Healthy diet for adults

Why good nutrition matters

By eating a nutritious diet and being physically active, you can maintain a healthy body weight and reduce your risk of developing diet-related illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer.

Some of the most important risk factors for premature death in adults are:

• Smoking
• Obesity
• Physical inactivity
• Raised blood cholesterol
• Raised blood pressure
• Excessive alcohol intake

With the exception of smoking, applying the principles of healthy eating and being more physically active can make a significant impact on all of these risk factors.

What is a healthy diet?

To understand how you can eat healthily, it's important to know which types of food to consume and why. Your body requires a well-balanced diet, with a good supply of carbohydrates, especially high-fibre foods, plenty of fruit and vegetables, some protein, low-fat dairy products and plenty of fluid.

Why don't we eat healthily?

A consumer survey carried out by the Food Standards Agency revealed that knowledge of what constitutes a healthy diet is actually quite high. Most of the adults surveyed knew which kinds of food they should be eating more of, such as fruit and vegetables, or less of, such as fat and salt.

But data from the most recent national diet and nutrition survey shows that UK adults eat too much saturated fat, sugar and salt, not enough dietary fibre and, on average, their fruit and vegetable intake is fewer than three portions a day.

The rising number of people becoming overweight also tells us that, for a variety of reasons, this knowledge about diet is not being translated into positive action to achieve a healthier diet.

Some media coverage of healthy eating habits can make it seem as though a healthy diet will be incredibly difficult to achieve - either very expensive or not very tasty. But it's possible, with a few simple changes, to make your diet significantly healthier and reduce your risk of illness without it being an onerous task. There are lots of different things you can do, so approach the changes one at a time.

Everyone should be eating a variety of food to achieve a healthy diet, but some nutrition issues are more specific to men or women.

Nutrition issues for men

While both sexes need to maintain a healthy body weight, men in particular should be wary of excess weight. In men, extra pounds tend to be stored around the tummy. Sometimes referred to as abdominal fat, this increases the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes to a greater extent than fat stored on the hips and thighs, which is more typical for women.

This risk of abdominal obesity is even greater for men of Afro-Caribbean and Asian origin.

Prostate cancer

A recent review of risk factors for cancer found that foods containing lycopene might help to reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men. Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, but it's not currently clear whether there are other compounds present in tomatoes - and other foods - that might be acting in conjunction with lycopene to achieve this protective effect.

So, rather than focusing your attention on eating nothing but tomatoes, try increasing your overall intake of all fruit and vegetables.

Nutrition issues for women

The physical demands of pregnancy and breastfeeding place extra nutritional demands on women.

Women are also at higher risk of developing iron deficiency anaemia than men.

How diet can alleviate the symptoms of premenstrual tension (PMT) and the menopause is also the focus of much interest among scientists. Supplements of linolenic acid, vitamin D or calcium have been reported to help with PMT symptoms, and soya-rich diets may also be beneficial.

Many of the studies in this area are not conclusive, so women should follow the principles of healthy eating and be wary of taking large doses of single supplements.

A review of risk factors for cancer found strong evidence of a link between alcohol intake and breast cancer. This gives women another reason to stay within safe alcohol limits.

Nutritional supplements

Healthy adults choosing a variety of foods from each of the food groups shouldn't need a vitamin and mineral supplement (see the Balance of good health article). Studies haven't shown any specific benefits of taking vitamin and mineral supplements, and in some cases they can increase health risks.

But research shows people who eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day have much lower rates of coronary heart disease and cancer.

It's not only the antioxidant vitamins that protect our health - fruit and vegetables also contain a whole variety of other natural and bio-active substances known as phytochemicals. Simply taking a vitamin or mineral supplement can't replace the disease-combating effects of real food.

Certain population groups, such as pregnant women, the elderly and children, may benefit from taking a nutritional supplement.

People who have a poor appetite or erratic eating habits may wish to take a broad-spectrum multivitamin and mineral supplement, but don't take specific supplements unless you've had specific medical advice.

Key points

• Good nutrition is essential for good short-term and long-term health to protect against chronic disease.
• To get your nutrient balance right, eat from the main food groups every day.
• Stay within safe alcohol limits: women should not exceed two to three units a day, and men no more than three to four, and everyone should have some alcohol-free days each week.
• Be active and maintain a healthy weight.