DIET MAKE YOU ILL?
BDA also warns: “The amount of processed meat, red meat and saturated fat in this type of diet is an issue.” Paleo eating is a modern version of the diet our hunter-gatherer ancestors enjoyed 10,000 years ago.
It is heavy on meat, nuts and vegetables but bans dairy, cereals and potatoes. This prompted the BDA to warn: “Cutting out food groups without careful substitution can lead to nutritional deficiencies.”
Dr Derbyshire says: “If you exclude dairy products from your diet you are likely to be short of calcium which can increase the risk of bone fragility and fractures.”
Consumer research for HSIS confirms that 56 per cent of adults risk deficiency by failing to consume dairy or a calcium-rich alternative on a daily basis. Gluten-free diets are crucial for people who suffer from coeliac disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects fewer than one per cent of the population.
However it’s estimated that 8.5 million people in the UK now claim to be gluten intolerant and avoid the cereals, yeast-based products and other foods it’s found in, despite the fact gluten-free foods are often low in B vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium. There is also evidence that gluten supports the immune system and protects people against heart disease.
Dr Derbyshire says: “In recent years there has been a lot of negative publicity about gluten but what is often overlooked is that many nutrient-dense and healthy foods such as wholegrains, malt and brewer’s yeast contain gluten.” Vegan and vegetarian diets are now the norm for about two per cent of the population, according to the British Nutrition Foundation. However studies show these diets often go hand-in-hand with inadequate intakes of iron, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc and iodine.
Iron is essential for oxygen transportation, so one of the most common signs of a shortfall is lack of energy – which the HSIS consumer research found was often a problem for one in five women and sometimes an issue for a further third.
GP Gill Jenkins says: “Women are at greater risk of iron deficiency because of menstrual losses.
“These findings echo data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, which shows half of teenage girls and a quarter of working-age women are not achieving the recommended minimum iron intake.” Dr Derbyshire says: “We know that optimum nutrition protects against a wide range of health problems, ranging from common killers such as cardiac disease though to minor niggles such as redness, dry skin and poor memory.
“So, if your diet is not delivering the nutrients you need, it is important to protect yourself by taking a multivitamin supplement to plug nutrient gaps and think about a top-up of other nutrients such as iron or omega-3s which you may also be lacking.”