Home-cooked food can also be healthy; ICMR lists the factors that can do more harm than good – News9 LIVE
The ICMR guidelines stated that a diet high in sugar and fats can caquse inflammation and take a negative toll on gut microbiota as well. These change quikcly with diet and overtime contribute to a heightened risk of NCDs. A diet high in salt causes water retention, hypertension and it can take a toll on the kidneys as well.
According to experts, home cooked foods, if they contain too much salt or fat or or sugar, lose nutritional value and become high in calories as well.
New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), last week, issued a set of 17 dietary guidelines last week stating that home-cooked meals could also be unhealthy, especially if cooked in too much salt, sugar or fat. This notion, that home-cooked foods are healthier than what is sold at eateries and food joints, was contested by a panel while formulating guidelines for Indians. They concluded that a diet high in fat, salt or sugar could be detrimental for health. These are calorie-dense foods low in fibre and micronutrients.
ICMR diet guidelines
Researchers at the medical panel revealed that foods high in sugar and fats contain too many calories that are likely to result in obesity in a long run. These foods deprive the body of essential minerals like vitamins, phytonutrients, minerals and bio-active substances. The guidelines also stated that fatty acids, amino acids and micronutrients in this diet can cause brain dysfunction, anaemia, poor learning and memory abilities and also non-communicable conditions such as type-2 diabetes and obesity.
The guidelines further stated that a diet high in sugar and fats can caquse inflammation and take a negative toll on gut microbiota as well. These change quikcly with diet and overtime contribute to a heightened risk of NCDs. A diet high in salt causes water retention, hypertension and it can take a toll on the kidneys as well.
How do home cooked foods become unhealthy?
According to experts, home cooked foods, if they contain too much salt or fat or or sugar, lose nutritional value and become high in calories as well. ICMR also stated that saturated fats, which is found in abundance in reused oil, ghee, coconut oil, or butter, can take a toll on the heart in a long run. One must not consume more than 10 grams of the same in a day in 2000-kcal diet. Salt, too, should not be consumed more than 5 grams in a day. But in foods like biscuits, baked goods, sauces and chips, there are found in abundance. Papad, pickles and namkeen, found in Indian households, are also rich sources of the same.
The ICMR also suggested limiting sugar intake in a day to 25 grams per day in a 2000-kcal diet. Calories, it said, are healthy only when accompanied by essentials minerals and fibre.
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