Health food

Health food

Health food is a term for food purported to be beneficial to human health in ways that go beyond a normal healthy diet required for human nutrition. Foods marketed as health foods may be part of one or more of the following categories: natural foods, organic foods, whole foods, and sometimes vegetarian foods or dietary supplements. These products are sold in health food stores or in the health food or organic sections of supermarkets.

Health claims

In the United States, health-related claims on nutrition facts labels are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while advertising is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission.
According to the FDA, "Health claims describe a relationship between a food, food component, or dietary supplement ingredient, and reducing risk of a disease or health-related condition".[1]
In general, claims of health benefits for specific foodstuffs have not been evaluated by national regulatory agencies. Additionally, research funded by manufacturers or marketers that may form the basis of such marketing claims has been shown to result in more favorable results than independently funded research.[2]
While there is no precise definition for "health food", the United States Food and Drug Administration has warned food manufacturers against labeling foods as being "healthy" when they have a high sugar, salt, or fat content

How Eating Healthy & Unhealthy Foods Affects Your Body

What you eat and how you feel, both mentally and physically, have a close connection. Following a balanced, nutritious diet isn’t always easy, cheap or convenient, but it has a significant positive impact on both your short- and long-term health. Eating poorly, in contrast, can tank your energy levels, increase your risk of disease and take years off your life.

Food and Mental Health

Making smart food choices boosts your mental health and your physical health. Balanced diets are associated with lower incidences of depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, and there is also a link between good mental health and eating whole, unprocessed foods. What you eat also affects how easily you can relax at night and get high-quality sleep. According to nutritional therapist Jo Lewin, large meals and sugary, fatty foods tax your body’s digestive system in a way that makes it difficult for you to drift off and sleep well.

Food and Physical Health

Foods packed with vitamins, minerals and nutrients contain a variety of protective substances that can lower disease risks and boost the body’s immunity. Including fruits and vegetables in your regular diet, for example, can lower your risk of health problems including cancer, diabetes, stroke, heart attack, heart disease, high blood pressure, bone loss and kidney stones. Healthy diets are also associated with lower overall mortality rates.

Diet and Body Weight

If you’ve ever gone on a diet or tried to “watch what you eat,” you’re aware of the intimate link between diet and body weight. High-fiber, low-calorie, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables and whole-grains are associated with better weight control, but sugary beverages, processed foods and refined grains are associated with overweight and obesity. In turn, obesity raises your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, sleep problems, arthritis and infertility.

Healthy Diet Defined

No “one size fits all” model exists for a healthy eating plan, but there are some general guidelines to follow. One is to eat plenty of variety, with items from every main food group, on a daily basis. Main food groups include fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, proteins and dairy. At each meal, the USDA suggests filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables and the other half with grains and proteins, with a small serving of dairy on the side. Eating healthfully also means eating the right amount of food for your weight goal, whether it’s to lose, maintain or gain. Finally, following a healthy eating plan means limiting some foods, including red meats, processed items, refined grains and sugary, salty or fatty foods.