There is a massive amount of conflicting research/information on nutrition out there. Eggs are great for us, eggs are clogging our arteries, eating carbs is good and gives us energy, carbs make us lethargic and fat. As someone who, after years of treating their body like crap, wants to make an effort and eat things that are good for me, it seems impossible because at this point I feel like whatever arbitrary statement about food you take (like, eating 1/2 green apple increases your metabolism but only on Tuesdays and Fridays), you will find some type of research “confirming” it. Why is it so hard to have concrete research/evidence of what is good for our bodies and what isn’t, at least generally? Isn’t it science? How are we supposed to know what to eat??
In: Biology
You are making a rather simple question more difficult, in a sense. The average human body is relatively tolerant and a modern human diet is generally more than able to provide basic nutrients necessary for good health. Your body will take in what is necessary and dispense with the rest.
You cannot eat your way to health. Moderate regular physical exercise, healthy social activity, engagement of mental faculties, a moderate balanced diet is really what will deliver pretty good results. Anything else runs the danger of being “food faddism” – unproven or barely correlative results used to promote books, lifestyle and other questionable ideas (perhaps in good faith, perhaps for profit).
It is very unethical to test out certain ideas. For example, forcing some group of people to take a diet that might be harmful just to gather enough data for “research”. Locking a group of people for long periods of time and controlling every part of their lives and environment for the sake of gathering data is unethical.
The human body is the result of billions of years of evolution. Many experiments can show correlation but not necessarily causation because of the complexity and time for long term outcomes to manifest.
Food is only one part of health. The physical environment, social environment, psychology, physical activity, put different stresses on the body. These are impossible to control (see above).
The world with regards to humans lives doesn’t operate on certainty, there is chance and risk. If you are asking a question “what can I eat to guarantee 100% that I will always be healthy and live to 120 years” or something similar, then you’re not recognizing the complexity of the world we live on. Anyone that tries to sell you “guarantees” in life is trying to scam you.
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