Food Components as Markers Linking Health and Environment: Statistical Invariance Analysis of in natura Diet

Author

Masatoshi Funabashi

Abstract

Diets are key factors that link environmental and human health. Global degradation of ecosystems and health state are firmly related to diet transition and production system. We propose a distinction of in cultura and in natura diet by the culture condition and consequent environmental load it imposes, which leads to the definition of in natura diet as a possible alternative for sustainable diet. By considering food components as markers linking health and environment, we investigate statistically invariant features that characterize the difference between in cultura/natura diets on 2 independent databases, INFOODS food composition database and Synecoculture products. Plural distinctive features between in cultura/natura diets were discovered in numerically sampled intake distribution. Taking the food diversity limit, in natura diet tended to be more consistent in relation to larger population with major components and minerals, and a significant difference with in cultura diet was encrypted in variance component. Possible interpretation of the results may relate recent health burden to historical transition from in natura to in cultura diet.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.11648/j.bio.20150306.17