Healthy diet

A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve health. It is important for the prevention of many chronic disease such as: obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.


A health diet involves consuming appropriate amounts all of the food groups, including an adequate amount of water. Nutrients can be obtained from many different food, thus a healthy diet may vary widely.
The WHO makes the following 6 recommendation with respect to both populations and individuals:

Achieve an energy balance and a healthy weight
Limit energy intake from total fats and shift fat consumption away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats and towards the elimination of trans-fatty acids
Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts
Limit the intake of simple sugars
Limit salt / sodium consumption from all sources and ensure that salt is iodized
Other recommendation include:

Sufficient essential amino acids ("complete protein") to provide cellular replenishment and transport proteins. All essential amino acids are present in animals. A select few plants (such as soy and hemp) give all the essential acids. A combination of other plants may also provide all essential amino acids (except rice and beans which have limitations).
Essential micronutrients such as vitamins and certain minerals.
Avoiding directly poisonous (e.g. heavy metals) and carcinogenic (e.g. benzene) substances;
Avoiding foods contaminated by human pathogens (e.g. E. coli, tapeworm eggs).

Fruits and vegetables
The WHO recommends a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables per day. This groups excludes potatoes and other starchy tubers.[3] Fruits and vegetables also prevent several micronutrient deficiencies.


Sex
While a moderate amount of sex is required for health, a high amount of sex can have detrimental effects on blood pressure.


Healthy diets

DASH diet
See main article: DASH diet


Unhealthy diets
An unhealthy diet is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases including: high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal blood lipids, overweight/obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.

The WHO estimates that 2.7 million deaths are attributable to a diet low in fruit and vegetable every year. Globally it is estimated to cause about 19% of gastrointestinal cancer, 31% of ischaemic heart disease, and 11% of strokes. Thus making it one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide.


Food additive controversy
Some claim that food additives, such as artificial sweeteners, colorants, preserving agents, and flavorings may cause health problems such as increasing the risk of cancer or ADHD.

Several recent studies have also shown that artificial sweeteners, such as Aspartame, may increase risks of obesity. A study led by Sharon P. Fowler found that drinking two cans of either regular or diet soft-drink a day increased the risk of becoming overweight or obese by 50%.

There is a lot of controversy around the use of Aspartame alone, and one test has shown that the Aspartame in Diet Coke "decomposes into formaldehyde, methyl alcohol, formic acid, diketopiperazine and other toxins. In a study on 7 monkeys 5 had grand mal seizures and one died, a casualty rate of 86%." It has also been shown in studies that Diet Coke may cause 92 symptoms listed by the FDA, one of them being Death. However, Aspartame has not been actually "proven" to be dangerous in any way, and the makers of it claim that it is one of the safest artificial sweeteners, and that it has been tested several times by their company.