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Some time ago on a Naked Scientists podcast some expert commented that we should be eating at least 20 different plant species per week. For some unknown reason I recollected that the other day and decided to count for a week and I got to 25 (excluding things like coffee).

When I tried Googling the 20/week to see if it was a serious or "Paltrow" things all I could find was 30.

But then I am a vegetarian (plus eggs) so I have no idea if 20+ represents a good number of if that is for omnivores or just another daft number somebody dreamt up. But then I probably do have a bit of a monotonous diet as I regard food as necessary and hate shopping so just tend to repeat buy what has been OK in the past.

Ian

It's extremely unlikely that there any trials of relevant length that have identified any threshold number of that kind.

And I can't think of any plausible argument based on either macronutrients or micronutrients.

But if that range helps to make eating enjoyable then that's great.

Jonathan

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Jdsk wrote: ↑28 Jun 2021, 1:45pm It's extremely unlikely that there any trials of relevant length that have identified any threshold number of that kind.

And I can't think of any plausible argument based on either macronutrients or micronutrients.

But if that range helps to make eating enjoyable then that's great.

Jonathan

I suppose the source made me think more about it as they don't tend to give the daft fads airtime, only those more reputable interviewees.

When doing my count (out of interest) I did wonder as the podcast said "species" but I did find I counted peach as one and nectarine as another - but they are the same "species".

Ian

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Jonathan

Psamathe wrote: ↑28 Jun 2021, 1:39pmI am a vegetarian (plus eggs) so I have no idea if 20+ represents a good number

30 here, I'm not a vegetarian.

Psamathe wrote: ↑28 Jun 2021, 1:39pm Some time ago on a Naked Scientists podcast some expert commented that we should be eating at least 20 different plant species per week.

And it's in July's Which?!

Without critical comment. But It might help to uncover the origin.

Jonathan

Psamathe wrote: ↑28 Jun 2021, 1:39pm Some time ago on a Naked Scientists podcast some expert commented that we should be eating at least 20 different plant species per week. For some unknown reason I recollected that the other day and decided to count for a week and I got to 25 (excluding things like coffee).

When I tried Googling the 20/week to see if it was a serious or "Paltrow" things all I could find was 30.

But then I am a vegetarian (plus eggs) so I have no idea if 20+ represents a good number of if that is for omnivores or just another daft number somebody dreamt up. But then I probably do have a bit of a monotonous diet as I regard food as necessary and hate shopping so just tend to repeat buy what has been OK in the past.

Ian

God help the Inuits then,or the Sami,who seem to lead a healthy life based almost entirely on animal products.I remember a 5000 ml tour of Europe in 1972 living almost exclusively on oats,eggs,onions,bread,sugar,bananas,milk,chocolate and very little else,no green veg,no potatoes or rice.

Is cheese a vegtable? I've never seen one in a zoo, so I'm assuming it is.

cyclop wrote: ↑1 Jul 2021, 8:07amGod help the Inuits then,or the Sami,who seem to lead a healthy life based almost entirely on animal products.

There's a bit known about this.

The traditional diet for both was accompanied by very high energy expenditure.

The Inuit diet didn't have some special protection from the expected cardiovascular risk:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit_cuisine#Nutrition

And berries were a significant part of the traditional Sami diet, and a smaller part of the Inuit.

(I say traditional because the lifestyle and diet of both have now changed enormously.)

Jonathan

Does this include all plant stuff? Grains, seeds, herbs...
I haven't counted, but an average week is probably about twenty if every plant based ingredient is included, but if it's just fruit and veg it'll be well short.
I'm going to file this under F for fad, unless someone comes up with some proper evidence. That's not to say fads don't work, I could make a few up, and if you followed them instead of a poor average diet you proclaim me a food guru! But if you compared them to a good balanced diet, there would be no difference.
If, for example, you were to only eat seasonal locally produced food, you might struggle to find the variety to reach twenty plant stuffs a week, but I doubt you'd be any worse off for it.

PH wrote: ↑1 Jul 2021, 12:33pmI'm going to file this under F for fad, unless someone comes up with some proper evidence.

I'm not expecting any evidence of benefit to health behind the current attention.

I am expecting to find some short term studies which show effects on gut biome. And those effects might be in a direction which is plausibly thought to be associated with benefits to health.

Jonathan

simonineaston wrote: ↑1 Jul 2021, 8:24am Is cheese a vegtable? I've never seen one in a zoo, so I'm assuming it is.

Which reminds me with the frequent comment you get when asking about vegetarian in many restaurants in Peru "Si vegetariano con pollo" (yes, it's vegetarian with chicken" - they seem to consider chicken to be vegetarian!)

Ian

Psamathe wrote: ↑1 Jul 2021, 2:54pm

simonineaston wrote: ↑1 Jul 2021, 8:24am Is cheese a vegtable? I've never seen one in a zoo, so I'm assuming it is.

Which reminds me with the frequent comment you get when asking about vegetarian in many restaurants in Peru "Si vegetariano con pollo" (yes, it's vegetarian with chicken" - they seem to consider chicken to be vegetarian!)

When you ask French patients about alcohol consumption you need to add "and wine?"

Jonathan

PH wrote: ↑1 Jul 2021, 12:33pm Does this include all plant stuff? Grains, seeds, herbs...
....

From memory the Naked Scientists item didn't go into rules (it was an episode from several weeks ago as I've built-up a backlog). When I did my count I didn't include things like coffee or herbs but did count grains. I'm doing another count this week, not because I'm aiming to go along with yet another rule/fad more just out of casual interest (with what's in the fridge and no more shopping necessary look like 25).

I'm no dietician but I expect if you examine the idea in detail it will have many shortcomings (just as 5 a day could be achieved by eating 5 portions of cabbage every day which would probably not achieve the aims). Some foods might be different species but are likely very similar from a dietary perspective e.g. some grains.

Ian