I want to keep seeing more studies like this. I meet many people that say you need to eat a "balanced" diet, however, they can never backup any claim on what it

I want to keep seeing more studies like this. I meet many people that say you need to eat a "balanced" diet, however, they can never backup any claim on what it means to be balanced. We have established the necessary conditions for a balanced diet: you must eat essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. Surprisingly carbohydrates are not an essential nutrient![1] Our bodies can survive on vastly different allocations of the three macronutrients. What percentage of calories should come from each? Obtaining most of your calories from carbohydrates can lead to metabolic disorder/insulin resistance/diabetes in many people. Obtaining most of your calories from protein can be damaging to the kidneys.[2] The research on eating too much fat is all over the place and does not seem to have a solid conclusion. Studies like the one in this article indicate that the previously theorized risks of increased heart disease risk are overblown. I'm sure the real answer may be much more complicated than macronutrient composition, however, it would be at least a starting place for judging if a diet is "balanced" at a high level. [1] http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/5/951.2.long http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/5/951.2.long [2] http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/high-protein-diets/faq-20058207 http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-he...