May 23 (UPI) -- In a new study, scientists argue a food's nutritional value isn't simply the sum of its nutritional parts. The health qualities of food must be evaluated holistically.
New research continues to illuminate the ways different nutrients interact with each other. Thus, authors of a new paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition argue, foodstuff must be understood as a complex whole -- its nutritional value affected not just by its components, but also those of the foods it is consumed alongside.
In other words, nutritional science needs more context.
"Researchers have become more skillful over the years, and we have acquired more methods for exploring what specific nutrients mean for digestion and health," Tanja Kongerslev Thorning, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Copenhagen, said in a news release. "But when we eat, we do not consume individual nutrients. We eat the whole food. Either alone or together with other foods in a meal. It therefore seems obvious that we should assess food products in context."
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For example, a focus on nutritional contents alone have led scientists to overestimate the impact of saturated fats found in cheese on blood cholesterol.
"Another example is almonds, which contain a lot of fat, but which release less fat than expected during digestion. Even when chewed really well," Tanja said. "The effects on health of a food item are probably a combination of the relationship between its nutrients, and also of the methods used in its preparation or production."
When context is considered, some foods may be healthier or less healthy than previously assumed.
The study arguing for a healthier dose of context in nutritional science was authored by a panel consisting of 18 scientists -- a mix of specialists in the fields of epidemiology, food, nutrition and medical science.
The panel posit that both yogurt and cheese are healthier than their nutritional stats suggest. The food items have positive effects on bone health and body weight. The dairy products also guard against cardiovascular disease and cancer, the panel said.
"All the positive effects are due to a complex interaction between beneficial bacteria, minerals and bio-active cheese ingredients." said Arne Astrup, a nutritional scientist at Copenhagen.
"More studies are needed, but ultimately it seems that some areas of nutrition science need to be rethought," concluded Ian Givens, from the University of Reading. "We cannot focus on a nutrient without looking at how it is consumed and what else is eaten at the same time."
