"Clean" vs. "unclean" eating studies?

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  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I guess with flexible dieting (unclean) you have to worry a little more about micros (vitamins and minerals) if you do that 50-80% of your diet will probably be "clean" anyway.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
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    Not a study, but a lot of people wrote to the author about their clean eating experience. I don't think you'll find a study since the definition of "clean" varies between groups of dieters
    http://www.healthylivingheavylifting.com/the-perils-of-clean-eating/
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    We don't know if the 100 year old smoker took up smoking last year because she got fed up of living an old age. :D

    Certainly, when I hit about 75 I'm going to take up cigar smoking. I love the smell but don't want to die of cancer just yet.

    As to CICO, if you're very overweight and at risk of associated medical issues, then even eating doughnuts all day but within your calorie allowance so that you lose weight is going to result in better health. But when you're of a reasonable weight, then someone eating healthy food is going to be getting more nutrients than someone eating jam all day. Do we really need a case study to check this?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I think conventional wisdom is what's boiled down from all these studies. Eat food, not too much, mostly plants. Ok, that's not conventional wisdom, that's Michael Pollan, but I think he nailed it. :laugh:
    Yes. That is it.

    But it's not nearly as likely to lead to amusing arguments.
  • fitcrt
    fitcrt Posts: 76 Member
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    I think you'd have better luck on google - look at things like organic vs non-organic, etc.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    Im sure there are plenty ill hook one out for you later.

    If you eat an ubalanced diet then wouldnt that involve risks from high cholestorol (heart attacks), high salt levels (Strokes), lack of fiber? As well as lack of vitamins and minerals.
  • glasshalffull713
    glasshalffull713 Posts: 323 Member
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    Not a study, but a lot of people wrote to the author about their clean eating experience. I don't think you'll find a study since the definition of "clean" varies between groups of dieters
    http://www.healthylivingheavylifting.com/the-perils-of-clean-eating/

    I am definitely going to check that out. Thanks.

    I guess I understand there is no real definition of clean, but for me it basically = no processed food with additives, and as organic as possible, especially with meat and dairy and thin skinned fruits and veggies. I am ok with grains, but do not ingest flour, and any processed sugar I barely eat (all forms including brown rice syrup and organic cane sugar, whatever they decide to call it.) I try to stay informed as to which foods tend to be heavily treated with chemicals and buy those organic when possible. I can say anecdotally when I switched to eating this way I lost weight without measuring anything and more importantly I felt better overall (more energy, no stomach issues, etc.) I am curious to see if there is any scientific evidence supporting my experience. I will continue eating this way anyhow, as it suits me, but just interested to see research about it if it exists. Although there may not be research on "clean" eating, I am sure there is on particular additives, chemicals, and pesticides.
  • Joanne_Moniz
    Joanne_Moniz Posts: 347 Member
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    Our bodies were made to eat real food; so it makes sense that anything that is not "real" would wreak havoc eventually. To me, real food, clean food, is anything that has not been altered. Of course, that does not mean cooking.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    So, if a person is 50 lbs over weigh because of eating too much of foods that are considered " clean" ( as in my case, never really ate junk or processed foods, fast foods, etc just serving sizes too big of what I was eating) vs. being 50 lbs overweight from eating too much " unclean" food is the risk of health problems the same? is it the excess body weight that is the health issue or what you ate to have the excess weight the issue?

    Always wondered? I know of many people who are of " normal weight" who eating habits are awful but somehow these people are perceived by some as "healthy" because their weight is normal.

    I ate healthy most of the time I was getting fat too (and was extremely unhealthy for a while before that when I was a good weight). I managed to have no negative results in either case, medically, at least based on tests and general health and so on. By the end my lack of fitness while fat was starting to be obviously hard on my body, though, which is one reason I think I finally had enough.

    But personal results aside, I think the evidence is that being obese is bad for you independent of what you eat. The excess weight is the issue. Within the overweight category, it's really more a question of fitness and there I think if you exercise and eat well it's not really unhealthy.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Our bodies were made to eat real food; so it makes sense that anything that is not "real" would wreak havoc eventually. To me, real food, clean food, is anything that has not been altered.

    which in this day and age is few and far between, almost everything has been altered via what we feed or fertilize it with, cross bread with, GMO, etc.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Im sure there are plenty ill hook one out for you later.

