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Food neophobia is a trait of eating behavior in which a person refuses to taste and eat foods or foods with which he or she is unfamiliar.
Researchers from the University of Helsinki in Finland and the University of Tartu in Estonia have examined the independent impact of eating behavior, including food neophobia, on the quality of food. Diet, lifestyle-related diseases and their risk factors.
"The findings reinforce the idea that a varied and healthy diet plays a vital role or even plays an independent role in health," said Markus Perola of the Finnish National Institute for Health and Wellness. welfare.
The study followed individuals aged 25 to 74 during a seven-year follow-up.
Food neophobia has been observed as a strongly hereditary trait: studies on twins have shown that 78% can be hereditary.
The trait can be easily measured using the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS), which contains ten questions describing the respondent's eating behavior.
The SNS questionnaire was also used to measure and quantify fear of novel foods in this study.
Food neophobia is common in children and the elderly, in particular. Until now, few studies have been conducted on food neophobia in adults.
Features similar to food neophobia, including a difficult and delicate diet, also exist in different age groups of the population. These eating behaviors can also have a significant impact on the quality of food and therefore on health.
Because different traits associated with eating behaviors have overlapping characteristics, it is difficult to make a clear distinction between them.
The study found that food neophobia is linked to poor food quality: for example, consumption of fiber, protein and monounsaturated fatty acids may be lower and consumption of saturated fats and salt more important in neophobic individuals.
In addition, a significant association was observed between food neophobia, unfavorable fatty acid profile, and increased level of inflammatory markers in the blood.
Subsequently, food neophobia also increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes.
The effects of eating behavior and diet on health are often thought to result mainly from weight changes alone.
In this study, however, the effects of food neophobia have emerged regardless of weight, age, socioeconomic status, sex, or place of life.
"If we can intervene in deviant eating behaviors, such as food neophobia, from childhood or youth, this will help prevent future potential health problems," Perola said.
"Hereditary factors and our genotype only determine our predisposition to food neophobia." Early childhood education, care and guidance of lifestyle in adulthood can provide support for the development of a diversified diet, "he said.
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