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01 Nov 2021
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3 min read
Q&A

Can yogurt help with diarrhea?

Diarrhea gastrointestinal symptoms
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Diarrhea is defined as “the passage of three or more abnormally loose or watery stools in the previous 24 hours”. A persistent or chronic diarrhea is “an episode of diarrhea lasting more than 14 days” [1].

Which diet in case of diarrhea?

According to the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO), food intake must continue during a episode of diarrhea and it is important to stay well hydrated. The recommendations are:

  • Frequent and small meals throughout the day, particularly for infants and young children. Infant require more frequent breastfeeding or bottle feedings.
  • Energy and micronutrient-rich, mixed foods (grains, eggs, meats, fruits, and vegetables)
  • Increasing energy intake as tolerated following the diarrheal episode
  • Avoid canned fruit juices [1]

In addition, consumption of milk can aggravate diarrhea. Indeed, during the diarrhea episode, lactase is often less secreted, leading to difficult digestion of the lactose contained in milk [2].

Contrary to milk, yogurt is recommended because the lactose it contains is partially digested by bacterial cultures. [3]

How can yogurt help prevent and treat diarrhea?

Some fermented milks contain probiotics (microorganisms that have shown evidence in providing a health benefit).  Thanks to the presence of these microorganisms, those specific probiotic fermented milks may play a role in the prevention and treatment of diarrhea. Indeed, by modulating the intestinal microbiota, these microorganisms might help protect the intestine from gastrointestinal diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome, infectious diarrhea and allergy gastroenteritis [4]. However, more research on how probiotics in foods can help, treat and prevent symptoms is needed.

In an intervention study comparing several diet in children with persistent diarrhea, the data showed that children fed the yogurt-based diet had a significant reduction in stool output and in the duration of diarrhea [5]. Another intervention study showed that consumption of yogurt was an effective method for reducing the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) in children (1-12 years old) [6]. In elder people, the prevention of AAD by standard yogurt and fermented milk has not be proven [7].

The WGO Global Guidelines recommend yogurt containing certain strains of probiotics to prevent diarrhea such as the Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea. The same guidelines precise that yogurt also prevent symptoms of lactose maldigestion. [8]

References:
[1] Farthing M, et al. World Gastroenterology Organisation Guideline: Acute diarrhea in adults and children: a global perspective. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2013;47(1):12-20.
[2] Saunders N and Friedman JN. Lactose avoidance for young children with acute diarrhea. Paediatr Child Health. 2014;19(10):529-530.
[3] Lorenzo Morelli, et al. Lactose Intolerance: Clinical Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment. Global Diabetes Open Access Journal. 2019;1(1); 1-10
[4] Goulet O. Potential role of the intestinal microbiota in programming health and disease. Nutr Rev. 2015;73(Suppl 1): 32–40.
[5] de Mattos AP, et al. Comparison of yogurt, soybean, casein, and amino acid-based diets in children with persistent diarrhea. Nutr Res. 2009;29:462–9.
[6] Fox MJ, et al. Can probiotic yogurt prevent diarrhoea in children on antibiotics? A double blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study. BMJ Open. 2015;5:e006474
[7] Velasco M, et al. Probiotic yogurt for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in adults: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2018; Nov 14.
[8] Guarner F, et al. World Gastroenterology Organisation Global Guidelines: Probiotics and prebiotics. February 2017.
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25 Oct 2021
•
4 min read
Benefits for planet health

Understanding the social and economic barriers to sustainable healthy diets

food system sustainability sustainable healthy diets
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Sustainable diets aren’t just about our health and protecting the environment – they must include foods that are readily available, affordable, and acceptable to a community’s culture.

Although effects on health and the environment are important for many of us when doing our food shopping, our choices are also driven by availability, affordability, personal preference, social circumstances and cultural influences. We need to think about these aspects much more when assessing sustainable healthy diets, say the authors.

What is a sustainable food system?

A food system includes all the activities and outputs that relate to the production, processing, distribution, preparation and consumption of food.

The United Nations1 has recently described a sustainable food system as:

  • Productive and prosperous (to ensure enough food)
  • Healthy and nutritious
  • Equitable and inclusive (to ensure that everyone has access to food and people working within the food system can earn a living)
  • Respectful and empowering (to ensure people can make their own choices and get involved in shaping the food system)
  • Resilient (to ensure enough food when shocks and crises hit)
  • Regenerative (to ensure enough food now and for future generations).

