Nutrition is the cornerstone of health. Recently, the 14th Asian Nutrition Conference sponsored by China Nutrition Society and Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies was held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. With the theme of "Sustainable Nutrition Helps the Future", more than 600 experts, scholars and industry representatives from more than 40 countries gathered to talk about nutrition and the latest achievements and development trends in related fields.
Three groups of people need to pay attention to folic acid nutritional status
How many nutrients should we consume every day? How much is the suitable intake of each nutrient?
During the 14th Asian Nutrition Conference, the Reference Intake of Dietary Nutrients for China Residents (2023 Edition) (DRIs) compiled by China Nutrition Society was officially released, which provided an important reference standard for answering the above questions.
"Nutrition science is closely related to public health, and the reference intake of dietary nutrients is the core work of nutrition science." Yang Yuexin, chairman of the China Nutrition Society, said that the reference intake of dietary nutrients is a set of scientific reference values or standards recommended for the average daily intake of nutrients to ensure that healthy individuals and groups can reasonably consume nutrients and avoid lack and excess. Based on the four basic principles of scientificity, continuity, specificity and purpose, the new version of DRIs revised and confirmed the different reference amounts of more than 70 nutrients and other dietary components consumed by people of different sexes, 20 different age groups and life stages.
According to reports, the new version of DRIs is the ninth edition, 10 years after the eighth edition. Compared with the previous edition, the recommended intake of nutrients such as protein, iron and iodine was revised in the new edition of DRIs. Taking protein as an example, Yang Xiaoguang, a researcher at the Institute of Nutrition and Health of China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that in the past, the recommended intake of protein for the elderly was the same as that of ordinary adults, and the recommended intake of protein for the elderly aged 65 and over was proposed for the first time in the new version, with an average of about 7 grams more than that of ordinary adults: for adults under 65, the new version of DRIs recommended that men consume 65 grams and women consume 55 grams of protein every day; For the elderly aged 65 and above, it is recommended that men take 72g of protein and women take 62g of every day.
It is worth noting that the new version of DRIs suggests paying attention to folic acid nutrition. "Folic acid is an essential water-soluble vitamin for human body, which cannot be synthesized in human body and must be obtained through diet to meet physiological needs. Foods rich in folic acid include animal liver, beans, nuts and dark green leafy vegetables. " Ma Aiguo, dean of the Institute of Nutrition and Health of Qingdao University, said that not only pregnant women, but also some special people should pay attention to the nutritional status of folic acid: women of childbearing age and pregnant women who plan to get pregnant should pay attention to the nutritional status of folic acid because of their own physiological and metabolic needs and the rapid growth of the fetus. China recommends that pregnant women supplement 0.4 mg of folic acid every day from the third month before pregnancy to the first three months of pregnancy; The elderly need to pay more attention to folic acid intake because of their physiological characteristics, decreased intestinal absorption and metabolism ability and cognitive function. In people with hyperhomocysteinemia, folic acid supplementation can reduce the risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease and senile dementia.
Compared with the previous edition, what other dietary ingredients have been added or subtracted in the new edition of DRIs? Ling Wenhua, a professor at the School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, said that this revision retained the original phytochemicals according to the changes in dietary consumption of Chinese residents and the new progress in nutrition research, and put forward coenzyme Q10, betaine, inulin and grain β The specific recommended value of-glucan is helpful to guide Chinese residents to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, improve the composition of intestinal flora and promote intestinal health by appropriately increasing these dietary components.
Diabetic patients prefer low GI food.
The quality of carbohydrates affects the health of the whole people. In recent years, the concept of glycemic index (GI) has gradually become widely known, and foods with low GI are favored by more and more people.
"Low GI food is a food that stays in the gastrointestinal tract for a long time, with low absorption rate and slow release of glucose. The peak value of glucose after entering the blood is low, which makes the blood sugar level stable and is not easy to fluctuate. It plays an important role in preventing and treating chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases." During the 14th Asian Nutrition Conference, at the group standard release conference of "prepackaged foods glycemic index labeling standard" organized by China Nutrition Society, the head of the group standard and the researcher of the Institute of Nutrition and Health of China Center for Disease Control and Prevention introduced to Cedar that this is the first time that China has formulated the labeling standard of GI in prepackaged foods, which clarified the judgment basis of food categories and GI foods suitable for labeling GI, and was helpful for the public to understand and choose low GI foods more accurately.
