How to cut through the latest nutritional fads

Loading up your plate has never seemed more complicated. Alongside appeals to avoid ultra-processed foods and “bad” fats, we are being bombarded by a growing array of sometimes conflicting dietary advice. Not only is it confusing, but it is hard to tell what difference these choices will really make in the long term.

Social media is filled with people talking about the health benefits of what they eat, with diets that promise a better hormonal balance going viral, for example. While it should go without saying that any nutritional advice delivered on TikTok should be taken with a pinch of salt, it is easy to get swept up in the excitement and start to believe that there must be a dollop of truth to such claims.

Then there are fermented foods, which are often sold as a dietary panacea. Do we really need to load up on kimchi and kombucha to be truly healthy?

Even nutrition science can add to the confusion. The more we hear about the latest discoveries, the more it seems we can tweak our diet to focus on specific outcomes, whether that is lowering chronic inflammation, improving our health and weight by eating at specific times or choosing what to eat based on our personal response to foods.

To help navigate this minefield, we have put together a delectable special issue of New Scientist on how to eat better, focusing on seven of the hottest nutritional trends of the moment.

This has revealed a few surprises. Recent research, for instance, shows that snacking – long demonised as generally a bad thing – can actually be positive for our health and waistlines.

Then there is the surprisingly wide-reaching health effects of something that we already knew was good for our gut: dietary fibre. Unlike many ingredients touted as superfoods, this one does really live up to its promise, yet most of us aren’t getting enough of it.

So turn to our special feature for our evidence-based guide to what should really be on your plate to boost your chances of a longer and healthier life.