Alternative diet

Alternative nutrition or alternative nutrition is the generic term for various nutritional concepts that differ more or less strongly from the mixed diet common in western cultures today and are intended as permanent food. Most of these concepts limit or exclude meat consumption. According to the terminology used by nutritionists, diets for weight reduction or due to allergies are expressly not an alternative form of nutrition. The same applies to temporary diets such as the Franz Xaver Mayr cure or the Schroth cure .

According to Claus Leitzmann , the alternative nutrition teachings can be roughly divided into three groups: One group comprises concepts based on a holistic healing system or a religiously motivated worldview, of which dietetics is a component. The second group emerged at the end of the 19th century in connection with reform movements in Europe and the USA, in Germany as part of the life reform movement . The third group has its origins in the recent past and builds on older nutritional teachings.

Alternative nutrition concepts have in common that they give specific recommendations as to which foods should be preferred while others should be avoided. Whole food groups are sometimes taboo. From a nutritional point of view, general food bans are largely unfounded. In most cases, there is no scientific justification for alleged harmful effects.

“Many alternative forms of nutrition claim to have a disease preventive or even healing effect. In most cases, however, there is no scientific evidence for this. "

Leitzmann, as a co-founder of the concept of wholefood nutrition, also counts this form of nutrition as an alternative diet.

Well-known alternative forms of nutrition

• vegetarianism
• Veganism
• Diet according to the five elements (TCM)
• Ayurveda diet
• Diet according to Mazdaznan
• Macrobiotics
• Anthroposophic nutrition
• Food combining
• Waerland food
• Whole food nutrition
• Schnitzer fare

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} cf. Claus Leitzmann u. a .: Alternative forms of nutrition. 2005, foreword
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Article Alternative diets. In: Brockhaus Encyclopedia Nutrition. 2nd Edition. Mannheim 2004, p. 26 ff.

literature

• Claus Leitzmann, Markus Keller, Andreas Hahn: Alternative forms of nutrition. 2nd Edition. Hippokrates, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-8304-5324-8 .

Web links

• Helmut Oberritter: Alternative forms of nutrition