What is "macrobiotic diet"

macrobiotic diet \macrobiotic diet\ n. A diet consisting chiefly of beans and whole grains.

n. a diet consisting chiefly of beans and whole grains

A macrobiotic diet (or macrobiotics), is a nutritional philosophy focused on eating foods based on a person's health status, climate, seasonality of crops, age, gender, and geography among other considerations. There is not a singular dietary regimen, as the diet is based on a variety of supposed variables, which take many forms. Major principles of macrobiotic diets are to reduce animal product, eat locally grown foods that are in season, and consume meals in moderation. Other forms of the diet incorporate principles of archaic medical systems, such as traditional Chinese medicine, in which an attempt is made to balance the alleged yin and yang elements of food and cookware.

Macrobiotics writers often claim that a macrobiotic diet is helpful for people with cancer and other chronic diseases, although there is no good evidence to support such recommendations. Studies that indicate positive results are of poor methodological quality. Neither the American Cancer Society nor Cancer Research UK recommend adopting the diet. Suggestions that a macrobiotic diet improves cardiovascular disease and diabetes are explained by the diet being, in part, consistent with science-based dietary approaches to disease prevention.