New Study Finds: No Single Diet Fits All Humans
Struggling to choose a winning diet? A new study reveals everyone has a diet specific to their genes, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution.
It seems like every day we hear about a new diet recommended for robust health and weight maintenance. Some praise vegetarianism, while others advocate for veganism. There are those who laud the benefits of the Paleo diet, and those who swear that a raw food diet is the answer to every ailment. Some persistently adhere to the 'Mediterranean' diet, and others insist on nutrition based on Chinese medicine. Some have lost weight with a 'low-carb' diet, while others have succeeded with a low-fat diet. Amidst this wide and diverse array, is there a diet that has been scientifically proven, unequivocally, as the ideal diet for humans?
A new study by Professor William Barrington from North Carolina State University, presented at the annual conference of American geneticists, claims there is seemingly no ideal diet for humans or animals: each person's response to different diets depends on their individual genes.
Barrington reached this conclusion based on an experiment conducted on four different strains of mice, whose diet was changed four times. One strain was indifferent to dietary changes: whether they consumed a Western diet high in carbs and fats, a Mediterranean diet, a Japanese diet, or a very low-carb, high-fat diet known as the 'ketogenic diet', the mice's weight and insulin and cholesterol levels remained unchanged.
The second group of mice gained weight regardless of their diet—except when they were on a traditional Japanese diet. Their blood sugar levels—a sign of diabetes—soared on all other diets.
A third group of mice remained healthy and lean on any diet except the low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet. When fed this way, the mice gained significant weight and developed high cholesterol and other health issues.
The fourth strain of mice, however, thrived on the ketogenic and Japanese diets but gained significant weight and developed obesity and heart issues when on a Mediterranean diet, and also experienced problems when consuming a Western diet.
"The study results indicate that indeed, there is no such thing as a universally healthy diet," says Barrington. These findings align with previous research—on humans—which demonstrated that various foods can raise blood sugar levels in some people but not affect others at all. Such responses, differing from person to person (or mouse to mouse), suggest that everyone needs a personalized nutrition plan. Researchers hope that in the future, enough knowledge will accumulate about the link between different genes and dietary responses so that everyone can receive a recommended eating plan based on their genetic makeup.