Economic, social and cultural aspects of the diet are often overlooked

Designing a “global” sustainable healthy diet for everyone based on the science sounds like a great idea but there are challenges in the real world. There are lots of practical difficulties like differences in farming practices, access to foods and affordability.

We also shouldn’t underestimate the impact of cultural food habits which can be influenced by gender, religion and cultural beliefs. Culturally acceptable food habits don’t always provide a healthy or sustainable diet. People learn cultural food habits early in life but these habits can be modified by exposure to new types of foods, the food habits of friends and colleagues, and sociodemographic factors (eg, age, income, education).

The media also influences food habits and may be a good way of providing information on sustainable healthy diets and supporting dietary change. Greater understanding of how food acceptability and sustainability awareness influence people’s food choices would help in the development of culture-specific plans to build trust, change mindsets and shift food habits toward healthier and more sustainable diets.

Tensions and trade-offs

To achieve healthier and more sustainable diets some trade-offs across the four dimensions of sustainability (health, society, economics and the environment) may need to be made.

Improving access to affordable nutrient-rich foods across the world is a major sustainability goal. But nutrient-rich foods are often expensive and they may have a high carbon footprint. Lower-cost diets that are culturally acceptable may provide plenty of calories but not enough nutrients.

Animal-sourced foods like meat and dairy are examples of sustainability trade-offs. They are nutrient-rich foods, but they have a high environmental impact because animals produce methane gas and animal husbandry makes demands on water, land and energy supplies. From a social point of view, livestock generate income and may also have other important social, cultural and economic value, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Tensions and trade-offs need to be carefully assessed when trying to improve access to sustainable healthy diets. It is important to include social and economic perspectives alongside scientific and practical considerations in bringing about dietary change, say the authors.

‘Although sustainable diet research has focused on health and the environment, the social and economic dimensions of sustainable diets and food systems should not be forgotten.’ – Nicholls and Drewnowski, 2021.

Find out more: read the original article
Nicholls J, Drewnowski A. Toward sociocultural indicators of sustainable healthy diets. Sustainability. 2021;13(13):7226.
1HLPE. Food Security and Nutrition: Building a Global Narrative towards 2030: A Report by the High Level Panel of Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security; HLPE: Rome, Italy, 2020.
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11 Oct 2021
•
2 min read
Benefits for planet health

Overcoming the barriers to adopting healthy sustainable diets

food choices sustainable diet
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If pressure on the purse strings is putting you off shifting to a more healthy sustainable diet, then you’re certainly not alone. Many people find it difficult to make the switch because they feel that the cost and the hassle of preparing certain foods are too big a challenge, a US survey has revealed.

Now the authors are calling for steps to address the barriers people face in adopting healthy sustainable diets that will benefit both the planet and human health.

Making the right food choices means balancing conflicts

Choosing what food to buy is often a trade-off between conflicting influences, the survey showed. At the top of the list of priorities are price, health, taste, and time to prepare or procure food.

But the survey found that for Americans, price and convenience typically outweigh everything else when doing the food shop, including considerations related to environmental impact and animal welfare. And healthy foods are often viewed as a bit pricier than other options.

Consumers find some plant-based foods strike a difficult balance

Consumers need to have a clearer idea about the role in the diet of new plant-based foods intended to replace meat and other animal-based foods.

Other research has shown that classifications of cultured meat and meat substitutes are not always clear to the consumer, adding to the confusion. These findings have implications for dietary guidelines and more clarity is needed on where and how these products fit into a healthy diet, the authors suggest.

Overcoming barriers to healthy, sustainable diets

Steps to raise dietary education and awareness, and policy interventions that address barriers to healthy, sustainable diets are needed, say the study authors, to transform food systems for the sake of both human and planetary health.

Identifying different consumer groups and the best way to communicate with them is also key to support the shift toward healthy and sustainable diets, the authors say.

‘Conflicting considerations, disagreement in classification of new products, and limited consensus for perceived health and environmental impact of foods present challenges to the achievement of diets that are health and environmentally sustainable.’ Fox et al. 2021

Find out more: read the original article
Fox EL, Davis C, Downs SM, McLaren R, Fanzo J. A focused ethnographic study on the role of health and sustainability in food choice decisions. Appetite. 2021. Oct 1;165:105319.
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04 Oct 2021
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4 min read
Q&A

Do yogurts contain proteins?

allergy Nutrient density proteins yogurt
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Yogurt is an excellent source of high-quality proteins, which are composed of 80% casein (insoluble milk protein) and 20% whey (water-soluble milk protein).  In fact, we speak of “high quality” proteins because milk proteins are well digested and absorbed (good bioavailability), and contain a good mix of amino acids (including the essential amino acids, which cannot be synthesized by the organism and are vital for its growth and maintenance) [1]. The high nutritional value of milk proteins is well preserved during the yogurt making process.

