Diets-an overview

Vegan, Clean Eating, Paleo, Low Carb or Food Combining: more and more people are opting for alternative diets. The reasons vary, ranging from consciously foregoing certain products to food allergies or intolerances to religious motivation. But health aspects also play a major role, the fear of the so-called diseases of civilisation such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity. Which diets are there and for whom are they suitable? An overview.

Humans are omnivores, in technical terms. The shape of our dentition and the formation of our digestive system allow us to tolerate plant food just as well as animal food. This is the basis of the mixed diet that has ensured our survival since prehistoric times. Today, the mixed diet tends more towards a whole-food diet, as recommended by the German Society for Nutrition (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e.V.). Everything is allowed, it just depends on an appropriate amount and the right mixture. With a balanced and varied mixed diet of plant and animal products, we are optimally supplied with all the necessary nutrients.

Good for all those who want to enjoy variety.

Vegetarians abstain from meat and fish, some even from all animal products. Several forms of vegetarian diets are distinguished:

• Ovo-lacto vegetarians eat a diet without fish and meat, but consume milk and eggs and processed foods that contain these substances. This provides them with a relatively good supply of minerals such as calcium.
• Lacto-vegetarians avoid eggs as well as meat and fish. However, they do consume milk and dairy products.
• Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but abstain from milk and dairy products.
• Vegans abstain from all animal products: Fish, meat, eggs, milk and all processed products with animal components. Ingredient lists must be studied carefully, because many foods contain hidden animal ingredients, such as gelatine, honey or beeswax.

As a vegetarian, you should look for alternatives that are rich in minerals and vitamins to prevent deficiency symptoms.

Those who abstain from animal products usually have ethical reasons for doing so.

Translated as "clean eating", this diet focuses on unprocessed, natural foods. Natural ingredients should be prepared freshly, gently and healthily; ready-made meals and highly processed foods are taboo. Synthetic additives, sweeteners, colourings and flavourings, flavour enhancers and preservatives are avoided. White flour and sugar should also be avoided as far as possible. Unprocessed raw materials such as vegetables, fruit, salad, meat, fish, wholemeal products and pseudo-grains are on the menu.

CleanEating suits everyone who loves fresh ingredients, enjoys cooking and wants to avoid processed foods.

"Back to the source" is the concept of the Paleo diet, which is therefore also known as the Stone Age diet. Only foods that are similar to those that our ancestors ate in the Stone Age are allowed. This is because, according to Paleo followers, our digestive system has not changed much since our origins. Allowed are mainly meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts and healthy fats. Not allowed are grains, legumes, dairy products, sugar, highly processed fats and artificial additives. The diet is very meat-heavy and thus not sustainable according to today's understanding. Positive aspects are the high value placed on fruit, vegetables and nuts and the avoidance of highly processed foods.

Meat lovers get their money's worth with the Stone Age diet. By avoiding milk and cereals, it is well suited for allergy sufferers.

Many people want to lose weight and change their eating habits. Either for a temporary diet or for a long-term change of diet.

Carbohydrate minimisation is the basic principle of this diet. Depending on the diet chosen, the recommended carbohydrate intake is between 10 and 100 grams per day, compared to 250 to 300 grams in the typical Western diet. The diet is often started with a low carbohydrate intake, which is then increased over several weeks. Meat, fish, dairy products and vegetables are allowed, carbohydrates only to a limited extent in the form of whole grain products, fruit and pulses. Potatoes, rice, bread and pasta, sweets, cakes and sugar are forbidden. Low carb stands for fast weight loss without going hungry, because there is no quantity limit for the permitted foods. Well-known low carb diets are, for example, the Atkins, Dunkan or Hollywood diets.

Low carb is suitable for people who want to lose a lot of weight quickly.

This form of nutrition is based on the theory that protein and carbohydrates cannot be optimally utilised when consumed at the same time. The American doctor Dr. Howard Hay developed this diet at the beginning of the 20th century. According to this theory, foods rich in protein and carbohydrates should not be eaten together in one meal. Strictly applied, this could buffer excess acids in the body, which would lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure. According to Hay, food combining should not be carried out as a temporary diet, but as a lifelong change of diet.

Even though the theory of Hay's Food Combining Diet has been scientifically disproved in the meantime, this dietary form is suitable for healthy weight loss due to the high proportion of fruit, vegetables and whole grain products. However, the many restrictions can lead to cravings for precisely these forbidden foods or food combinations.

Food allergies or intolerances or autoimmune diseases are forcing more and more people to avoid certain foods.

Lactose intolerance, i.e. an intolerance to milk sugar, leads to complaints such as abdominal pain, flatulence or diarrhoea. By avoiding dairy products, a symptom-free life is possible.

A milk protein allergy is characterised by an immune reaction against the proteins in animal milk. Those affected usually show allergic reactions on the skin and in the gastrointestinal tract immediately after ingestion of the proteins. The therapy consists of avoiding milk protein, whereby hidden milk sources must also be avoided.

Some people do not want to eat cereals containing gluten, others cannot, because they suffer from the autoimmune disease coeliac disease. This manifests itself in chronic inflammation of the intestines, caused by an intolerance to the wheat gluten. The only effective treatment is to completely avoid all foods that contain the wheat gluten. In the meantime, there are substitute products without gluten for many cereal products, but the gluten-free diet still requires time and flexibility.

People with fructose intolerance cannot digest fructose properly. After eating foods or drinks containing fructose, they suffer from flatulence and diarrhoea, which is why many types of fruit and fruit juices are eliminated from their diet.

Within certain religious communities, rules apply to the selection and preparation of food.

These include, among others:

Believing Muslims eat exclusively "halal", which means "permitted". Plant-based foods are permitted without exception, meat only if the animal has been ritually slaughtered, pork is generally prohibited. Additives such as gelatine and all products derived from pigs are prohibited, as is alcohol.

Faithful Jews eat exclusively kosher food and thus follow elaborate rules. Not only the food, but also the kitchen in which the food is prepared must be kosher and thus have undergone ritual purification.

Many people consciously decide to follow an alternative diet and thus abstain from certain foods. The reasons are manifold: the vegan acts out of ethical conviction, the allergy sufferer out of health motivation, the Muslim according to religious rules. And some simply want to lose weight.