London's Diverse Diet: Brits Consume at Least 49 Different Species Weekly

A comprehensive research study from the University of Aberdeen reveals that the average person in the UK includes at least 49 distinct biological species in their weekly diet. This diversity spans various food categories, including different types of meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Researchers analyzed over 6,000 food and drink items from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), employing cutting-edge algorithms to determine the variety of ingredients within each item. They found that on the first day, individuals consumed around 29 unique species, with this number increasing on subsequent days, suggesting that weekly consumption surpasses 50 species.

This innovative approach offers a new way of measuring diet diversity, moving beyond traditional food group counts to focus on individual species. The findings, published in 'Public Health Nutrition,' demonstrate that higher consumption of fiber, fish, fruits, and vegetables correlates with greater food biodiversity. Importantly, adherence to dietary guidelines—such as eating five portions of fruits and vegetables daily and consuming fish regularly—is associated with increased species richness.

Lead researcher Professor Baukje de Roos emphasized that consuming a variety of species can improve diet quality and health outcomes. The study also highlights that younger individuals, higher-income households, and those in less deprived areas tend to have higher dietary species richness, although no significant differences were found across genders or ethnicities.

This research supports the idea that promoting food biodiversity can benefit both human health and environmental sustainability. It suggests that public health strategies should consider biodiversity metrics like diet species richness (DSR) as indicators of diet quality. The use of advanced algorithms and large datasets enhances the reliability of these findings, providing a robust foundation for future dietary guidelines aimed at improving diet diversity.

The findings reinforce the importance of dietary advice that encourages variety, especially consuming a broad range of fruits, vegetables, and fish. As the field of food biodiversity grows, incorporating these insights into health policies could help address concerns related to diet-related health issues and climate change.