Do yogurts have more proteins than milk?

Some brands of yogurt have a higher protein content than that of milk because of the addition of non-fat dry milk during production. In addition, proteins in yogurt are more digestible than proteins in standard milk due to the fermentation process, which breaks down milk proteins into more easily, digested form [2].

There are also differences in protein content between types of yogurt, for example:

What are the health benefits of consuming proteins?

WHO recommends, as do most national recommendations, a daily amount of 0.83g of protein per kg for a healthy adult [3].

Protein is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role not only in growth, repair and development, but also in immunity, and the health of bones, muscles, skin, and nerves [1]. Moreover, a high-protein diet may have positive effects on blood pressure [4] and on long-term weight gain [5].

What are the health benefits of consuming yogurt proteins?

More specifically, dairy and yogurt proteins have been studied. The high-protein content in yogurt can enhance satiety and help to manage energy intake [6], and may protect against type 2 diabetes [7].

Most countries recommend 2 or 3 servings per day of dairy products, including yogurt (for example the food based recommandations in the USA, France, Germany, Italy, etc.) [8].

What about cow’s milk allergy?

The cow’s milk allergy (CMA), mainly observed in infants and young children, is caused by milk proteins: casein and whey proteins [9]. The ingestion of these proteins induces a reaction of the immune system thinking that the cow’s milk proteins are intruders to be eliminated. Thus, yogurt should be avoided for people with CMA.

Note that lactose intolerance is different from CMA. Lactose intolerance is not an allergy. The organism has difficulty in digesting lactose due to a lack of the enzyme that breaks it down, the lactase. Unlike people with milk protein allergy, those with lactose intolerant can consume yogurt because the lactose it contains is partially digested by bacterial cultures, so it will facilitate its digestion. [10]

References:
[1] FAO. Dietary protein quality evaluation in human nutrition. Report of an FAO Expert Consultation. 2011, Auckland, New Zealand.
[2] Adolfsson O, Meydani SN, Russell RM. Yogurt and gut function. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004; 80(2):245-56
[3] WHO, FAO Expert Consultation. Protein and Amino Acid requirements in human nutrition. WHO technical report series. 2002, Geneva, Switzerland.
[4] Buendia JR et al. Diets Higher in Protein Predict Lower High Blood Pressure Risk in Framingham Offspring Study Adults. Am J Hypertens. 2014; 28(3):372-379.
[5] Smith JD, et al. Changes in intake of protein foods, carbohydrate amount and quality, and long-term weight change: results from 3 prospective cohorts. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;101:1-9.
[6] Ortinau LC, et al. Effects of high-protein vs. high-fat snacks on appetite control, satiety, and eating initiation in healthy women. Nutr J. 2014 ;13:97.
[7] Tian S, et al. Dietary protein consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Nutrients. 2017;9:982.
[8] Weaver CW. How sound is the science behind the dietary recommendations for dairy? Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;99(5 Suppl):1217S-22S.
[9] H-Y Lam E, et al. Cow’s milk allergy in adults is rare but severe: both casein and whey proteins are involved. Clin Exp Allergy. 2008;38(6):995-1102.
[10] Lorenzo Morelli, et al. Lactose Intolerance: Clinical Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment. Global Diabetes Open Access Journal. 2019;1(1); 1-10
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27 Sep 2021
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5 min read
Healthy Diets & Lifestyle

Food processing explained

INCA3 NOVA process ultra-processed food UPF
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Many of the foods we eat are processed in some form or other and they can be healthy choices in a balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables. Deciding which processed foods to avoid depends on the amount and type of processing and your overall diet.  

Consumption of foods that have undergone a lot of unnecessary processing is still on the rise despite being identified as a contributing factor in obesity and diet-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. It makes sense for health-conscious folk to steer clear of these types of foods – but should we be avoiding all processed foods?

What is food processing?

Food processing isn’t a new idea and has been used throughout our history. It can be as simple as cooking, freezing, canning, drying, fermentation and pressing (olives and seeds to produce oil, for example).

