Can real food nutrition improve health?

Sources:

Trusted experts emphasize the significant impact of real food nutrition on health. Key points highlighted by these experts include:

  1. Gut Health and Mood: Meg Kilcup discusses how consuming real food, as opposed to processed food, can positively influence gut health, mood, emotions, and hormones. Unhealthy food can disrupt gut health and lead to various side effects, whereas real food sustains overall well-being beyond just weight and blood pressure 1.

  2. Ultra-Processed vs. Real Food: Jason Wachob underscores the adverse effects of ultra-processed foods, linking a 10% increase in such foods to a 14% increase in mortality risk. He contrasts approaches in Italy and the US, showing the negative outcomes of processed food in the US 2.

  3. High Calorie Intake from Processed Foods: Dr. Casey Means highlights a study where participants on ultra-processed diets consumed 7000 more calories over two weeks compared to those on unprocessed diets. This led to weight gain and emphasized the need for real food for proper cellular function 3.

    The Impact of Food

    Meg discusses how the food we eat can have a profound impact on our gut health, mood, emotions, and hormones. She emphasizes the importance of eating real food and highlights the complex yet simple relationship between our diet and overall well-being.

    High Intensity Health

    Health is Created by Nutrition, Exercise & Lifestyle Not Health Care Says Pharmacist
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6

  4. Chronic Diseases: Dr. Casey Means also notes that the rise in chronic nutrition issues and obesity in the US is due to a diet heavy in ultra-processed foods. Real food meets cellular needs and helps prevent chronic diseases and excessive calorie intake driven by nutrient-deficient foods 4.

  5. Mental Health: Danny Matranga explains that nutrient-rich foods boost energy and overall mental health. Proper nutrition can directly and indirectly affect one's mood and mental state, as opposed to a diet high in calories but low in essential nutrients commonly found in the Western diet 5.

  6. Children's Health and Academic Performance: Mark Hyman and Robert Lustig highlight how providing real food to underprivileged children significantly improved their academic performance and overall health. This underscores the essential role of nutrient-dense foods for brain development and function 6.

In summary, consuming real, unprocessed foods is critical for gut health, preventing chronic diseases, maintaining mental health, and overall well-being. Reducing ultra-processed food intake and emphasizing real food can lead to substantial health improvements.

RELATED QUESTIONS