With 56.4% of India’s total disease burden linked to unhealthy diets, what new nutrition guidelines prescribe

Subject: Science and tech

Sec: Health

Context:

India’s premier nutrition research institute has published comprehensive guidelines on the diet of vulnerable groups, including pregnant and lactating women, and children and the elderly.

More on news:

The guidelines issued by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad, which works under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), also prescribe general principles such as reducing consumption of salt and highly processed foods (such as packaged chips, cookies, bread, ketchup, candy, etc.).
Around 5% of children of ages 5-9, and 6% of adolescents, were overweight or obese, almost 2% of children and adolescents were found to have diabetes, and another 10% had pre-diabetes.

Some Basic Guidelines:

The guidelines say an estimated 56.4% of India’s total disease burden can be attributed to unhealthy diets.
A healthy diet and physical activity can prevent 80% of Type 2 diabetes cases, and significantly reduce the burden of heart disease and high blood pressure.

Focus on children, mothers:

Optimal nutrition for mother and child from conception till the age of 2 years is linked to proper growth and development.
It can prevent all forms of undernutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies, and obesity.
The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey 2019, which showed high prevalence of lifestyle conditions even in children.

Dual nutrition challenge

Incidence of micronutrient (zinc, iron, vitamins) deficiencies ranged from 13% to 30% of children between ages 1 and 19.
The recommended ideal diet charts for various groups of people takes into account both micronutrient deficiencies and diseases of overnutrition.
While severe forms of undernutrition such as marasmus (a deficiency of macronutrients such as carbohydrates and proteins) and kwashiorkor (deficiency of proteins) have disappeared from the country, manifestations such as anemia continue to grow.
All oils are 100 percent fat and, therefore, should be consumed in moderate quantities
It puts the prevalence of anemia at 40.6%, 23.5%, and 28.4% in children under age 5, ages 5-9, and 10-19 respectively.
Undernutrition continues to be high in India, but obesity has increased significantly over the last 30 years.

General dietary principles:

The guidelines recommend getting required nutrients from at least eight food groups, including vegetables, leafy vegetables, roots and tubers, dairy, nuts, and oils.
Consumption of cereals, i.e. the staple of Indian meals , should be restricted.
More proteins (pulses, meat, poultry, fish) should be consumed, making up 14% of the total daily energy (instead of only 6-9% now).
Achieving adequate levels of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and B12 is a challenge for vegetarians.
The guidelines recommend consumption of flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, vegetables, and greens.
Salt consumption should be restricted to 5g a day, and strongly recommends against consuming highly processed foods that are typically high in fats, salt and sugar.

What does organic food represent?

When a food label states ‘organic’, it may simply mean that it is free of all artificial preservatives, flavors and colors, and that the food ingredients are free from pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
If both the above are met, then the label can state 100 percent organic and have the ‘Jaivik Bharat’ logo approved by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Group-specific guidelines:

Pregnant women:

Small frequent meals for those experiencing nausea and vomiting.
The guidelines recommend consumption of lots of fruit and vegetables, especially those high in iron and folate content.

Infants and children:

For the first six months, infants should only be breastfed, and must not be given honey, glucose, or diluted milk. There is no need to give water, even during hot months.
After age 6 months, complementary foods must be included.

Elderly:

The elderly should consume foods rich in proteins, calcium, micronutrients, and fiber.
Apart from pulses and cereals — with at least one-third as whole grains , at least 200-400 ml of low-fat milk or milk products, a fist full of nuts and oilseeds, and 400-500g of vegetables and fruit should be consumed.
Exercise is important in order to maintain bone density and muscle mass.

Misleading Advertisements:

Any food item, including fruit juices containing only 10 or less per cent of fruit, is allowed to display that the product is made with real fruit pulp or juice.
Fortification of ultra-processed food cannot make them wholesome or healthy, which is a technique used to add certain nutrients to unhealthy food.

About ICMR – National Institute of Nutrition:

The National Institute of Nutrition is an Indian public health, nutrition and translational research center located in Hyderabad, India.
The institute is one of the oldest research centers in India, and the largest center, under the Indian Council of Medical Research, located in the vicinity of Osmania University.

About Hidden Hunger:

Hidden hunger is a form of undernutrition that occurs when intake and absorption of vitamins and minerals (such as zinc, iodine, and iron) are too low to sustain good health and development.

About Food Fortification:

Food fortification also known as food enrichment is when nutrients are added to food at higher levels than what the original food provides.
This is done to address micronutrient deficiencies across populations, countries and regions.