[Anders Strandberg]

Anders Strandberg  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
hello,

Wonder if you know the minimum combination of different kind of foods that meet the nutritional needs of a person, can you survive your whole natural life on potatoes and carrots without getting deficiencies? I guess boredom is not a true deficiency.

keep up the good work,
Anders

What do you think?

[imatfaal]

You would struggle to get normal amounts of protein - it is debated how much protein one needs but (kids especially) cannot manufacture certain amino acids that are necessary for grwth and well-being.  wouldnt think there was much iron in them either (scrub that - potatoes have iron) - a detailed analysis would, I am sure, show up some real problems

I heard - but never checked - that proper baked beans on good toast will keep you alive (if a little farty) for a very long time.  restricted diets are a bad idea in general though.

Matthew

[wolfekeeper]

So far as I know there are no two-food diets that give the minimum amount of all known essential proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. So carrots and potatoes would be deficient in something, probably particularly essential fatty acids, there's very little.

But I once read on USENET that a nutritions professor had challenged his class to balance their diets and somebody apparently found that brazil nuts, milk and cantaloupe melon, in the right proportions, are allegedly a 'complete' diet. Dunno what the proportions are though, but you could probably work it out fairly easily, the USDA food analysis database is online.

[ccheric]

I think your best bet is astronaut food variety #1 and astronaut food variety #2. Proven technology!