From a cultural standpoint, and depending on the biological origin of the food, the contemporary human diets can be:
- Vegetarian diet: when you do not eat meat. The grounds on which follows a vegetarian diet may be economic, religious, ideological, ethical, ecological and health. There are different types of vegetarianism. Among them, as they do not consume any product from an animal, and that only avoids meat.
- omnivorous diet: When you eat food of animal and vegetable. It is the most common type of diet in humans.
- carnivorous diet, if food of animal origin are predominant. It is rare in humans.
Other types of diets from the cultural point of view are the Western diet, the Mediterranean diet, the Asian diet, and so on.
From a nutritional standpoint, the current human diets may include:
- basal diet or basic diets: are diets in which no changes are made as to its composition, nutrient or energy. These are diets that are healthy people.
- therapeutic diets: are diets in which alters the composition of nutrients or energy when there is a disease or pathological condition.
These diets are subdivided into
- energy-modified diets: normally takes place a restriction on the amount of energy supplied in the diet (low calorie diets). These are diets that are used in situations of overweight and obesity.
- modified protein diets: They can provide more protein than recommended for healthy people (high protein diet), being indicated in cases of malnutrition (low weight, anorexia, etc..), or provide less quantity (hypoproteic diets) for a certain kidney diseases. A special type of these diets is gluten-free diet, celiac disease specific.
- modified-carbohydrate diets: When you restrict carbohydrates, it creates a lack of ketosis, such as ketogenic diets. They are identified in certain cases of epilepsy or morbid obesity. In other cases include foods depending on the type of carbohydrate, so as to obtain low glycemic index diets.
- modified diets high in dietary fiber: can be high in fiber content (high fiber diet), indicated in cases where there is reduced intestinal motility, or may be low in fiber (diets without waste), identified for situations prior to surgery or a screening test.
- modified diets of mineral elements: in the event that significantly reduce the amount contributed sodium (common salt either by killing or by providing low-sodium foods) it is low salt diet. It is prescribed in some kidney diseases and certain heart diseases (hypertension).