INSIGHTS THE RUSSELL PARTNERSHIP
Research shows that
Is there more to
nutrition than
just sustenance,
satiation and
longevity?
Professor David Russell, Chairman of
The Russell Partnership Collection explains
the importance of health and nutrition.
What do nutritional developments mean for the food and
beverage sector?
N
utrition is defined as the process
of providing or obtaining the food
necessary for health and growth.
Google trends show us that internet
searches related to nutrition drop significantly
around Christmas, and reach peak popularity
in January as you might expect, however
what is unprecedented, is the surge in health
and nutrition interest throughout the year
from a range of demographics within the
general public. In order of interest, the top 5
cities googling their way through nutrition
related questions are Cardiff, Plymouth,
Guildford, Oxford and Thames Ditton.
The rise in health and nutrition is largely
driven by the transfer of knowledge enabled
by platforms such as social media, food blogs
and video sites such as YouTube. Millennials
are the key driving force behind this surge
in nutritional interest in a bid to live better,
20 | Foodservice Action | July 2017
for longer and optimise their minds and
bodies to look lean, feel energised and excel
in their professional lives. But, is there more
to nutrition that just sustenance, satiation
and longevity? Research is continually
showing that food is much more than just
fuel food is information, food is instruction
and sometimes food is medicine. These
fascinating developments were well known
to our ancestors, and modem-day-man is
playing catch-up on this ancient wisdom,
because as Hippocrates once said, let food be
thy medicine and medicine be thy food.
So, what do these nutritional developments
mean for the food and beverage sector? How
can we utilise this information to catalyse
positive change in the industry? The first
VICUSHKA | 123RF.COM
step is to understand the power of balanced
food and beverage provisions that are
centered around vegetables, fruits, healthy
fats, nuts, seeds, fermented food, fatty fish
and lean meat. In the following paragraph
we will explore one instance of seemingly
disassociated phenomena in the human
body that demonstrates the power of food
provisions. The second step is to apply the
relevant nutrition research to the applicable
sectors and catalyse change based on the
desired positive outcome. This requires
continuous trend analysis, market research
and scientific literature reviews to ensure
cutting edge research is acquired and utilised
efficiently and effectively.
Research shows that a well-balanced diet
that is rich in wholefoods such as vegetables,
fruits, healthy fats, nuts, seeds, fermented
food, fatty fish and lean meat can mitigate
or positively support challenging mental
health outcomes such as anxiety, depression,
ADHD, schizophrenia and autism. This
is because a well-balanced diet delivers
numerous benefits such as micronutrient
optimisation, macronutrient balance,
prebiotic (fibre) provision and microbiome
support. The human microbiome is defined
as the collective genomes of the microbes
(composed of bacteria, bacteriophage, fungi, balanced, wholefoods diet that will deliver
protozoa and viruses) that live inside and on
the human body we have about 10 times as
many microbial cells as human cells, and as
such must do all we can to live in harmony
with the microbiota we retain. Interestingly,
a well-balanced microbiome is perhaps
the single most fundamental physiological
element that delivers positive mental health
outcomes in children and adults alike.
a well-balanced diet that
is rich in wholefoods
such as vegetables, fruits,
healthy fats, nuts, seeds,
fermented food, fatty
fish and lean meat can
mitigate or positively
support challenging
mental health outcomes.
This is a phenomena called the brain-
gut connection or GAPS which stands for
gut and psychology syndrome this has
been explained in detail by nutritionist and
neurology expert Dr. Natasha Campbell-
McBride. The phenomena theorises that
the state of our microbiome has a profound
effect on our mental health, which in the case
of an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut
this will induces a state called dysbiosis.
The gastrointestinal imbalance effects
individuals uniquely, however the guidelines
for revival remain the same for all probiotic
rich fermented foods, fresh vegetables, ripe
fruit and lean proteins.
In sectors such as Higher Education, the
provision of a balanced offer is essential
given the importance of nutrition for mental
health optimisation. As many as 1 in 4
students in the UK have challenging mental
health outcomes most notably anxiety and
depression. Whilst social and environmental
factors are crucially important factors that
influence mental health such as depression,
post-traumatic stress syndrome and anxiety
there is profound value in delivering a
energy and perhaps light relief, to those who
are seeking integrative treatment.
In practical terms, this means delivering
simple support solutions by the incorporation
of foods such as broccoli, kale, brussel
sprouts, blueberries, wild fish, organic meats,
wholegrains, sauerkraut, kefir and chia seeds.
Providing optimal nutritional potential to
customers has never been more important.
epmagazine.co.uk | 21