Our bodies tell us which nutrients we need and which foods we should eat – according to British experts. Photo: Getty Images
By Friederike Ostermeyer [26. April 2022, 04:16
Humans intuitively know what to eat to be supplied with as many nutrients as possible. This is the conclusion of British researchers, who warn that the modern food industry is destroying this important instinct.
It is "programmed" into us to rely primarily on high-calorie foods. This is why we prefer bold-. Starchy food. This is the general amption, which is apparently not quite true. According to British researchers, people usually intuitively choose their food correctly to ensure that all essential vitamins and minerals are absorbed.
Overview
Popular food combinations are also particularly healthy
A team of researchers at the University of Bristol invited 128 adults to take part in an experiment that revealed that people prefer certain food combinations more than others. For example, they chose apple and banana slightly more often than apple and blackberry. Interestingly, the former combo provides an ideal balance of certain micronutrients, according to the university release. 1 The same is true, by the way, of avocado and tomatoes or oatmeal and blueberries. They are also popular food pairings whose nutrients complement each other perfectly (FITBOOK reported). Random? The team wanted to know more. Examined the food combinations of popular foods. Including British Comford food dishes like fish and chips or curry with rice. And indeed: even if fish and chips are not exactly among the healthiest dishes, they offer more nutrients than z. B. Chips with curry. Whatever we like to heap together on our plates – according to the researchers' findings – is generally good for our bodies in terms of nutritional physiology. Combinations that are less popular or we perceive as "unnatural" also have less to offer health-wise.
We have an innate instinct for a balanced diet
Study leader Prof. Jeff Brunsstrom is excited about his discovery: "For the first time in almost a century, we have shown that humans are more sophisticated in their food choices than previously thought." Brunsstrom's point is that we have an innate nutritional intelligence that is just not focused on mere calories, but also on nutrients. This is supported, for example, by the fact that mankind has always celebrated special spices, teas or fine mushrooms such as truffles – coveted ingredients without significant calories.
Previous studies gave clues
Studies conducted in the 1930s with small children had already provided evidence that we instinctively choose the right foods for us. In this, we let the youngest decide for themselves what to eat over a long period of time. Although each child chose something different, they all achieved and maintained good health. However, this early research has been heavily criticized and questioned. "And yet humans seem to have an astute intelligence when it comes to choosing a nutritious diet," Brunsstrom is sure, given his recent data.
Processed foods and artificial additives attack innate nutritional wisdom
Our ability to eat intuitively is under massive threat from the modern food industry, believes co-author Dr. Mark Schatzker. "The research raises important questions. For example, does our cultural fixation on fad diets interfere with our nutritional intelligence in ways we don't understand??" Studies would have shown that animals use taste as a guide to vitamins and minerals. "If taste plays a similar role for humans, then we may be adulterating junk foods like potato chips or sodas by adding artificial flavors to them. In other words, the food industry could be stripping us of our nutritional intelligence and making us eat things we would normally avoid." It was also said to partly explain why more and more people are morbidly obese.