Summary
New research suggests that moderate beer consumption could be beneficial for gut health, similar to probiotics. Beer contains bacteria that boost the intestinal microbiome and anti-inflammatory polyphenols that combat various health issues. Popcorn, often considered a junk food, is actually rich in fiber, vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants. Potatoes can be made healthier by cooling them before consumption, converting carbs into slowly digestible and gut-friendly resistant starch. Dairy milk is a good source of iodine, essential for thyroid health, while chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is high in flavonoids that combat toxins. Homemade pizza, especially with unrefined flour and fresh toppings, can be a nutritious way to enjoy this classic dish.
So, protip here: food is never inherently bad, because we’re omnivorous. We can eat a lot of things, what matter is a balance so we have all the necessary nutrients. That balance doesn’t need to be in one day, you can do it over the week.
There is some bad food still. The bad food is the overprocessed food. Soda beverages for example are mostly processed sugar and water, so you’ll only get energy out of it and no nutrients. Overly processed food is often this way : too much raw sugar or fat. You need the things around it for the nutrients.
See the NOVA ratings to know about how processed the food is. Basically, group 4 is the bad one and is the one to avoid.
Is the NOVA rating usually somewhere on the packaging? I’ve never heard of that, but I guess I’ve never really been looking for it either.
Never. The nutriscore in Europe uses the nova ranking for its own ranking (more complete, better and simpler to use overall). But it’s not always on the packaging (it depends on the company, and some of them are firmly against giving good nutritional informations to the people).
What do you mean under “overprocessed”?
It’s the D class of nova: usually food that had several, often industrial processing, before being recombined. You can see for yourself on Wikipedia for the correct English words and the correct definition.
How about toxins that are known to cause cancer?
It depends on your country, but the things that will kill you are usually banned by law.
Some food is associated with cancer. Salted meat for example is not cancerous by itself, but some complex interactions can create, momentarily, some dangerous molecules. Still, salted meat will not kill you by itself, it’s not a poison.
Regularity is what will be damaging. If you drink a lot of alcohol every day, every week, you will usually get cancer. If it’s occasionally, you’ll be fine. I see it as some sort of accumulation versus healing ability of the body. Don’t go over what your body can recover from, and you’ll be fine.
That’s why diversity is the ideal : the more diverse your meals are, the more likely you will have every nutrients you need and the less likely you will accumulate something that would become a problem. No need to be too hard on this either, if you don’t eat the same thing every day you’ll be fine usually.