3. The food matrix for optimal health

Nutritional composition has long been favored to define the health potential of foods and their link to chronic diseases, giving rise to composition scores to make healthier food choices. The holistic scientific approach demonstrates that healthy foods are not nutritionally balanced foods, but foods that have been processed as little as possible to be edible, tasty, and toxicologically safe. From this new perspective, the health potential of a food is primarily linked to the nature of its matrix, governing the metabolic fate and potential health effects of nutrients. To integrate the “matrix” effect and conceptualize a healthy and sustainable diet, the generic rule of the 3Vs (True, Plant-based, Varied) was developed based on existing diets validated as healthy and sustainable. The True dimension, the most important, refers to the degree of processing and matrix quality of flexitarian foods. Plant-based and Varied refer to the nutritional balance of diets. The “matrix” effect then appears as a key concept to be associated with greening and diversification for a healthy and sustainable diet, the ultimate objective being to preserve the initial matrix of raw materials as much as possible.

DOI : 10.1007/s00394-021-02786-8

Contact : Anthony FARDET