The importance of correct nutrition in maintaining health and wellbeing is difficult to overestimate. This is due to the impact of different nutrients on health and disease. It is clearly evident from the reports from Cornell University https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23674808/, University of Ottawa https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/11/1618, New York University School of Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466941/, West Virginia University https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11892-018-1070-9, and many other research and clinical institutions published in various scientific and medical journals that consumption of whole food leads to effective disease prophylaxis and treatment. Nevertheless it is still not uncommon that many people to ignore scientific findings and continue to adhere to their usual nutritional habits.
Various research and clinical studies indicate that if we want to improve and maintain our health and wellbeing the preference should be given to consumption of whole food rather than isolated purified ingredients usually administered in a form of supplements. This is because food ingredients work in a synergistic manner where they complement and potentiate the health promoting properties of each other. Even if isolated purified ingredients are mixed as part of the formulation of supplements it might not be sufficient to achieve the same synergistic effect they exhibit in their native state in whole food. Another aspect is that although nutraceuticals derive from plant-based sources they should be still viewed as drugs and hence their uncontrolled use definitely is not recommended. Consumption of whole food particularly applies to prophylactic approaches as their effect is most beneficial for disease prevention. For therapeutic applications the use of supplements might be necessary as they contain the active ingredients in significantly higher concentrations required to achieve the desired treatment outcomes.
However the definition of whole food often requires additional clarifications. Many people associate whole food with anything they prepare themselves as opposed to commercially produced items where various preservatives, colours, flavours and other ingredients are used to enhance their stability, taste, presentation and other qualities. While food prepared at own kitchens are certainly healthier it is not always sufficient to provide the intended benefits due to negative impacts of various cooking practices.
The most efficient way to consume whole food is to use them as close to their native state as possible i.e. minimally processed. Consumption of raw fruits and vegetables allows to derive maximum benefits. Preparation of raw fruits and vegetables using blending, juicing and other cold processing options is absolutely appropriate as they preserve their nutritional value. These forms of cold processing release the intracellular content but do not alter the vitamin and mineral composition of foods, retain flavonoids and other polyphenols and other bioactive compounds and hence maintain their antioxidant and cytotoxic capacities, abilities to effectively modulate immune and endocrine responses, metabolic activity and other biological functions. These properties of the phytochemicals contained in whole food allow to maintain the balance of the redox homeostasis, promote innate and adaptive immunity and thus provide anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-ageing effects and other health benefits.
Where thermal processing of food is considered necessary it is best to utilise mild cooking practices such as steaming, boiling, grilling, baking and avoid deep frying. Although thermal treatments of food, even brief, often reduce their vitamin, particularly water-soluble vitamin, concentrations, and could affect their mineral content overall these low temperature cooking practices should not be considered as detrimental for them. For some components such as lycopene, ferulic acid and others they might increase their bioactivity and bioavailability.
Apart from utilising high temperatures for food preparation other main issues with many cooking practices are the use of refined flour, sugars, oils, butter and addition of an excessive amount of salt. These cooking ingredients have a negative impact on health and wellbeing and should be avoided wherever possible. Try to replace these with unrefined alternatives and minimise the amount of sugar, oils, fats and salt during cooking. Use alternative sweeteners as raw honey instead of sugar and Celtic of Himalayan salt instead of ordinary table salt.
In summary it is recommended to use whole unprocessed food to derive maximum health benefits from dietary modifications aimed at disease prophylaxis. It is best to utilise mild low temperature cooking practices if preparation of food is required to allow to preserve their nutritional value as much as possible. For treatment of specific pathological conditions nutritional supplements could be more efficient as they contain the required active ingredients in higher concentrations necessary to achieve the desired therapeutic effect.
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