New nutrition trend: What experts from the USA recommend

Part 3: "Nutritional recommendations put to the test"

Pay attention to the glycemic index and eat less carbohydrates, these are new nutritional recommendations that are currently being discussed by leading scientists in the USA.

The epidemiologist Walter Willett, who teaches at the Harvard School of Public Health, calls for vegetables, fruit and whole grains to form the basis of the diet. Processed grain products such as white bread, white rice, noodles, potatoes and sweets, on the other hand, rarely belong on the menu in his opinion due to their unfavorable effect on blood sugar levels.

Vegetable oils are more important than ever at Willett. In his opinion, nuts and legumes should be eaten every day because they provide valuable protein and high-quality fatty acids. Willett also advises eating fish, poultry, and eggs up to twice a day, but eating red meat only occasionally due to its unfavorable saturated fat content.

Dairy products are recommended by him once or twice a day. However, compared to the other protein sources, they are of less importance and can also be replaced by calcium supplements in Willett's nutritional concept.

In his nutritional recommendations, David Ludwig from the medical faculty at Harvard University also calls for greater consideration of the glycemic index, i.e. the effect of food on blood sugar levels.

In his opinion, fruit and vegetables, prepared with vegetable oils, should form the largest part of the diet. In second place are low-fat dairy products, lean meat, fish, legumes and nuts, which, along with vegetables and fruit, are also foods with a low glycemic index.

Wholemeal cereal products and pasta complement the diet - but in small quantities. In his opinion, white flour products, potatoes and sweets should be consumed rather seldom.

Both scientists recommend choosing whole grain foods over refined grain products. This approach corresponds to the current nutritional recommendations in this country and is not new.

As early as the early 80s, von Koerber, Männle and Leitzmann recommended giving preference to whole grain products in their concept of whole food nutrition. What sets Willett and Ludwig apart from our dietary recommendations is that they both have a greater emphasis on meat, fish and dairy. With this, the two American scientists may be pointing the way in a new direction.

The US recommendations for a healthy diet are regularly revised every five years. New recommendations are due to be published in 2005.

Source: Bonn [Dr. Maike Groeneveld - aid - ]