Benefits of processing food include preservation, making foods safe to eat; improving nutritional quality (by adding nutrients or removing anti-nutritional factors) and digestibility; enhancing flavour; and making foods more widely available, affordable and convenient.

While some level of food processing can be beneficial, highly processed food products can be unhealthy.

NOVA classification system for processed foods

Various classification systems for processed foods are used to shape nutrition policy and food-based dietary guidelines. The NOVA classification system developed in Brazil is most commonly used. It assigns foods to four groups based on how much processing they have gone through:

Group 1: Unprocessed or minimally processed foods

  • Unprocessed foods include fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, pulses, eggs, fish and meat.
  • Minimally processed foods don’t contain any added ingredients and examples are pasteurised milk, plain yogurt, pure fruit juice and frozen natural foods (eg, fruits, vegetables, fish).

Group 2: Processed culinary ingredients

Examples of processed culinary ingredients are oils, butter, sugar and salt, which are produced by processes such as pressing, refining, and grinding.

Group 3: Processed foods

Processed foods are made by combining food products from groups 1 and 2 and involve further processing techniques such as cooking, non-alcoholic fermentation and smoking. Fresh bread, cheese and flavoured yogurt are examples of processed foods.

Group 4: Ultra-processed foods

Ultra-processed foods contain ingredients that we wouldn’t usually use at home when we’re cooking (eg, hydrogenated fats, maltodextrin) and they often go through many manufacturing stages. Common examples of ultra-processed foods are breakfast cereals, reconstituted meat products (eg, sausages), industrially produced bread, ready meals, and savoury snacks such as crisps.

Not everyone agrees with the NOVA classification

The NOVA classification has been criticised by some scientists and food manufacturers. They claim that it gives all industrially prepared food products a bad name, is imprecise and can be interpreted in many ways. They also say that the ‘ultra-processed foods’ group is too broad and includes foods for different reasons (on the basis of additives, preparation methods or high-tech manufacturing procedures).

Some people believe that the link between diet and health is best explained by the composition of foods rather than the amount of processing. They argue that we should be distinguishing between manufacturing methods and food formulation (ie, ingredients and nutrients), which are two distinct aspects of food processing.

Why are ultra-processed foods considered less healthy?

Some ultra-processed foods contain high levels of salt, sugars and fats which are bad for our health if consumed in large amounts. These foods may also contain a variety of additives with no nutritional value such as colourings, flavour enhancers and artificial sweeteners., and some nutrients may be removed during the manufacturing processes. But some additives play a valuable role. For example, preservatives prevent food spoilage by microbes and chemical changes – they protect the quality of food, extend the shelf life and help to avoid waste. Sometimes, nutrients (eg, vitamins, minerals) are added to improve the nutritional value of the food (fortification). Ultra-processed foods are designed to be convenient and appealing foods that taste great. It can be easy to eat more than we should and exceed the recommended amounts of salt, sugars and fats.

What did the authors show in their study?

The authors examined dietary data collected as part of the third Individual and National Study on Food Consumption Survey (INCA3) in France in 2014–2015. They used the NOVA classification system to describe foods.

They found that consuming more minimally processed foods was associated with a higher quality diet. People who ate lots of minimally processed foods had a higher protein intake, including a healthier varied mix of plant-based proteins, and a lower risk of dying from heart disease or diabetes than high consumers of ultra-processed foods. This is particularly significant given the growing interest in more sustainable diets that would include more plant protein, say the authors.

Yogurt is healthy but could be classified as ultra-processed alongside chips!

It can be tricky to know if a food is minimally processed, processed or ultra-processed. Sometimes a food can fall into all these groups depending on how it is made. The important thing to realise is that ultra-processed foods are not all the same and are not necessarily unhealthy.

Yogurt is a good example of a food that remains nutritious regardless of its NOVA classification. Although plain yogurt is minimally processed and is the healthier choice, yogurt becomes ultra-processed just by adding flavors, whether natural or not.

‘…it should be noted that a high consumption of MPF [unprocessed/minimally processed foods] is ubiquitous in traditional reference diets such as the Mediterranean diet which has proven health benefits.’ – Salomé, 2021.

Find out more: read the original article

Salomé M, Arrazat L, Wang J et al. Contrary to ultra-processed foods, the consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed foods is associated with favorable patterns of protein intake, diet quality and lower cardiometabolic risk in French adults (INCA3). Eur J Nutr. 2021 May 8. 