    If you eat an ubalanced diet then wouldnt that involve risks from high cholestorol (heart attacks), high salt levels (Strokes), lack of fiber? As well as lack of vitamins and minerals.

    Well, remember, clean vs unclean isn't about eating an unbalanced diet (another thing hard to define). Most non clean eaters here argue for balanced, nutritious diets. Also, depending on how "clean" is defined it may have more cholesterol than a non clean diet. Paleo would have lots, for example. I think eating yolks is "cleaner" than not, after all. Anyway, dietary cholesterol doesn't matter for most people.

    You will find some positive (and some negative, if memory serves) results about vegetarian diets, but those don't really support a claim that meat is unhealthy. They show that lifestyle factors matter, at most. Because there is always a causation vs correlation problem.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,932 Member
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    Our bodies were made to eat real food; so it makes sense that anything that is not "real" would wreak havoc eventually. To me, real food, clean food, is anything that has not been altered. Of course, that does not mean cooking.

    So, no study then? Thank you for once again posting a conclusion with no support.
  • myriad2663
    myriad2663 Posts: 3
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    Have you ever read "It Starts With Food"? That is the book that launched the "Whole 30" lifestyle change. I haven't done a study, but I can say from my own experience that switching from a lot of processed (boxed/canned) food to eating natural foods had a tremendous impact on my health -- I was able to get off my blood pressure medicine, lost 10% of my body weight, have so much more energy, my skin has been eczema free for over a year, I sleep at night rather than toss and turn, no more joint pain, allergies reduced (except when I am petting my dogs!) and bonus - no hot flashes anymore! :) What I found to be most enlightening is that I did not know how bad I felt on a daily basis, until I didn't feel that way anymore.

    What I liked about the Whole 30 book is that it has realistic expectations - not everyone can afford all natural, organic, grass fed, etc foods, so it gives advice on which things are most important. The information is presented in a sensible way, and the idea of 85/15 was more realistic to me (because who is really able to give up everything forever? No chocolate for 30 days, sure, but forever?)
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    So, I'm genuinely curious. Are there any studies out there on clean vs. unclean diets? For example, something on groups consuming the same number of calories and macros, but one group eating clean while the other eats processed foods? I've been unable to locate such a study, and I'm deeply curious as to how much difference it actually makes. ETA: Including a definition of "clean" in the study would also be very helpful, as that seems to vary wildly from person to person.

    I realize that many people feel very passionately about this issue, and that's fine. I have a thick skin, and am willing to be swayed by facts, although I know there will be plenty of bro-science and hyperbole to sort through.

    Thanks in advance!


    Don't know if you could actually do a study on that....

    Whose definition of "clean" is used?
    And then whoever does win out on the "clean" definition, other people who have a different definition will disregard the study.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    Im amazed at just how hung up people are about this subject. I hadnt really heard about clean food till a few months ago.
    Some food is more nutritious and healthier for a person than other foods. No sure why that would be controversial. The ratio ive seen is an 80/20 between clean and unclean is perfectly fine. One day Ill get there consistently.

    All this arguing about it all seems a bit of a waste. Everyone can pick their own diet. For me part of the diet will be to eat better balanced and healthier food than I have been as part of a lifestyle change.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    What I liked about the Whole 30 book is that it has realistic expectations - not everyone can afford all natural, organic, grass fed, etc foods, so it gives advice on which things are most important. The information is presented in a sensible way, and the idea of 85/15 was more realistic to me (because who is really able to give up everything forever? No chocolate for 30 days, sure, but forever?)

    I rarely by organic

    I know ppl swear by it.....but honestly, most studies I have read.....
    "Organic" or not....the benefits are the same, so the price difference to me is not.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    Im amazed at just how hung up people are about this subject. I hadnt really heard about clean food till a few months ago.
    Some food is more nutritious and healthier for a person than other foods. No sure why that would be controversial. The ratio ive seen is an 80/20 between clean and unclean is perfectly fine. One day Ill get there consistently.

    All this arguing about it all seems a bit of a waste. Everyone can pick their own diet. For me part of the diet will be to eat better balanced and healthier food than I have been as part of a lifestyle change.

    But what is "clean" to you?
    Can you define that?

    Would what I eat be considered "clean"?

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