Nutrition: What to Eat to Stay Healthy

Besides eating five fruits and vegetables a day, limiting fat, salt and sugar, what are other recommendations to reduce the risk of pathologies such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease?

Thanks to decades of research, we have a clear understanding of many risk and protective factors. In addition to the recommendations mentioned above, we add the consumption of dried vegetables (lentils, red beans, chickpeas, etc.) at least twice a week as they are sources of vegetable protein and fiber, a maximum of 150 grams of cold meat and 500 grams of red meat per week – Especially reducing the risk of colorectal cancer. After that, we recommend a handful of almonds daily, fish twice a week. Finally, favor local, organic and seasonal foods, which have more vitamins and minerals than products stored for months and fewer preservatives. If we can follow this advice, the health benefits are enormous.

What about ultra processed foods and additives?

Research on these foods began in the late 2000s. As part of our NutriNet-Sente study, we demonstrated for the first time that consumption of ultra-processed products is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases. Other studies from around the world point in the same direction. We have also highlighted links to some of their additives – emulsifiers, nitrites, sweeteners.

Fads and fake news, superfoods, the demonization of gluten… how to separate the true from the false?

By favoring scientifically supported information, which forms official recommendations. There is a lot of fake news circulating, some of which is orchestrated by financial interests. We observe trends such as anti-dairy products – even though there is no basis to justify doing without them. Finally, some people blame gluten for all ailments, even though it is not a real problem for the majority of the population. On the other hand, we ask questions about the effect of gluten added to processed foods and its possible effect on the mechanisms leading to hypersensitivity, for example.

Official recommendations are not fully followed. What can we do to change behavior?

About 72% of French people eat less than five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, 87% do not meet the recommendations for dried vegetables and 63% eat very cold meat… I don’t know the Swiss figures, but it is likely that these recommendations are fully respected. not given. To change behavior, we must act at two levels. At an individual level, with reinforced information work in school, for better knowledge of good practice from a very early age. However, we can’t just blame the person. We must change the access to the food supply and this is carried out at the political level, for example the regulation of advertising aimed at children, the limitation of the dosage of additives if they prove problematic in the light of some new studies, the establishment of incentive measures that favor the most favorable products for health. Or, on the contrary, taxation against the most hostile people – on the model of taxes on tobacco or sugary drinks, which have proven their worth.

Applications to scan product barcodes and learn their composition are on the rise. Are they related?

These smartphone apps have changed the situation, they have contributed to a kind of empowerment of consumers over the contents of their plates, and sharpened their critical thinking. However, the scientific validity of some is variable. Yucca, for example, integrates process and pesticide dimensions by calculating a weighted overall score, which is premature. We prefer to recommend the Openfoodfact app, which is more factual.

In terms of public health, what are the implications of Nutri-Score?

A hindsight of several years is still necessary but more than a hundred studies already show that consumers of products classified well by the Nutri-Score have a lower risk of developing certain chronic diseases. We also demonstrated that this system had a positive impact on the nutritional quality of shopping baskets. Finally, we see that Nutri-Score marketing is starting to become a contention, as sales of some poorly rated products are declining while sales of better rated foods are increasing.

In its calculation, Nutri-Score does not take into account the presence of additives or the degree of processing, why?

It integrates nutrients for which a strong level of evidence has been recognized over the years in terms of health effects. The science regarding the process and the effect of certain additives is more recent but progress is being made. We hope to be able to refine Nutri-Score in the future with this new information. Already, the revised algorithm this year now includes a penalty for drinks containing sweeteners (aspartame, for example). Additionally, we propose adding a black frame to the Nutri-Score on ultra-processed products. But it won’t happen immediately, as studies are needed and lobbies and economic interests are counterbalancing…

Some criticize the Nutri-Score for putting foods with nutritional benefits on the same rating scale, such as olive oil or cheese and chips…

Nutri-Score aims to help the consumer make “informed” choices to balance their plate; It is not designed to compare non-substitute products. More generally, we must be wary of opponents, some hiding businessmen with financial interests that do not always go in the direction of public health.