UNIT 2 |
Sugar
In most foods that are high in added sugars, the purposes of the sugars are to preserve, make hyper-palatable, and add flavor to foods otherwise stripped of naturally complex flavors through ultra-processing. Sugars are not used for these purposes in this curriculum. Sugars used in this curriculum balance flavors, as sugars occur naturally to varying degrees in most foods, particularly by ripeness and season. Consider eating a store-bought, under-ripe tomato and recall its slightly sour taste. Contrast that with a sun-ripened tomato from the garden, dripping with juicy sweetness at each bite. There are many more naturally occurring sugars than in the former. |
Oil
Throughout the curriculum, oil is optional and limited, and its use. Instructions for recipes containing optional oil are given on modifying cooking methods to achieve the best results if the oil is omitted. For those whose main dietary goal is the prevention of chronic disease, there is good evidence for a Mediterranean-style diet promoting health; this diet includes liquid plant oils. For those aiming to reverse the cardiovascular disease or early-stage prostate cancer, there is more support for an oil-free (or nearly oil-free) WFPB diet. Oil is limited or excluded from a predominantly WFPB diet because it is not a whole food. |
Salt
Salt, which contains sodium, is not specifically restricted in a WFPB diet, but the literature shows that too much sodium intake can be detrimental to the health of those sensitive to it. Evidence-based diets focused on lowering sodium and saturated fat, and increasing plant foods, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, have been shown to reduce blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. More than 70% of the sodium people get in their diets is from processed and prepared foods, while only about 5% comes from salt added while cooking, and another 5% from salting at the table. |
Omega-6 fatty acids are found in plant oils and are therefore abundant in processed and fast foods. Omega-6 fatty acids are commonly found in such whole foods as nuts and seeds and in smaller amounts in olives and avocados. There is some controversy about the role omega-6 fatty acids play in health. Farvid and colleagues published a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies comparing Omega-6 intake with risk of coronary heart disease that is worth reviewing if time permits.
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