Consuming an array of foods sounds reasonable in theory but may ultimately backfire, according to the authors of a scientific advisory statement published online Aug. 9 in Circulation.
“Eating a more diverse diet might be associated with eating a greater variety of both healthy and unhealthy foods,” lead author Marcia C. de Oliveira Otto, PhD, said in a press release. “Combined, such an eating pattern may lead to increased food consumption and obesity.”
Eating a variety of foods has been a worldwide health recommendation for decades. But in reviewing scientific publications about diet and nutrition from 2000 through 2017, the researchers found there is little consensus regarding what constitutes dietary diversity—including how it is measured and whether it is even a worthwhile goal.
In fact, some evidence shows that having additional food options delays an eater’s feeling of fullness or satisfaction, causing them to eat more. For example, studies in which participants were given the same food a second time but with a condiment—ketchup for French fries; whipped cream for brownies—showed they ate more when offered the condiment than when presented with the plain food item again.
“Given the current state of the science on dietary diversity and the insufficient data to inform recommendations on specific aspects of dietary diversity that may be beneficial or detrimental to healthy weight, it is appropriate to promote a healthy eating pattern that emphasizes adequate intake of plant foods, protein sources, low-fat dairy products, vegetable oils and nuts and limits consumption of sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages and red meats,” Otto et al. wrote.
Otto also stressed the importance of finding healthy foods that fit a consumer’s budget and taste, rather than striving for a greater range of items that may introduce unhealthy products into the diet. This is particularly important with processed foods becoming more popular worldwide, the reviewers noted.
“Given the shifts in dietary patterns resulting from urbanization and increased availability of low-cost processed foods in different countries, there is a need to understand the potential influence of the food environment and of key socioeconomic and cultural factors on the relationship between diet diversity and diet quality,” they wrote.
Daniel joined TriMed’s Chicago editorial team in 2017 as a Cardiovascular Business writer. He previously worked as a writer for daily newspapers in North Dakota and Indiana.