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17 Sep 2021
•
1 min read
Children Gut Health Infographics

How to support a healthy gut in children?

breastfeeding children diet gut health hydratation microbiota
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Gut health can be defined as a state of well-being and absence of gastro-intestinal distress. It is influenced by numerous factors, including the gut microbiota.

Diet and lifestyle factors can influence gut health in children

Diet and lifestyle factors can influence gut health in children :

  • breastfeeding,
  • complementary food,
  • global diet and hydratation,
  • medication,
  • lifestyle and education …

Learn more with our infographic below:

How to support a healthy gut in children - part 1
How to support a healthy gut in children - part 2
How to support a healthy gut in children - part 3
How to support a healthy gut in children - part 4

Download the pdf version

Download the printable cut version (pdf)

To go further, you can have a look at our complementary infographic on the importance of gut health in children.

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14 Sep 2021
•
3 min read
Benefits for planet health Q&A

What are flexitarian diets?

flexitarian diet flexitarism sustainable diet
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Flexitarism or Flexitarian diets are generally plant-rich diets with fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, which include modest amounts of animal-based products such as eggs, dairy products, meat and fish [1].

It differs from vegetarian or vegan diets, as it is more flexible and still allows to eat meat.

How to eat a flexitarian diet?

There are no specific rules for a “good flexitarian diet” but the main approach is to:

  • Promote the consumption plant-based foods such as of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and wholegrains.
  • Limit the consumption of ultra-processed foods.
  • Limit the consumption of sugar and sweets (soda, candy, pastry…).
  • Consume meat and animal-sourced foods occasionally. In details, the flexitarian dietary patterns contain the least amount of processed meat, small amounts of red meat, including beef, lamb, and pork (one serving per week) and moderate amounts of poultry, egg, and fish. [2]

Flexitarian diet and environment

The flexitarian diet can be considered as a way to build a sustainable diet:  As it reduces the part of animal-sourced foods consumption, it helps to decrease the greenhouse gas emissions, as well as land and water use and has a lower impact on the environment. However, the occasional consumption of animal-sourced foods assures the nutritional needs and limits the risk of nutrient deficiency (such as vitamin B12 and required iron amount). Flexitarian diets is an interesting compromise for a more balanced and sustainable diet. [3]

Flexitarian diet and health

In addition, the healthy mix of nutrients in flexitarian diets, including high-quality protein, fiber, vitamins, mineral and healthy fatty acids, may provide several health benefits. Studies suggest that flexitarian is beneficial for weight control and metabolic health benefits (reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and blood pressure) compared with the typical non-vegetarian diet [3].

Conducting studies on the flexitarian diet, the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF) concluded that flexitarian diets offer a balance that allows families to:

  • Eat more healthily
  • Eat quality products while protecting the environment
  • Cut the carbon footprint from their food
  • Reduce pressure on land and marine resources. [4]

For more information, discover:

What is the flexitarian diet? - YINI
References
[1] Willett W, Rockström J, Loken B, et al. EAT-Lancet Commission Summary report: Food in the anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. Lancet. 2019;393(10170):447-492.
[2] Springmann M, Wiebe K, Mason-D’Croz D, et al. Health and nutritional aspects of sustainable diet strategies and their association with environmental impacts: a global modelling analysis with country-level detail. The Lancet Planetary Health. 2018.
[3] Derbyshire EJ. Flexitarian diets and health: a review of the evidence-based literature. 2018.
[4] WWF France. Towards a low carbon, healthy and affordable diet. 2018.
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06 Sep 2021
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3 min read
Benefits for planet health

Experts call for dietary guidelines to reflect the role of dairy foods in protecting us and the planet

dairy foods dietary guidelines food groups Sustainable diets
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Dairy foods are a treasure-trove of nutrients, they contribute to the healthy functioning of our body, and may even hold the key to help tackle some of the world’s most challenging diseases, say the authors of this global review.

That’s why the authors are calling for food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) around the world to shine a brighter spotlight on dairy products and the contribution they can make to sustainable healthy diets.

The FBDGs provide people with guidance on the foods they should be eating to stay healthy, but they can also play a role in supporting global sustainability goals, say the authors.

What FBDGs say about dairy foods

The authors examined FBDGs of 94 countries and found that over 70% of them contained nutrient/health-based messaging on dairy foods. This messaging tends to focus on basic information such as types of dairy foods, serving sizes and how often they should be consumed, but there is lots more that people should know, say the authors.

