WHO releases new guidelines: How to eat fats and carbohydrates more healthily?

Recently, WHO updated its guidelines on total fat, saturated fat and trans fat, and carbohydrates based on the latest scientific evidence.

The three new guidelines contain recommendations aimed at reducing the risk of unhealthy weight gain and diet-related noncommunicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.

Among them, the WHO pointed out in its guidelines on dietary fat that both quantity and quality are important for health. The WHO reiterated that adults should control their total daily fat intake to 30% or less of total energy intake. The daily fat intake of people aged 2 years and above should be mainly unsaturated fatty acids; the intake of saturated fatty acids should not exceed 10% of total energy intake. The intake of trans fatty acids should be controlled at 1% of total energy intake, including trans fatty acids from industrial production and ruminants.

Saturated and trans fatty acids in the diet can be replaced with other nutrients, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, or carbohydrates from plant sources - sources include foods that naturally contain dietary fiber, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes.

Saturated fatty acids are found in fatty meats, dairy products, and hard fats and oils such as butter, ghee, lard, palm oil, and coconut oil; while trans fatty acids are commonly found in baked and fried foods, pre-packaged snacks, and meat and dairy products from ruminants (such as cattle or sheep).

Like the WHO's earlier "Guidelines on Limiting Free Sugar Intake", the new guidelines on carbohydrate intake emphasize the importance of carbohydrate quality to good health. Among them, WHO has made a new recommendation that carbohydrate intake for people aged 2 years and above should mainly come from whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans. WHO recommends: Adults should consume at least 400 grams of vegetables and fruits and 25 grams of natural dietary fiber every day. At the same time, WHO also made the following recommendations on the intake of vegetables and fruits for children and adolescents for the first time:

2-5 years old: at least 250 grams per day

6-9 years old: at least 350 grams per day

· Over 10 years old: at least 400 grams per day

The recommended natural dietary fiber intake is as follows:

2-5 years: at least 15 g per day

6-9 years: at least 21 grams per day

Ages 10 and over: at least 25 g per day

The three new guidelines released this time, together with the WHO's earlier guidelines on free sugars, non-sugar sweeteners and sodium intake, and the upcoming guidelines on polyunsaturated fatty acids and low-sodium salt substitutes, will become the basis of the concept of healthy eating.