Is there good or bad food?

Are there good and bad foods (healthy, harmful)? From an evidence-based perspective, some professionals believe that there are good and bad foods, but others point out that food can provide energy and sustain life, and there is no good or bad food.

A study recently published by Tufts University in the United States suggests that there are good and bad foods. Researchers evaluated and ranked the healthiness of 8,032 foods consumed by American residents (including beverages and mixed foods). The evaluation was based on the healthy and harmful factors in food, combined with the latest research results in nutrition, food ingredients, processing characteristics, phytochemicals and additives. The core basis is the facts and evidence related to food and the risk of major chronic diseases and malnutrition.

In this ranking, researchers gave scores to each food, drink or mixed dish on a scale of 1 to 100. Foods or drinks with a score of 70 (excellent) or above are encouraged to be consumed; foods or drinks with a score of 31 to 69 (passing) are recommended to be consumed in moderation; any food or drink with a score of 30 (failure) or below should be consumed in moderation.

Overall, all foods scored an average of 43.2 points. Unprocessed foods performed better than processed foods, with the former scoring an average of 62 points and the latter scoring an average of 39 points.

Foods with high average scores include beans and nuts (78.6 points), fruits (73.9 points, almost all fresh fruits scored 100 points), and vegetables (69.1 points). Among fruits, even fruits with high sugar content such as bananas, dates and figs scored lower, but still above 70 points. Salted mixed nuts and salt-roasted peanuts also received high scores, 97 points and 88 points respectively. Snacks and desserts had the lowest average score (16.4 points).

Specifically, in the meat, eggs and milk categories that provide protein, seafood scored 67 points, whole eggs scored 51 points, whole milk scored 49 points, poultry scored 42.67 points, low-sodium bacon scored 31 points, beef scored 24.9 points, and smoked or pickled pork chops scored 20 points. In beverages, carrot juice scored 84 points, 100% fruit or vegetable juice scored 67 points, apple juice scored 55 points, sugary soda and energy drinks scored 27.6 points, packaged juice drinks scored 19 points, and most energy drinks, sports drinks and cola scored 1 to 2 points. In the staple food category, whole-wheat cereals scored 95 points, regular instant oatmeal scored 79 points, whole-wheat pasta scored 70 points, whole-wheat bread scored 6,600 points, cooked noodles scored 17 points, and white rice scored 10 points.

Most of the evaluations of food in this food ranking list are consistent with our understanding of food, but there are also contradictions. For example, noodles and white rice, which are often consumed as staple foods, are classified as unsatisfactory foods. Previously, some studies believed that rice is not a healthy food. For example, a research team from the Harvard School of Public Health in the United States published an article in the British Medical Journal in 2012, saying that eating a lot of white rice will increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. I believe that many people will have questions about this: We have been eating rice as our staple food for generations, and most people are not only healthy but also long-lived. Why has rice become an unhealthy food?

Clearly, the problem wasn't the rice.

Most of the rice we eat now is refined rice that has been milled, ground, and polished to have a shiny, white appearance. This kind of rice looks beautiful, but it has lost most of its nutrients. Unrefined brown rice is much more nutritious than refined white rice. Brown rice contains more fiber, magnesium, and vitamins than refined white rice. In addition, brown rice is a low-glycemic index food, while refined white rice is a high-glycemic index food. Therefore, refined white rice is more likely to cause diabetes.

Even though rice is related to diabetes, we cannot simply say that rice is an unhealthy food.

The 2016 edition of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" (hereinafter referred to as the "Guidelines") recommends that daily meals should include cereals and tubers, vegetables and fruits, livestock, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, soy and nuts and other foods, with an average daily intake of more than 12 kinds of food and more than 25 kinds of food per week; eat more vegetables, fruits, milk, and soy, eat fish, poultry, eggs, and lean meat in moderation, eat less salt and oil, control sugar and limit alcohol.

The Guide has some similarities with the above-mentioned Tufts University's healthy food rankings, but the Guide believes that staple foods such as rice and white flour are basic foods for Chinese people and are the most basic part of the food pyramid. This also means that rice and white flour are healthy foods.

Relevant professionals study the relationship between food nutrition and health, find out which foods are more beneficial to health, and publish dietary guidelines based on the research results to guide the public to eat properly. This has a very positive effect on public health. Tufts University researchers also said that the purpose of designing a food ranking list is to provide consumers, policymakers, and even the industry with a simple tool to guide everyone to make healthier choices.

The most important thing is that the public's ranking of good and bad food should be based on scientific knowledge and be treated rationally. Food intake should be diverse and balanced, with both reasonable combination and comprehensive nutrition. Even if beans, fruits and vegetables are at the top of the list of healthy foods, you can't just eat these foods. Even red meat, which is considered unhealthy, such as pork, beef and lamb, needs to be consumed in moderation.