Consuming dairy foods is good for our bones, teeth, heart, glucose metabolism, gut and immune system. Dairy foods contain protein and a raft of vitamins and minerals. However, most nutrient-based dairy messaging in FBDGs is about calcium, whereas other dairy nutrients such as vitamins A and zinc, which are consistently under-consumed worldwide, are rarely mentioned.

Less well-known benefits of dairy foods

In recent years, several other nutrients have been identified as being important for health (eg, choline, taurine, lactoferrin, ‘friendly’ bacteria [probiotics], milk-fat globule membrane). Higher levels of these nutrients are found in dairy foods than in any other food group. Beyond nutrients, fermented dairy products such as yogurt and kefir often contain probiotics and these have been linked to benefits for oral and gut health and the immune system.

Because of concerns about obesity, most FBDGs continue to recommend low-fat/fat-free dairy products despite growing research shows that dairy fats are linked to neutral or beneficial effects on health, say the authors.

Milk and dairy products contain a lot of water and minerals and can be really useful sources of hydration in countries with limited access to clean drinking water.

FBDGs should recognize dairy’s contributions to sustainable healthy diets

Experts say that dairy foods should be included in sustainable healthy diets for nutritional, social and economic reasons. But others are concerned about the impact of animal agriculture on the environment. It’s worth remembering that dairy cows are estimated to contribute only about 2.5% to global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs).

What’s more, the authors say, agricultural GHGEs come from constantly recycled carbon that is already in the atmosphere. These GHGEs contribute much less to global warming than GHGEs from the burning of fossil fuels where ‘new’ carbon that was buried underground is released into the atmosphere.

Current FBDGs do not adequately capture dairy’s contributions to sustainable healthy diets. The focus needs to shift from individual nutrients to the wealth of health benefits that dairy foods offer, say the authors.

“… dairy foods offer an unmatched package of essential and bioavailable nutrients, numerous functional properties (e.g., probiotics, immunoglobulins, bioactive peptides), and the ability to reduce key risk factors for some of the world’s most common and deadly diseases (e.g., micronutrient deficiencies and cardiometabolic diseases [e.g., heart disease and diabetes]).’ – Comerford, 2021. 

Find out more: read the original article
Comerford KB, Miller GD, Boileau AC et al. Global Review of Dairy Recommendations in Food-Based Dietary Guidelines. Front Nutr. 2021;8:671999.
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23 Aug 2021
•
3 min read
Benefits for human health Benefits for planet health

Call for new national dietary guidelines to promote sustainable healthy diets

dietary guidelines Sustainable diets
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Researchers have called for national dietary guidelines around the world to be updated and revised in a bid to boost the planet’s health as well as our own.

The plea follows the discovery that, while most national guidelines aim to promote our health, many fall short when it comes to helping preserve the planet.

New national food based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) must place a much greater emphasis on the environmental impact, social and cultural aspects of our diet, say the authors. By updating them in line with latest scientific advances, national guidelines would not only help us make healthy food choices but would also give us a steer on how to make our diets more sustainable.

Guiding principles of sustainable healthy diets

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have drawn up a list of 16 guiding principles to achieve sustainable healthy diets. These principles cover health, environmental and sociocultural aspects. The intention is that these principles should be used in the development of national FBDGs to make sustainable healthy diets affordable, accessible, safe and desirable for the local population.

Matching national FBDGs with the guiding principles

The authors identified 43 FBDGs from different countries that were available in English and looked at how closely they matched the FAO/WHO guiding principles. They took into account how old the FBDGs were and what country they were for.

Overall, compliance with health-related guiding principles was high, especially in the most recent FBDGs. But environmental impact and sociocultural aspects of diet weren’t considered very often, particularly in the older FBDGs. Among environmental aspects, reducing food loss and waste was included most frequently (23% of total FBDGs).

FBDGs across the globe

American FBDGs showed the lowest compliance with health-related principles. Compliance with environmental principles was lowest in Africa (only one country included one of the five guiding principles) and highest in Europe where on average it was considered in 20% of FBDGs). Compliance with sociocultural principles was lowest in Europe (on average considered in 15% of FBDGs) and highest in America (52%) and Africa (47%).

Availability of up-to-date FBDGs could help speed up the move towards a more sustainable food system, say the authors. Revising FBDGs to improve compliance with environmental principles is particularly important if we are to hit the global targets related to climate change and environmental resource use.

