Macrobiotic diets

How is a macrobiotic diet defined?

The macrobiotic diet has been defined as a way of eating based on the Yin and Yang principle, seeking physical and emotional balance through food. This approach to nutrition is based on the consumption of organic foods locally grown, vegetables, whole foods and reduced fat, sugar and processed foods. All consumption must maintain a balance between its components and the energy contribution that it supposes for the person, prohibiting certain foods in order to improve, control or cure diseases.

There are different variants of macrobiotic diets being more or less strict, some only prohibit foods of animal origin (so it would be more similar to the vegetarian diet), others eliminate dairy, coffee and other stimulants, aromatic herbs, meats and even others that go so far as to prohibit everything except the consumption of cereals, water and some fruits and vegetables.

Main features

The main foods allowed on this diet are whole grains and grain products, vegetables, sea vegetables, and legumes. Complementary foods include seafood and fruits. The conventional composition of the macrobiotic diet is:

• 50% -60% whole grains
• 25% -30% vegetables
• 5% -10% soups
• 5% -10% legumes and sea vegetables

Indications for following a macrobiotic diet

Specific recommendations are given such as, for example, that the water should be spring or well and indicate which foods from each group should be eaten and which not, for example, within the group of vegetables, a regular, occasional or regular consumption is recommended. Avoid following the Ying and Yang criteria or as a classification of foods that "give cold" or "give heat:

• Regular consumption, acorns, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, dandelion roots and leaves, green and Chinese cabbage, kale, leeks, parsley, parsnip, radishes, kohlrabi, chives, turnips and watercress.
• Occasional consumptioncelery, cucumber, iceberg lettuce, mushrooms, romaine lettuce, shiitake mushrooms, Swiss chard, water chestnuts ...
• Avoidasparagus, aubergine, fennel, green and red peppers, potatoes, spinach or tomatoes.

As with the vegetable group, similar indications are given for all the food groups. In addition, other criteria are followed such as:

• Whenever possible, food should be organic.
• It is not recommended to supplement with vitamins and minerals.
• Meals have to be prepared with; It is not advisable to use microwave or electricity for cooking.
• The foods that are allowed, to some degree, will depend on where you live and if you have cancer and where it is located.

Advantages of the macrobiotic diet

It has some advantages such as:

• Eliminate processed and ultra-processed foods which contributes to a decrease in the consumption of trans fats, added sugar, refined flours and sodium.
• As well as reducing red meat and alcohol. They are positive features of the macrobiotic diet that remain, however, in the background due to the risks that it can entail, especially in the case of following the strict variants without any scientific basis.

Disadvantages of the macrobiotic diet

The strict macrobiotic diet, with a strong spiritual component, can be:

• Very nutritionally deficient.
• In addition, some supporters of the macrobiotic diet claim that it can help prevent and cure cancer, something far from the truth.
• While it is true that a diet rich in fiber and carbohydrates Good quality complexes can help in its prevention, also due to its nutritional deficiencies it can harm evolution.
• On the other hand, research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a macrobiotic diet can promote delay in physical growth and psychomotor development since it is deficient in proteins, calcium, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D and vitamins of the B complex in their strictest versions.

conclusion

Some of the principles of the macrobiotic diet are healthy, such as promoting the consumption of whole grains, vegetables, and legumes, as well as avoiding refined and processed foods. However, this diet is unnecessarily strict and limits many healthy foods following a pseudoscientific criterion, for this reason it is not recommended as a diet of choice, especially its stricter variants, and it is totally not recommended in babies, children, or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

• • The macrobiotic diet has been defined as a way of eating based on the principle of Yin and Yang and on the classification of foods that "give cold" or "give heat", seeking physical and emotional balance through food.
  • There are different variants of macrobiotic diets, more or less strict. In the latter case, many healthy foods are limited following a pseudoscientific criterion, therefore it is not recommended as the diet of choice.
  • A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the macrobiotic diet in its strictest versions can lead to delayed physical growth and psychomotor development since it is deficient in protein, calcium, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D and vitamins of complex B.

Diploma in Human Nutrition and Dietetics

Master in Pediatric Nutrition and Sports Nutrition