best for health. Also, consider that what works for one person may not work for you, especially if you have any health concerns or history of family disease. And with health guidelines constantly changing, what might be considered “healthy” by the FDA and others today may differ greatly 10, five, or even a single year from now.
Personal Injury Firm Serving New Jersey and Pennsylvania
The experienced personal injury attorneys at the law firm of Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C. are interested in seeing how developments in dietary guidelines will affect populations now or in the future. If you have suffered an injury or are a victim of medical malpractice, contact us today for a free case consultation. We are available to talk now at (215) 567-3500.
