{"id":165663,"date":"2022-04-11T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/can-you-get-all-essential-nutrients-from-diet-alone\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T10:19:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T09:19:52","slug":"can-you-get-all-essential-nutrients-from-diet-alone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eu.intelligentlabs.org\/en-mt\/can-you-get-all-essential-nutrients-from-diet-alone\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Possible To Get All Essential Nutrients From Diet Alone?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cJust eat a balanced diet and you\u2019ll get all the essential nutrients your body needs!\u201d Said the nutritionist, personal trainer, doctor, or add in any other health care professional. Sometimes they may even say, \u201cIt\u2019s not rocket science\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, a balanced diet may not be rocket science. But what always goes through my mind is what actually constitutes a balanced diet?<\/strong> Is the mythical balanced diet written down anywhere? If it is, I certainly haven\u2019t found it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if it was, does a \u201cbalanced diet\u201d contain all the vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients we need on a daily basis?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps eating a balanced diet was easy in the past, when governments published exactly what we had to eat to be healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The food pyramid – did it work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It started with the Swedish government in 1974 \u2013 they were the first country to publish a food pyramid. It wasn\u2019t until 1992 when the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published its own food pyramid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supposedly, it was easy\u2026 you just picked 7-11 servings a day from the bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group. Mix that with vegetables, fruit, some milk, and a chicken wing and voila \u2013 you were then \u201ceating healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"the
The USDA\u2019s original food pyramid, from 1992 to 2005 (1<\/a>)<\/em>
<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

There was just one problem… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1992, around 2.5% of Americans had diabetes, today it\u2019s 10.5%!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same time period, the obesity rate went from 18% of the population being obese to 37% <\/strong>(2<\/a>, <\/a>3<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Switching from the food pyramid to MyPlate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hugely aware of their failure, the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion got rid of the pyramid and replaced it with their “MyPlate” graphic<\/strong> in 2011. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, whoever came up with the MyPlate graphic was certainly inspired as it’s really about as useful as ejection seats on a helicopter.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"can<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Unsurprisingly, since the introduction of “MyPlate” in 2011, the high rate of increase in the levels of obesity and diabetes has not slowed down one iota<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, it’s a trend not just seen in the USA, but all throughout the developed world and in many developing countries now as well.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"obesity<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Comparing essential nutrients from diet vs the RDA <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps I am being too harsh on the USDA. I know that coming up with a completely balanced diet is very difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what I mean by this\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2006 study looked at the diets of 70 athletes and sedentary individuals<\/strong> who were all looking to improve their health or performance (4<\/a>). The subjects all made efforts to eat as healthily as they could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers then picked the best 20 diets <\/strong>from the 70 initially analyzed. The 20 diets were split evenly between 10 men and 10 women and represented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n