Eating a diverse range of foods as part of your diet, as often recommended by health professionals, may not be as healthy as we think, according to a study published on Thursday in the journal Circulation.
For decades, people have been told to eat a variety of different foods to ensure their bodies receive all the minerals and nutrients it requires, but the American Heart Association paper suggests otherwise.
The authors, who thoroughly studied numerous articles published over nearly two decades, said they actually found there may be a link between food diversity and lower diet quality, as well as excess food intake, Medical Daily reported.
“Eating a more diverse diet might be associated with eating a greater variety of both healthy and unhealthy foods,” explained lead author Marcia C. de Oliveira Otto. “Combined, such an eating pattern may lead to increased food consumption and obesity.”
At issue is what constitutes as “dietary diversity.”
As Dr. Goutham Rao, co-author, told ABC News there is no clear and consistent definition across the board and no useful measure.
While one person may expand their diet to include a variety of fruits and vegetables, pulses and whole grains, another may take to consuming more energy dense foods such as white bread and pastries, as well as foods loaded with saturated fats such as cheese.
Fueling this issue is that exposure to a variety of foods may actually reduce the body’s ability to register that it is full.
“The phenomenon of sensory satiation is very important – when something new is presented to us, we tend to eat more and more,” Rao said, according to ABC News. “For example, people who go on cruises tend to gain a lot of weight because restaurants are usually open all the time with a variety of foods.”
On the opposite end of the scale, Rao said people with a regimented lifestyle and diet tend to be thinner and healthier than people with a wide variety of consumption.
A good diet ultimately comes down to quality, with an emphasis on plant foods, protein sources, vegetable oils and nuts, and with limits on sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, and red meats, researchers noted.
“Selecting a range of healthy foods, which fits one’s budget or taste, and sticking with them, is potentially better at helping people maintain a healthy weight than choosing a greater range of foods that may include less healthy items such as donuts, chips, fries, and cheeseburgers, even in moderation,” said Otto, according to Medical Daily.
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