Following a healthy diet has numerous benefits, including building strong bones, protecting the heart, preventing disease, and boosting mood. A healthy diet typically includes nutrient-dense foods from all the major food groups, including lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables of many colors.
1. Promotes Heart Health
The foods people eat can reduce their blood pressure and help keep their hearts healthy. Limiting certain types of fats can also improve heart health. For instance, eliminating trans fats reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. This type of cholesterol causes plaque to collect within the arteries, increasing the risk of a heart attack and stroke. The DASH diet, or the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, includes plenty of heart-healthy foods. The program recommends:
- Eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
- Choosing fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, and nuts
- Limiting saturated and trans-fat intake, such as fatty meats and full-fat dairy products
- Limiting drinks and foods that contain added sugars
- Restricting sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day - ideally 1,500 mg daily - and increasing consumption of potassium, magnesium, and calcium
By following these recommendations, individuals can significantly reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke.
2. May Prevent Cancer
Having obesity may increase a person’s risk of developing cancer and result in less favorable outcomes. Maintaining a moderate weight may reduce these risks.
The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends a diet rich in the following to support overall health and potentially reduce the risk of developing cancer:
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- A variety of fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Beans
Some people believe that antioxidants in these foods play a key role in preventing cancer. However, according to the National Cancer Institute, while laboratory and animal studies link certain antioxidants to a reduced incidence of free radical damage due to cancer, human trials remain inconclusive. Indeed, doctors advise against using these dietary supplements without consulting them first.
3. Boosts Mood
Some evidence suggests a close relationship between diet and mood. According to a 2020 study, diet can affect several factors which, in turn, may impact a person’s mood. These include:
- Blood glucose levels
- Immune activation
- The gut microbiome
The researchers also found that certain diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, may be linked to better mental health. The opposite is true for diets with high amounts of red meat, processed foods, and high-fat foods. It is important to note that the researchers highlighted the need for further research into the mechanisms linking food and mental health. If a person suspects they have symptoms of depression, talking with a doctor or mental health professional may help.
4. May Improve Cognition and Brain Health
A healthy diet may help maintain cognition and brain health. However, further conclusive research is necessary. The following diets incorporate many of these elements and are associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia:
- Mediterranean diet
- Nordic diet
- DASH diet
- MIND diet
5. Supports Weight Management
Maintaining a moderate weight can help reduce the risk of chronic health issues. A person who has more weight or obesity may be at risk of developing certain conditions, including:
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- Coronary heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Osteoarthritis
- Stroke
- Hypertension
- Certain mental health conditions
- Some cancers
Many healthy foods, including vegetables, fruits, and beans, are lower in calories than most processed foods. Maintaining a healthy diet can help people stay within their daily limits without monitoring their calorie intake.
6. Helps Manage Diabetes
A healthy diet may help a person with diabetes:
- Manage their blood glucose levels
- Keep their blood pressure within target ranges
- Keep their cholesterol within target ranges
- Prevent or delay complications of diabetes
- Maintain a moderate weight
People with diabetes must limit their intake of foods with added sugar and salt. They should also consider avoiding fried foods high in saturated and trans fats.
7. Strengthens Bones and Teeth
A diet with adequate calcium and magnesium is important for strong bones and teeth. Keeping the bones healthy can minimize the risk of bone issues later in life, such as osteoporosis. Good sources of calcium include:
- Dairy products
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Canned fish with bones
Food manufacturers often fortify cereals, tofu, and plant-based milk with calcium. Magnesium is abundant in many foods, and some of the best sources include:
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- Green leafy vegetables
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Whole grains
8. Improves Sleep
Eating lots of processed foods that are low in fiber and high in saturated fats can interfere with deep sleep. That’s the stage of sleep that allows you to feel your best when you wake up. For a better night’s sleep, get plenty of fiber from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Choose low-fat protein sources. And go for foods that are high in B vitamins, which may help regulate melatonin, the sleep hormone.
9. Enhances Immune System
Eating all those fruits and vegetables, along with other fiber-rich foods and healthy sources of protein, may help you maintain a healthier immune system. That means you’ll be able to fight off the germs that cause colds and flu. And you’ll likely recover more quickly if you do get sick. Of course, food can’t do that alone.
10. Provides Sustained Energy
Your body and brain need fuel to power you through your day. Sure, a candy bar will give you a quick burst. But you’re more likely to crash once the sugar rush disappears. A better idea? Eat meals and snacks that combine protein and unsaturated fats with unrefined carbs like whole grains. Those foods raise blood sugar slowly, which your body converts into energy.
Additional Benefits of a Healthy Diet
Beyond the top 10 benefits, a healthy diet offers a wide array of advantages that contribute to overall well-being.
Healthy Diet for Children and Older Adults
Kids need healthy foods to fuel their growing brains. But older adults need to continue eating healthy foods to keep their brains sharp too. Those foods are highlighted in the MIND diet. They include whole grains, leafy greens, nuts, beans, berries, poultry, and fish, with fat mainly coming from olive oil.
Importance of Vitamins and Minerals
Sure, you need calcium to build strong bones and keep them that way. But you also need many other vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, magnesium, and vitamins K, C, and A. Food is the best way to get these nutrients.
Eye Health
Eating foods rich in vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids can be good for your eyes. You can lower your risk of serious eye conditions that can cause blindness, such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
The Mediterranean diet offers plenty of anti-inflammatory foods. They are rich in antioxidants and vitamins that can help ease joint pain and improve other symptoms of arthritis. Those include fatty fish rich in omega 3s (like salmon), unsalted nuts and seeds, and beans.
WHO Recommendations for a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition. It protects you against many chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars, and saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats are essential for a healthy diet. A healthy diet comprises a combination of different foods. These include:
- Staples like cereals (wheat, barley, rye, maize or rice) or starchy tubers or roots (potato, yam, taro or cassava).
- Legumes (lentils and beans).
- Fruit and vegetables.
- Foods from animal sources (meat, fish, eggs, and milk).
Here is some useful information, based on WHO recommendations, to follow a healthy diet, and the benefits of doing so.
Breastfeeding Babies and Young Children
A healthy diet starts early in life - breastfeeding fosters healthy growth and may have longer-term health benefits, like reducing the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing noncommunicable diseases later in life. Feeding babies exclusively with breast milk from birth to 6 months of life is important for a healthy diet. It is also important to introduce a variety of safe and nutritious complementary foods at 6 months of age, while continuing to breastfeed until your child is two years old and beyond.
Eat Plenty of Vegetables and Fruit
They are important sources of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, plant protein, and antioxidants. People with diets rich in vegetables and fruit have a significantly lower risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Eat Less Fat
Fats and oils and concentrated sources of energy. Eating too much, particularly the wrong kinds of fat, like saturated and industrially-produced trans-fat, can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Using unsaturated vegetable oils (olive, soy, sunflower, or corn oil) rather than animal fats or oils high in saturated fats (butter, ghee, lard, coconut, and palm oil) will help consume healthier fats. To avoid unhealthy weight gain, consumption of total fat should not exceed 30% of a person's overall energy intake.
Limit Intake of Sugars
For a healthy diet, sugars should represent less than 10% of your total energy intake.