Elemental asks nutrition expert Dr. David Ludwig why there’s so much confusion around what’s good for you and what’s not
Itseems like every other week a new study comes out questioning long-held wisdom about food and nutrition. First fat was vilified; now it’s considered a part of a healthy diet. Eggs used to be off-limits for people with heart problems due to the high amount of cholesterol, but that’s no longer the case.Many people are confused about healthy eating. What’s your advice on how to eat healthy?
I advocate a “low glycemic load” diet — one that controls the surge in blood glucose and insulin after the meal. The way to achieve this is by cutting back on processed carbohydrates (refined grains, potato products, and sugar); increasing healthy fats, like nuts and nut butters, avocado, olive oil, and even dark chocolate; and having an adequate amount of protein, which can come from animal or plant-based sources. This approach involves a moderate reduction in total carbohydrates but still offers lots of flexibility in food choice. For people with diabetes, more severe restriction of carbohydrates may have additional benefits.
Not all researchers or clinicians, of course, will agree with this recommendation. That’s why we need the definitive research.
Improving the quality of nutrition research will be critical to public health and the international economic competitiveness of the U.S. in years to come. The default mode — relying on the pharmaceutical industry to devise ever more powerful drugs to treat diseases caused by diet — doesn’t make sense. It’s an ounce of prevention for a pound of cure.
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