Food and your health

An apple a day? Your diet and your health

For most of us varying what we eat – using plenty of fresh ingredients alongside processed foods, and different cooking methods – helps balance our diet and contributes to our health and well-being.

Some foods have health or nutritional benefits we want or need more of in our diet. In Europe, you can buy foods that claim those kinds of benefits knowing that scientists verify the evidence provided by food producers to support these claims.

Doctors, nutritionists, and dieticians give tailored advice to people with specific needs, supported by science-based national dietary guidelines that account for cultural differences in each country.

And for people whose diet doesn’t provide all the required nutrients, food supplements – which are also scientifically assessed for safety – can round out their diets but should be taken on professional advice.