What is the scientific definition of the Japanese diet from the viewpoint of nutrition and health?

Abstract

The Japanese people have enjoyed longevity for several decades, and Japanese dietary habits are considered to contribute to this longevity. The scientific definition of the Japanese diet, however, is not yet fully established. The Working Group 1 of the Healthy Diet Research Committee of the International Life Sciences Institute Japan reviewed the literature to collect definitions of the Japanese diet appearing in articles in the fields of diet, nutrition, foods, and human health. This report addresses the definitions and the questions raised by these definitions. Among 283 relevant articles identified, 116 were carefully screened and included in the analysis. In most of the articles, the authors self-defined the Japanese diet; some studies used a government-proposed definition. This review revealed no systematic approach to define the Japanese diet from the viewpoints of nutrition and health. Before conducting studies to determine whether the Japanese diet is healthy, it is important to address the question of what the Japanese diet is from the viewpoint of human nutrition rather than culinary culture.

Keywords: Japanese diet; Japanese food; clinical trial; literature review; nutrition.