Berlin (dpa) - Many foods are quickly branded unhealthy because
they are high in fat, sugar or salt. But it is often consumers'
eating habits that are unhealthy, not the foods they eat.
For one thing, harming one's health depends on the amounts
consumed. And some products that are supposedly beneficial, such as
vitamin pills, can sometimes carry risks.
Many people take expensive vitamin pills and dietary supplements
in the belief that the substances do their bodies good. But as
Alfonso Lampen, director of food safety at the Federal Institute for
Risk Assessment in Berlin, noted, "Very few people in Germany need
supplemental vitamins. Their vitamin requirements are generally met."
What is more, the widespread assumption that vitamins are
universally healthy is false. "It's the dose that makes the poison.
Too many vitamins can harm the body," Lampen said.
A study found, for instance, that smokers who took beta-carotene,
a provitamin that the body can convert into vitamin A, were at
greater risk of developing lung cancer. And though folic acid
supplements help prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord
when taken by women before pregnancy and in its early stages,
excessive consumption of the supplements by the elderly can increase
their risk of cancer.
Instead of popping vitamin pills, health-conscious people would do
better to follow a golden rule of the German Nutrition Society (DGE):
Eat fruits and vegetables at least five times a day. "A balanced diet
normally gives the body everything it needs," remarked Brigitte
Neumann, a German home economist.
A one-sided diet -- eating only uncooked vegetarian food, for
example -- increases the risk of nutritional deficiencies. "If you're
unsure whether your diet is balanced, consult with a nutritional
specialist or have a complete blood count to check for a nutrient
deficiency," advised Britta Klein, who works for a consumer
information service in Bonn.
People who like foods such as chips, potato crisps and pizza can
easily consume too much fat and salt. "Our taste buds are accustomed
to a lot of salt. Most people eat too much salt, which causes high
blood pressure and resulting disorders," Lampen said. Hence it is a
good idea to cut down on table salt for seasoning and to eat less
processed food.
Saturated fats and trans fatty acids, also known as trans fats,
are harmful to arteries as well. These fats are often found in
processed foods. "It's OK to eat chips once in a while," Neumann
said. But chips, sausage, high-fat sweets and baked goods should not
be part of a person's daily diet.
Peppermint tea can relieve headaches and camomile tea is a
stomach-ache remedy. Mankind has known about nature's healing powers
for centuries. Many people wrongly assume, however, that plant
substances are totally harmless, Lampen said. This is not always so.
New studies have shown, for example, that the contents of ginkgo leaf
tea can cause allergic reactions and intracranial haemorrhaging.
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