A whole food is a food that is unprocessed and unrefined, having the least change from its natural state, and contains diverse nutrients. [1] [2] [3]
A whole food is a food that is unprocessed and unrefined, having the least change from its natural state, and contains diverse nutrients. [1] [2] [3]
Examples of whole foods include grains, such as oatmeal and brown rice, fruits, vegetables, dried beans, nuts, seeds, unprocessed meats, and fish. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
In 2018, unprocessed or minimally processed foods were named as Group 1 of the Nova classification adopted by the Pan American Health Organization of the United Nations. [6]
The Mediterranean diet has been studied as an example of a whole food diet having minimal processing and potential health effects that may include a lower risk of several diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, childhood obesity, and metabolic syndrome. [1] [5] [7]
The US Food and Drug Administration interprets the term "natural" to indicate that a food contains no artificial or synthetic substances (including color additives from any source) that would not typically be expected in that food. [8] The FDA interpretation does not encompass food production practices, such as the use of pesticides, nor does it explicitly address food processing or manufacturing methods like pasteurization, thermal technologies, or irradiation, and does not define "natural" as having any nutritional or other health benefit. [8]
Discussion paragraph 4: On the other hand, the intake of ultra-processed foods (away from the basic principles of MedDiet) has been associated with an increased dietary risk of associated noncommunicable diseases (for example, excess weight), as they are high in calories and low in nutrients, and may contribute to a higher caloric intake