How to cut through the latest nutritional fads

Plating has never been more complicated. As well as calls to avoid overly processed foods and “bad” fats, we are also bombarded with an increasing number of sometimes conflicting dietary recommendations. Not only is this confusing, but it’s hard to tell what impact these choices will really have in the long run.

Social media is awash with people talking about the health benefits of what they eat, with diets promising better hormonal balance going viral, for example. While it goes without saying that any nutrition advice offered on TikTok should be taken with a grain of salt, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and start to believe that there must be some truth to these claims.

Then there are fermented foods, which are often sold as dietary miracle cures. Do we really need to eat more pickles and kombucha to be truly healthy?

Even nutritional science can add to the confusion. The more we hear about the latest findings, the more we seem to be able to tailor our diets to focus on specific outcomes, whether that’s lowering chronic inflammation, improving our health and weight by eating at specific times, or choosing what to eat based on our personal circumstances Reactions to food.

To help you avoid this minefield, we’ve put together a delightful special new scientists On how to eat better, focus on seven of the hottest nutrition trends right now.

This reveals some surprises. For example, recent research shows that snacking—long demonized as a bad thing—actually has positive effects on our health and waistlines.

Then, we already know that something good for your gut, dietary fiber, has a surprisingly wide range of effects on health. Unlike many ingredients touted as superfoods, this one does deliver on its promise, but most of us don’t consume enough of it.

So see our special feature for our evidence-based guidance on what you really should be doing to increase your chances of living a longer, healthier life.