26
radical damage. Furthermore, epidemiological studies suggested that a diet rich in
fruits and vegetables and abundant in antioxidants, nutrients, and other substances, can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and certain cancers
(Fortmann et al. 2013; Leenders et al. 2014).
3.4 Balanced Diet and Dietary Supplements
Dietary supplement can be defined as any vitamin, mineral, chemical substance,
herbal product, botanicals, amino acids, or other ingestible preparation that is
added to the diet to benefit human health. Dietary supplements are used worldwide and represent a broad category of ingestible products that are distinguishable from conventional foods and drugs (Watson et al. 2010; Berginc and Kreft
2014). It is common knowledge that nutrition plays a very important role in
health. However, a fundamental question that everybody asks these days that
most people are very aware of is: “Will conventional and balanced diet without
supplements be able to cover all the needs of the human body for a healthy lifestyle until old age?” Nutritionists and health professionals argued for years that
people can get the most important food requirements for their body needs each
day from a conventional, balanced and regular daily diet. Today’s dietary guidelines from health and nutrition agencies all over the world cover more than 40
nutrients that are subdivided into 6 categories: carbohydrates, fats, proteins,
vitamins, minerals and water. Daily nutrient recommendations are collectively
known as dietary reference intakes (DRIs). A healthy diet is one that favors
“real” fresh whole foods that have been sustaining people throughout the millennia. Whole foods supply the needed vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber that are essential to good health. A balanced diet is a mix
of food from the different food groups (vegetables, legumes, fruits, grains, protein foods, meat, and dairy). Variety involves eating different foods from all the
food groups that helps to ensure that you receive all the nutrients necessary for
a healthy diet. The components of the Mediterranean diet have been evaluated as
substantially beneficial to human health (Katz and Meller 2014; Widmer et al.
2015). The World Health Organization (WHO) makes the following recommendations for a balanced and healthy diet: (a) eat roughly the same amount of calories that your body is using, (b) a healthy weight is a balance between energy
consumed and energy that is ‘burnt off’, (c) limit intake of fats, and prefer
unsaturated, than saturated fats and trans fats, (d) increase consumption of plant
foods, particularly fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts, (e) limit
the intake of sugar, salt/sodium consumption from all sources and ensure that
salt is iodized, (f) eat a diet with essential micronutrients such as vitamins and
certain minerals (WHO 2003). In contrast, many commercially prepared foods
or fast foods as they are called, often lack nutrients and contain inordinate
amounts of sugar, salt, saturated and trans-fats, all of which are associated with
the development of diseases.
S. Hassan et al.
radical damage. Furthermore, epidemiological studies suggested that a diet rich in
fruits and vegetables and abundant in antioxidants, nutrients, and other substances, can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and certain cancers
(Fortmann et al. 2013; Leenders et al. 2014).
3.4 Balanced Diet and Dietary Supplements
Dietary supplement can be defined as any vitamin, mineral, chemical substance,
herbal product, botanicals, amino acids, or other ingestible preparation that is
added to the diet to benefit human health. Dietary supplements are used worldwide and represent a broad category of ingestible products that are distinguishable from conventional foods and drugs (Watson et al. 2010; Berginc and Kreft
2014). It is common knowledge that nutrition plays a very important role in
health. However, a fundamental question that everybody asks these days that
most people are very aware of is: “Will conventional and balanced diet without
supplements be able to cover all the needs of the human body for a healthy lifestyle until old age?” Nutritionists and health professionals argued for years that
people can get the most important food requirements for their body needs each
day from a conventional, balanced and regular daily diet. Today’s dietary guidelines from health and nutrition agencies all over the world cover more than 40
nutrients that are subdivided into 6 categories: carbohydrates, fats, proteins,
vitamins, minerals and water. Daily nutrient recommendations are collectively
known as dietary reference intakes (DRIs). A healthy diet is one that favors
“real” fresh whole foods that have been sustaining people throughout the millennia. Whole foods supply the needed vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber that are essential to good health. A balanced diet is a mix
of food from the different food groups (vegetables, legumes, fruits, grains, protein foods, meat, and dairy). Variety involves eating different foods from all the
food groups that helps to ensure that you receive all the nutrients necessary for
a healthy diet. The components of the Mediterranean diet have been evaluated as
substantially beneficial to human health (Katz and Meller 2014; Widmer et al.
2015). The World Health Organization (WHO) makes the following recommendations for a balanced and healthy diet: (a) eat roughly the same amount of calories that your body is using, (b) a healthy weight is a balance between energy
consumed and energy that is ‘burnt off’, (c) limit intake of fats, and prefer
unsaturated, than saturated fats and trans fats, (d) increase consumption of plant
foods, particularly fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts, (e) limit
the intake of sugar, salt/sodium consumption from all sources and ensure that
salt is iodized, (f) eat a diet with essential micronutrients such as vitamins and
certain minerals (WHO 2003). In contrast, many commercially prepared foods
or fast foods as they are called, often lack nutrients and contain inordinate
amounts of sugar, salt, saturated and trans-fats, all of which are associated with
the development of diseases.
S. Hassan et al.