Eat up your greens and cereals if you want to stay healthy. Heart disease and some cancers can be kept at bay by diets rich in fruit and veg and wholegrain, according to research.
The findings on diet were presented by Prof David Richardson of Nestle UK Ltd at the BA Science Festival in Glasgow yesterday. He said whole foods such as fruit and vegetables and whole grains such as wheat, rice maize and oats are the best "functional" foods for giving a combination of healthy ingredients in packages.
These ingredients work together to protect against heart disease, some cancers, diabetes and digestive problems.
Whole grains in particular are good for you, he said. Eating a whole grain cereal for breakfast is the easiest way of ensuring your daily dose.
Poor diets are a "nutritional time-bomb" in the UK, he warned. Adolescent children's bones are not growing as they should because of a lack of calcium in their diets.
As the population ages the consequences of this are high rates of osteoporosis. The UK already has one of the highest osteoporosis rates in Europe, with one in three women and one in 12 men affected.
"We need to look at the foods enjoyed by teenagers and look for good sources of calcium in the diet," said Prof Richardson.
Food regulators could play a role in improving people's diets, he said as many food producers make extravagant claims for the health benefits of their products and Prof Richardson urges better regulation. "Current guidelines for classification of products are seriously out of date and ambiguous".
Despite the scientific controversies over food and "media hype", Prof Richardson believes there is a "need for pragmatic approaches to improvements in diet and public health out comes".
It would also be "common sense" to promote messages to cut out smoking, maintain a healthy body weight, moderate alcohol intake, increase physical activity and choose lower fat and low-salt foods.