Diet (nutrition)

Sum of food consumed by an organism

For weight loss diets, see Dieting. For animal diets, see List of feeding behaviours. For other uses, see Diet (disambiguation).

A selection of magnesium-containing food consumed by humans. The human diet can vary widely.

In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism.[1] The word diet often implies the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management reasons (with the two often being related). Although humans are omnivores, each culture and each person holds some food preferences or some food taboos. This may be due to personal tastes or ethical reasons. Individual dietary choices may be more or less healthy.

Complete nutrition requires ingestion and absorption of vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids from protein and essential fatty acids from fat-containing food, also food energy in the form of carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Dietary habits and choices play a significant role in the quality of life, health and longevity.

## Health

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Main article: Healthy diet

A healthy diet can improve and maintain mental and physical health.[2] Specific diets, such as the DASH diet, can be used in treatment and management of chronic conditions.[2]

Dietary recommendations exist for many different countries, and they usually emphasise a balanced diet which is culturally appropriate.[3] These recommendations are different from dietary reference values which provide information about the prevention of nutrient deficiencies.

## Dietary choices

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Raw food tacos prepared with guacamole, non-fried beans and sour cream. Raw foodism promotes the consumption of food which has not been cooked.

Exclusionary diets are diets with certain groups or specific types of food avoided, either due to health considerations or by choice.[2] Many do not eat food from animal sources to varying degrees (e.g. flexitarianism, pescetarianism, vegetarianism, and veganism) for health reasons, issues surrounding morality, or to reduce their personal impact on the environment[4] (e.g. environmental vegetarianism). People on a balanced vegetarian or vegan diet can obtain adequate nutrition, but may need to specifically focus on consuming specific nutrients, such as protein, iron, calcium, zinc, and vitamin B12.[5][2][6] Raw foodism and intuitive eating are other approaches to dietary choices. Education, income, local availability, and mental health are all major factors for dietary choices.[2]

## Weight management

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Average dietary energy supply by region

A particular diet may be chosen to promote weight loss or weight gain. Changing a person's dietary intake, or "going on a diet", can change the energy balance, and increase or decrease the amount of fat stored by the body.[2]

The terms "healthy diet" and "diet for weight management" (dieting) are often related, as the two promote healthy weight management.[7] If a person is overweight or obese, changing to a diet and lifestyle that allows them to burn more calories than they consume may improve their overall health,[2] possibly preventing diseases that are attributed in part to weight, including heart disease and diabetes.[8] Within the past 10 years, obesity rates have increased by almost 10%.[9] Conversely, if a person is underweight due to illness or malnutrition, they may change their diet to promote weight gain. Intentional changes in weight, though often beneficial, can be potentially harmful to the body if they occur too rapidly. Unintentional rapid weight change can be caused by the body's reaction to some medications, or may be a sign of major medical problems including thyroid issues and cancer among other diseases.[10]

## Meat consumption

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Dietary meat consumption, particularly consumption of red and processed meat, is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer.[11][12] There appears to be a metabolic link between a fat and meat rich diet and cancer associated gut microbes.[13] In the colonic contents of humans on a high fat diet, the secondary bile acid deoxycholic acid produced from the primary bile acid cholic acid by the gut microbiota is increased, and this increase is associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer.[14][15] In populations that have a high incidence of colorectal cancer, fecal concentrations of bile acids, particularly deoxycholic acid produced by the action of gut microbiota, are higher.[14][15]

## Environmental dietary choices

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See also: Sustainable diet, Low-carbon diet, and Plant-based diet

Agriculture is a driver of environmental degradation, such as biodiversity loss, climate change, desertification, soil degradation and pollution. The food system as a whole – including refrigeration, food processing, packaging, and transport – accounts for around one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions.[16] More sustainable dietary choices can be made to reduce the impact of the food system on the environment. These choices may involve reducing consumption of meat and dairy products and instead eating more plant-based foods, and eating foods grown through sustainable farming practices.[17]

## Religious and cultural dietary choices

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Some cultures and religions have restrictions concerning what foods are acceptable in their diet. For example, only Kosher foods are permitted in Judaism, and Halal foods in Islam. Although Buddhists are generally vegetarians, the practice varies and meat-eating may be permitted depending on the sects.[18] In Hinduism, vegetarianism is the ideal. Jains are strictly vegetarian and in addition to that the consumption of any roots (e.g., potatoes, carrots) is not permitted.

