Guide to Dietary Recommendations to Address India’s Disease Burden

Guide to Dietary Recommendations to Address India’s Disease Burden

New Dietary Guidelines from ICMR and NIN

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) have released new dietary guidelines. These aim to tackle malnutrition and the rising rates of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity in India. They emphasize a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle to prevent obesity. Key points include regular exercise, avoiding processed foods, reducing salt, and reading food labels for better choices. Unhealthy diets cause 56.4% of India’s disease burden. The NIN found that 34% of children aged 5 to 9 have high triglyceride levels.

The guidelines suggest that healthy diets and physical activity can greatly reduce coronary heart disease and hypertension. They can prevent up to 80% of Type 2 diabetes cases. These guidelines update the NIN’s 2020 nutritional review, which followed similar reviews in 2010 and guidelines issued in 2011.

Expert Opinions

Edwina Raj, Head of Services, Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics at Aster CMI Hospital, says the ICMR's latest guidelines highlight unhealthy diets as a major cause of India's disease burden. To combat this, they promote healthy eating habits. The rise in processed foods, high sugar/fat intake, and low physical activity are concerning. These factors worsen micronutrient deficiencies and contribute to overweight and obesity, replacing earlier issues of undernutrition.

Vinusha, MSC Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics at Apollo Clinic, HSR Layout, Bengaluru, says the new guidelines focus on combating obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases. They offer major suggestions for a balanced diet to prevent obesity and advise on reducing sugar intake, which is crucial due to the high number of diabetes cases.

Vinusha also notes that the guidelines lack emphasis on prebiotics and probiotics in the diet. She recommends highlighting the importance of essential amino acids, protein precursors, and daily physical activity.

Recommendations

Raj emphasizes that these guidelines are for general advice and not a substitute for professional guidance. People should consult a qualified dietitian for personalized advice, especially if they have a health condition or are hospitalized. The guidelines advise limiting alcohol intake to two drinks per week, but lack specific recommendations for Indians based on gender and clinical data.

Key recommendations include:

• Limit cooking oils.
• Use nuts and fish for healthy fats.
• Earthenware cookware is safe, eco-friendly, and requires less oil.
• Granite cookware is safe without Teflon coating; replace non-stick pans with Teflon when worn.
• Include millets (30–40% of daily cereals) for gut health and fiber.
• Read food labels to make healthy choices.
• Aim for 10 food groups daily (“My Plate for the Day”).
• Include microgreens in your diet.