‘The analysis revealed a high level of compliance from FBDGs [food-based dietary guidelines] with health-related guiding principles, but a critically low level of compliance with principles related to environmental impact and sociocultural aspects.’ – Martini D, et al, 2021.

Find out more: read the original article
Martini D, Tucci M, Bradfield J et al. Principles of sustainable healthy diets in worldwide dietary guidelines: Efforts so far and future perspectives. Nutrients. 2021;13(6):1827.
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16 Aug 2021
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Benefits for planet health Q&A

What is a sustainable diet?

flexitarian diet flexitarism Mediterranean Diet nordic diet sustainable diet sustainable food
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Table of contents
Table of contents

The United Nations defined sustainability in 1987 as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [1]. An important part of sustainability is sustainable diets, which is how to eat without compromising the future.

When talking about sustainable diets, two aspects must be taken into account: the impact foods on the environment, and the nutritional value of these foods. The environmental costs of food production and consumption must be balanced against nutrient value affecting health, affordability and social acceptability.

To sum up, sustainable healthy diets are dietary patterns that:

  • Promote all dimensions of individuals’ health and wellbeing
  • Have a low environmental impact
  • Are accessible, affordable, safe, equitable and culturally acceptable. [2]
What is a sustainable food? - Yogurt in Nutrition

Why should we adopt a sustainable diet?

On the one hand, food production is a major cause of global warming. The current food production system is responsible for 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, 70% of water use, and a loss of continental and marine biodiversity [3]. And 49% of the habitable land is used by agriculture [4].

On the other hand, the prevalence of undernutrition, obesity and other diseases related to malnutrition are worrying due, for example, to the low nutritional quality food supply [3].

In parallel, the world population continues to grow, estimated at 10 billion in 2050, increasing the pressure on the environment and global health [3].

According to EAT-Lancet commission (2019), “a radical transformation of the global food system is needed” [3].

The good news is that we can change the world through what we eat and how we produce and manage food. Researchers have estimated that by changing current diets, greenhouse gas emissions from food could be reduced by as much as 50% [5] [6]. Changing agricultural practices may add further reductions [3] [7].

How to eat more sustainable?

Switching to a sustainable diet is not as straight-forward as it might seem. The key of a healthy sustainable diet is to identify the foods, which have a high nutrient-density, a low environmental footprint whilst also being affordable and culturally accepted. In practice, here are some advices [3]:

Flexitarian, Mediterranean and New Nordic diets are examples of diets that may be considered sustainable. These diets are plant-rich diets with modest amounts of animal-based products [2, 9, 10]. By reducing the part of animal-sources foods consumption, the environmental impact is lower. In addition, the occasional consumption of animal-sourced helps to cover nutritional needs (such as vitamin B12, required iron amount). The Flexitarian, Mediterranean and New Nordic diets are therefore interesting compromises for a balanced and sustainable diet [2, 9, 10].

References:
[1] Thomsen C. Sustainability (World Commission on Environment and Development Definition). Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. 2013.
[2] Burlingame B, Dernini S. Sustainable diets and biodiversity: Directions and solutions for policy, research and action. Food and Agriculture Organization. 2010.
[3] Willett W, Rockström J, Loken B, et al. Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. Lancet. 2019;393(10170):447-492.
[4] Ritchie H, Roser M. 2019. Land Use. Our World Data.
[5] Hallström E, Carlsson-Kanyama A, Börjesson P. Environmental impact of dietary change: a systematic review. J Clean Prod. 2015;91:1–11.
[6] Aleksandrowicz L, Green R, Joy EJM, et al. The impacts of dietary change on greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, and health: a systematic review. PLoS One. 2016 Nov 3;11(11):e0165797.
[7] Karlsson JO, Carlsson G, Lindberg M, et al. Designing a future food vision for the Nordics through a participatory modeling approach. Agronomy for Sustainable Development. 2018;38:59.
[8] FAO. Food Loss and Food Waste. 2019.
 [9] Willett W, Rockström J, Loken B, et al. EAT-Lancet Commission Summary report: Food in the anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. Lancet. 2019;393(10170):447-492.
[10] Springmann M, Wiebe K, Mason-D’Croz D, et al. Health and nutritional aspects of sustainable diet strategies and their association with environmental impacts: a global modelling analysis with country-level detail. The Lancet Planetary Health. 2018.
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