In Christianity there is no restriction on the kinds of animals that can be eaten,[19][20] though various groups within Christianity have practiced specific dietary restrictions for various reasons.[21] The most common diets consumed by Christians are the Mediterranean diet and vegetarianism.[citation needed]

## Diet classification table

[edit]

Food type  | Omnivorous | Carnivorous | Pescetarian | Pollotarian | Semi-vegetarian | Vegetarian | Vegan | Fruitarian | Paleo | Ketogenic | Jewish | Islamic | Hindu | Jain

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Alcoholic drinks | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Maybe | Maybe | No | Maybe | No
Fruit | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe
Berries | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes
Vegetables | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No[a] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes
Greens | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe
Legumes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes
Nuts | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Yes | Maybe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe
Tubers | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Maybe[b] | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe
Grains | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes
Honey | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No
Dairy | Yes | Maybe[c] | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe | Maybe[d] | No | No | No | Maybe | Yes[e] | Yes | Yes | Yes
Eggs | Yes | Yes | Maybe | Yes | Maybe | Maybe[f] | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | No
Insects | Yes | Yes | No | No | Sometimes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No[g] | No[g] | Maybe | No
Shellfish | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Sometimes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Maybe[h] | Maybe | No
Fish | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Sometimes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | No
Poultry | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Sometimes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | No
Mutton | Yes | Yes | No | No | Sometimes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | No
Venison | Yes | Yes | No | No | Sometimes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | No
Pork | Yes | Yes | No | No | Sometimes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Maybe | No
Beef | Yes | Yes | No | No | Sometimes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maybe | No

## See also

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* Dessert crop
* Nutrition psychology

## Notes

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1. ^ Some plants traditionally considered to be vegetables—such as tomatoes, eggplants, capsicums, and zucchinis—are permitted.
2. ^ Typically, potatoes are not permitted but cassava, yams, and sweet potatoes are.
3. ^ Some variants of the diet are paleolithic-oriented and exclude dairy while other variants may include dairy products provided that they are ketogenic. Less strict approaches allow all animal sourced foods.
4. ^ Lacto vegetarians, ovo-lacto vegetarians, and Jain vegetarians permit dairy.
5. ^ Dairy is permitted but is not to be cooked or consumed with any meats. Dairy may be prepared and eaten alongside pareve foods.
6. ^ Both ovo vegetarians and ovo-lacto vegetarians permit eggs.
7. ^ a b Locusts are sometimes permitted, depending on the religious denomination.
8. ^ Mollusks and crustaceans like crab are prohibited according to the Shi'a branch of Islam. The acceptability of shrimp/prawn is debated

## References

[edit]

1. ^ noun, def 1 Archived 2010-01-07 at the Wayback Machine – askoxford.com
2. ^ a b c d e f g Johnson VR, Washington TB, Chhabria S, et al. (1 May 2022). "Food as Medicine for Obesity Treatment and Management". Clinical Therapeutics. 44 (5): 671–681\. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2022.05.001. ISSN 0149-2918. PMC 9908371. PMID 35618570. S2CID 249022627.
3. ^ Nemec K (November 2020). "Cultural Awareness of Eating Patterns in the Health Care Setting". Clinical Liver Disease. 16 (5): 204–207\. doi:10.1002/cld.1019. ISSN 2046-2484. PMC 7727853. PMID 33318789.
4. ^ United Nations. "Food and Climate Change: Healthy diets for a healthier planet". United Nations. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
5. ^ Melina V, Craig W, Levin S (December 2016). "Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets". Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 116 (12): 1970–1980\. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.025. ISSN 2212-2672. PMID 27886704. S2CID 4984228.
6. ^ "Vegetarian diet: How to get the best nutrition". Mayo Clinic. 20 August 2020. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
7. ^ Aphramor L (20 July 2010). "Validity of claims made in weight management research: a narrative review of dietetic articles". Nutrition Journal. 9 (1): 30. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-9-30. ISSN 1475-2891. PMC 2916886. PMID 20646282.
8. ^ "Diets". medlineplus.gov. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
9. ^ Long Z, Huang L, Lyu J, et al. (12 January 2022). "Trends of central obesity and associations with nutrients intake and daily behaviors among women of childbearing age in China". BMC Women's Health. 22 (1): 12. doi:10.1186/s12905-022-01600-9. ISSN 1472-6874. PMC 8753840. PMID 35016648.
10. ^ "Body Weight". MedlinePlus. Archived from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
11. ^ Kossenas K, Constantinou C (December 2021). "Epidemiology, Molecular Mechanisms, and Clinical Trials: an Update on Research on the Association Between Red Meat Consumption and Colorectal Cancer". Curr Nutr Rep. 10 (4): 435–467\. doi:10.1007/s13668-021-00377-x. PMID 34665439.
12. ^ Di Y, Ding L, Gao L, et al. (August 2023). "Association of meat consumption with the risk of gastrointestinal cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis". BMC Cancer. 23 (1): 782. doi:10.1186/s12885-023-11218-1. PMC 10463360. PMID 37612616.
13. ^ Wirbel J, Pyl PT, Kartal E, et al. (April 2019). "Meta-analysis of fecal metagenomes reveals global microbial signatures that are specific for colorectal cancer". Nature Medicine. 25 (4): 679–689\. doi:10.1038/s41591-019-0406-6. PMC 7984229. PMID 30936547.
14. ^ a b Fogelson KA, Dorrestein PC, Zarrinpar A, et al. (June 2023). "The Gut Microbial Bile Acid Modulation and Its Relevance to Digestive Health and Diseases". Gastroenterology. 164 (7): 1069–1085\. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2023.02.022. PMC 10205675. PMID 36841488.
15. ^ a b Bernstein H, Bernstein C (January 2023). "Bile acids as carcinogens in the colon and at other sites in the gastrointestinal system". Experimental Biology and Medicine. 248 (1): 79–89\. doi:10.1177/15353702221131858. PMC 9989147. PMID 36408538.
16. ^ Ritchie H, Roser M, Rosado P (11 May 2020). "CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissions". Our World in Data.
17. ^ Nations U. "Food and Climate Change: Healthy diets for a healthier planet". United Nations. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
18. ^ Keown D (26 August 2004). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Oxford University Press. p. 77\. ISBN 9780191579172. Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
19. ^ Marcos 7:14 Archived 2021-11-04 at the Wayback Machine-23 Archived 2021-11-04 at the Wayback Machine
20. ^ Mateo 15:10 Archived 2021-11-05 at the Wayback Machine-20 Archived 2021-11-04 at the Wayback Machine
21. ^ "Code of Canon Law". vatican.va. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2013.

