The Whole Story

The World's Healthiest Foods are whole foods whose benefits are, in part, derived from the fact that the nutrients they contain act in concert, rather than simply as single agents. These foods are therefore more than simply the sum of their individual parts. Although researchers have identified and typically focus on single compounds in whole foods that promote health (e.g., antioxidants, phytoestrogens, dietary fiber, and resistant starches), and compounds in refined, processed foods that are health detractors (e.g., synthetic chemical additives), this reductionistic focus only tells part of the story of why a diet rich in whole foods provides numerous health benefits.
The beauty of the World's Healthiest Foods, and their associated health benefits, seems to be a reflection of the natural synergy of all of their components: the totality of what they provide. This is not to say the benefits of each of the isolated components are not important - they are. It just means we should not lose the forest for the trees, that is, in their natural state in whole foods, these compounds work together synergistically.
Current scientific research supports this concept. Health-promoting foods work better when consumed containing as much of their original complement of nutrients as possible. Studies exploring the relationship between diet and health consistently show health benefits from eating minimally processed whole foods; whereas, studies focusing solely on isolated compounds have yielded mixed results.
An example of this is the research examining the relationship between beta-carotene and cancer. Epidemiological studies show a relationship between consuming whole foods high in beta-carotene, such as vegetables like carrots, with a lower risk of cancer. These observations have led researchers to test the effects of beta-carotene itself on preventing cancer. Studies using synthetic (chemically-made and purified) beta-carotene have not supported that beta-carotene, by itself, can protect against cancer. Instead, in some of these studies, people who smoke were found to have higher rates of cancer when given the synthetic beta-carotene supplement than smokers who did not take the supplement.
These apparently conflicting results -- foods high in beta-carotene showing cancer protection while synthetic beta-carotene supplements alone provided no protection -- have been baffling to scientists. In trying to understand the conflicting results, scientists have speculated that maybe, in fact, the protective effect of foods is due to more than just beta-carotene, maybe their protection requires the complimentary array of many or all the phytonutrients found in whole fruits and vegetables. Additionally, since the studies with the supplements used a specific synthesized form of beta-carotene, scientists have wondered if the range of carotenoids in whole foods, which include more than just this one beta-carotene form, would show the health-protective effects epidemiological studies show are provided by whole foods.
So, while a food's individual components may be important, research continues to support that our bodies need more than isolated nutrients; for optimal health, we need the full complement of phytonutrients in whole foods. This complement of thousands of health-promoting compounds provides a synergy of health-protecting effects in our bodies and is likely to contain many yet-to-be discovered beneficial components that are also integral to the vibrant health offered from the World's Healthiest Foods.

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