Human nutrition has undergone constant transformations throughout history, adapting to the resources available at each time. The beginning of reflection on nutrition dates back to the Hippocratic era with the “theory of the four humors.” Hippocrates, considered the “father of medicine”, was one of the first to highlight the importance of diet in health, stating: “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.” This idea has endured to this day, underscoring the fundamental role that nutrition plays in human well-being.
In the mid-19th century, the German philosopher and anthropologist Ludwig Feuerbach reinforced this idea in his work “Teaching Food”, with the well-known phrase: “Man is what he eats.” Later, scientific advances and research by figures such as Catherine Kousmine completed this perspective by pointing out: “We are what we eat, and there is no chronic disease without prior poisoning of the intestines,” highlighting the importance of maintaining a healthy intestinal microbiota, an ecosystem of bacteria key to digestive health.
After World War II, it was noted that richer countries did not necessarily enjoy better health. Dietary patterns, such as excessive consumption of saturated fatty acids, low fiber intake, and high sugar consumption, began to be associated with chronic diseases. Studies conducted in the mid-20th century in the United States on the ischemic heart disease epidemic revealed factors such as high fat consumption, lack of physical activity and obesity as key triggers.
In the 1980s, nutritional epidemiology emerged, followed by the development of molecular “omics” techniques. In 1991, Kazarinoff and Habicht, through the American Institute of Nutrition, identified three interrelated areas of nutrition: chemical, biological and social, promoting a more integrative vision of science, in which nutrition played a central role. .
In Spain, research on food and health has focused on biomedical areas such as nutrigenomics, with a focus on molecular biology. Despite advances, the application of this knowledge, as in the case of obesity, still faces challenges. Although several genes related to this disease have been identified, combating it also involves addressing environmental changes.
Future lines of research in nutrition focus on nutrigenomics, hydration and nutritional transition. In Spain, this transition is marked by two main dietary patterns: the Mediterranean diet and, in the north, the Atlantic diet. The science of hydration is also gaining importance, with new areas of research such as biomarkers of dehydration, water balance in obese people, and diseases that could be prevented by better hydration.
One of the most powerful tools to maintain health and prevent diseases is a healthy diet. Therefore, it is essential to develop nutritional education programs and promote balanced, varied diets adapted to individual needs. Essential nutrients must be consumed in adequate quantities, avoiding both excesses and deficiencies, since the proper functioning of the body depends on them.
In the field of nutrigenetics, scientific evidence is increasingly clear: both the Mediterranean and Atlantic diets are effective dietary patterns for the prevention of chronic diseases. These models are based on the regular consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, white meat, fermented dairy products and olive oil, and may include a moderate consumption of red meat, depending on the region.
Among the emerging diets, the Atlantic diet stands out, rich in nutritious foods such as turnip greens, octopus, garlic, peppers, dairy products and meats with protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI) of Galicia. Furthermore, Galicia is the autonomous community with the highest per capita consumption of fresh foods and the one that consumes the least processed products. The high number of self-consumption gardens, which represents 20% of world production, is proof of the importance of fresh food in the region, with Ourense at the forefront.
The Atlantic diet, being based on fresh and local products, is associated with anti-cancer, cardiovascular and normoglycemic properties, becoming a role model for a healthy life.