you are what you eat
Healthcare systems are constantly evolving towards more preventive health approaches. The idea is to prevent diseases and illnesses by adopting a healthy diet. Research conducted by pharmaceutical and food companies has shown us the preventive effects of such diets. With the development of AI and other biology-based technologies, these endeavors will continue to improve.
What are the benefits you can get by getting a healthy diet?
1. Prevents obesity — the main nutritional reason for disease.
Obesity is one of the main risk factors for many conditions, like type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke, and heart disease. Eating sugary foods filled with fats and calories can add extra weight to your body, weakening your bones and making your organs work harder. This puts you at a higher risk for health problems.
2. Protection against Cancer
Maintaining a healthy weight is an important way to protect against cancer.
3. Protection against Gallbladder diseases
A healthy diet and regular exercise help decrease your chance of getting gallbladder diseases.
4. Certain nutrients affect certain parts of the body
Without enough calcium, your bones can get unhealthy, fragile, and weak. This increases your chances of getting osteoporosis. As such, eating foods that are high in calcium can help prevent osteoporosis. The same goes for structured fat and cardiovascular illness. Too much saturated fat can increase cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, two significant danger factors of cardiovascular sickness.
5. Healthy diets boost “good” cholesterol
This directly impacts the risk of heart disease, stroke, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and high blood pressure. The healthier foods you eat, the better your “good” cholesterol levels will be, helping prevent disease.
6. Prevent neural tube defects
Neural tube defects are a group of birth defects. ‘Spina bifida’ is the most common. Incorporating a folic acid-rich diet would reduce the chances of having a baby with neural tube defects.
Researchers predict that as a result of the pandemic, consumers will be more aware of the importance of their underlying health. Armed with a better understanding of nutrition, their demand for healthier food will grow.
According to Mike Hughes (Head of Research and Insight at FMCG Gurus), consumers are trying to be more health-conscious but, want to do so on a budget. This results in them turning to everyday foods such as fruit as a result.
Research from FMCG Gurus has found that a total of 76% of consumers across the globe say that they are concerned about the coronavirus, while 59% say that they have become more conscious about their overall health, and 57% about their immunity. As a result of this, 73% of consumers say that they plan to eat and drink healthier.
The combination therapy of pharmaceuticals and food in disease prevention and treatments is one of the most discussed topics in recent time. The nutraceutical market is one of the most promising ones all over the world, and the influence of people moving towards healthy food has massively affected the food manufacturing industry. Companies that make sugary and unhealthy products are facing major sales losses day by day. And many pharmaceutical companies are into making healthy food products to set a foot in this new growing market.
Even governments have made regulations to state the fat and sugary percentage of food items so the consumer will know what they are eating.
We can identify this change in the restaurant industry too. There are so many healthy food restaurants popping up due to the higher demand.
It’s fair to state that nutrition will be a major factor in the food and pharmaceutical industry. This should be a major concern for existing and potential contenders of these industries.
References
Danner S, Hosseini M, Rimpler M (2010) Fight or flight. Diversification vs. Rx focus in Big Pharma’s quest for sustained growth. Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, Munich, Germany
Devries S., J. E. Salen, D. M. Eisenberg, et al. (2014). A Deficiency of Nutrition Education in Medical Training. AM J Med 127 (9), 804–806. Alliance for a Healthier Generation, American College of Sports Medicine, Bipartisan Policy Center. (2014, June). Teaching Nutrition and Physical Activity in Medical School: Training Doctors for Prevention Oriented Care (white paper).