## External links

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Wikiquote has quotations related to Diet.

* The dictionary definition of diet at Wiktionary

* v
* t
* e

Human nutrition and healthy diets

Main articles
Diet
Dieting
Cuisine
Dietitian
Hunger
Leptin
Meal
Nutrition
Obesity
Staple food

Dieting|

| Basic types|

* Omnivore
* Plant-based

|

Regional diets|

* Western
* Mediterranean
* Atlantic

Sustainable diets|

* Low carbon
* Planetary health

Religious diets|

* Buddhist
* Christian
* Hindu
* Islamic
* Jain
* Jewish
* Rastafari
* Sikh

Vegetarianism
and veganism|

* Fruitarianism
* Meat analogue
* Milk substitute
* Raw vegan
* Tofu

Semi-vegetarianism|

* Ovo-lacto vegetarianism
* Pescetarian
* Pollotarian

Supplement diets|

* Bodybuilding supplements
* Meal replacement
* Therapeutic food

Non-solid diets|

* Liquid diets
* Very-low-calorie diet

Specific
restrictions|

* Calorie restriction
* Cardiac diet
* Diabetic diet
* Elimination diet
* Fluid restriction diet
* Gluten-free
* Gluten-free and casein-free
* Intermittent fasting
* Low-sodium
* Low-FODMAP
* Low-carbohydrate
* Low-fat
* Low-fiber/low-residue diet
* Low-protein
* Monotrophic diet
* NPO
* Renal diet
* Soft diet
* Specific carbohydrate

Other diets|

* Entomophagy
* Cotton ball
* Pica
* DASH
* Inuit
* MIND
* Time Restricted Eating
* Liquid diet
* Ninja diet
* Raw foodism
* U.S. military

Fad diets|

* Cambridge
* Macrobiotic
* Master Cleanse
* Junk food
* Superfood
* Slow-Carb

List of diets|

* Diet food

Nutrition|

| Amino acids|

* Alanine
* Arginine
* Asparagine
* Aspartic acid
* Cysteine
* Glutamic acid
* Glutamine
* Glycine
* Histidine
* Isoleucine
* Leucine
* Lysine
* Methionine
* Phenylalanine
* Proline
* Selenocysteine
* Serine
* Threonine
* Tryptophan
* Tyrosine
* Valine

|

Vitamins|

* Vitamin A
* Vitamin B1
* Vitamin B2
* Vitamin B3
* Vitamin B5
* Vitamin B6
* Vitamin B7
* Vitamin B9
* Vitamin B12
* Vitamin C
* Vitamin D
* Vitamin E
* Vitamin K

Minerals|

* Calcium
* Chlorine
* Chromium
* Cobalt
* Copper
* Iodine
* Iron
* Magnesium
* Manganese
* Molybdenum
* Nickel
* Phosphorus
* Potassium
* Selenium
* Sodium
* Vanadium
* Zinc

Nutritional
advice|

* 5 A Day
* Dairy Council of California
* Food pyramid
* Fruits & Veggies – More Matters
* Healthy eating pyramid
* Latin American Diet Pyramid
* French paradox
* Mediterranean Diet Pyramid
* MyPlate
* MyPyramid
* Vegetarian Diet Pyramid
* Weight Watchers

* Category
* Commons
* Cookbook
* Food portal, Health and fitness portal

Portals:

* Food
* Drink

Authority control databases

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Israel

Other|

* Yale LUX

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*[e]: Edit this template