WE ARE WHAT WE EAT

Long before super supplements, cultures around the world cooked and ate in a way that supported health and a longer life. Hannah Twiggs explores what we can learn from them

- Hannah Twiggs

In an age of 20-ingredient smoothies and mushroom powders with names that sound like Bond villains, it’s easy to forget that some of the world’s healthiest diets have existed for centuries long before nutritional science tried to isolate the magic.

From the Mediterranean to Japan, Korea to Ethiopia, many cultures have been quietly eating in ways that promote long life, good gut health and better metabolic function. No protein bars or fibre gummies in sight. Just real food, mostly plants, made with care and eaten together. Radical, isn't it?

But while these diets are often lauded as nutritional gold standards, it's not the specific ingredients that make them so remarkable – it's the pattern. The balance. The cultural rhythms that turn good meals into long lives. And according to a growing number of experts, there's a lot we can learn from these global plates, even if we're thousands of miles away.

Japan: simplicity, structure and the microbiome

A typical traditional Japanese meal is the antithesis of the Western plate. Think grilled fish, a bowl of rice, some pickled vegetables, miso soup, tofu and perhaps a little seaweed. It's a masterclass in variety and moderation. And it's not just what people eat, but how: small portions, slowly consumed, rarely late at night.

“Structured mealtimes, avoiding late-night eating and eating more slowly all support better metabolic health,” says Professor Sarah Berry, nutritional scientist at King’s College London and chief scientist for the ZOE health study. “A regular eating rhythm helps align food intake with our body’s internal clock, and allowing time between meals gives the gut and metabolic system time to rest and reset.”