"The concept of GI makes clinicians pay more attention to the quantity and quality of carbohydrates." Liu Simin, a professor at Brown University in the United States, said that low-GI foods have been confirmed by more and more nutritionists and clinical experts to have a positive impact on the human body. It is suggested that diabetics, pre-diabetics and overweight people should choose low-GI foods, which is conducive to controlling blood sugar.
The group standard of "prepackaged foods glycemic index labeling standard" stipulates that in addition to measuring human GI according to the standard method, foods with low GI labeling should also meet the requirement that each serving contains at least 7.5 grams of carbohydrates or carbohydrates account for more than 50% of all macro nutrients, and can supply certain energy and nutrients; The food categories suitable for GI identification include 8 categories of prepackaged foods, such as cereal products, bean products, fruit products, vegetable products, nuts and seeds, milk and dairy products, beverages and others. Among them, foods with GI value greater than 0 and less than (or equal to) 55 belong to low GI foods; GI value greater than 55 and less than (or equal to) 70 belongs to medium GI food; Those greater than 70 belong to high GI food.
"Low GI foods mainly regulate foods that are rich in carbohydrates or have a greater impact on postprandial blood sugar, such as staple foods, fruits, drinks, etc." Ge Sheng, director of the Clinical Nutrition Department of Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, reminded us that in addition to choosing low GI food and controlling blood sugar by complex diet method, we should not forget the reasonable collocation of the overall diet.
Liu Liegang, deputy dean of the School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, said that the league logo was formulated on the basis of fully referring to relevant international standards, combining the particularity of prepackaged foods’s rich variety and China’s laws and regulations, which is more suitable for China’s situation.
The weight of the elderly should not be too low.
There is an old saying among the people that "it is hard to buy a thousand dollars and get old and thin". Is it true that the thinner the better for the elderly, especially the very old?
During the 14th Asian Nutrition Conference, many experts interpreted the "Guidelines on the Suitable Range of Body Mass Index and Weight Management for the Elderly in China" (referred to as "Guidelines") recently issued by the Nutrition Society of China.
Mao Chen, one of the main drafters of the guide and vice president of the School of Public Health of Southern Medical University, said that the guide can be used for staff of medical and health institutions at all levels and medical and nursing service institutions to carry out the evaluation of the body mass index level and weight management of the elderly.
"For 60— For 79-year-old people, we suggest following the recommended range of body mass index (BMI, that is, weight divided by the square of height) of ordinary adults in China, that is, 18.5 kg/m 2 to 23.9 kg/m 2; For the elderly aged 80 and above, the recommended BMI in the guide ranges from 22.0 kg/m 2 to 26.9 kg/m 2. " Shi Xiaoming, one of the main drafters of the guide and deputy director of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, stressed that the body mass index is an important indicator globally recognized to reflect the health situation. The body mass index of ordinary adults is not suitable for the elderly, and the weight of the elderly should not be too low. The traditional view that "it is difficult to buy old people with thousands of dollars" is wrong.
Why is the suitable range of BMI for the elderly higher than that for ordinary adults?
Shi Xiaoming explained that there are three main reasons: in terms of health impact, research on local people found that BMI of the elderly is inversely related to the risk of physical function damage and death, that is, the higher the BMI level, the lower the risk of physical function damage and death of the elderly; In terms of measurement, the evidence based on the multi-center cohort study of the elderly shows that compared with the height of the young, the height of the elderly decreases with age, and the average decline range of the height of the elderly in all age groups can reach 4.3— 9.8 cm, if the weight is unchanged, the BMI of the elderly will increase correspondingly due to the decrease of height, and the range can reach 1.2— 2.4 kg/㎡； In addition, the absorption capacity of the elderly is reduced, and it is often accompanied by a variety of chronic wasting diseases. High BMI may reflect the nutritional reserve of the elderly and can avoid or delay the occurrence of malnutrition caused by the deterioration of health status. At the same time, if a fall occurs, fat can play a buffering role and reduce the risk of disability of the elderly.
"China is facing an aging and aging population. The degeneration of the body of the elderly aged 80 and over leads to the prevalence of low weight, which increases the incidence and death risk of various chronic diseases in the elderly." Shi Xiaoming introduced that the formulation of the appropriate BMI range and weight management standards for the elderly not only fills the gap in the body mass index standards for the elderly, but also provides scientific support for the construction of the health service system for the elderly in China.
"It is difficult for the elderly to reach the appropriate range of adult BMI at present, so it is necessary to adopt individualized weight management strategies for this group of people." Zhao Wenhua, chief expert of nutrition in China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, introduced that the guide gives corresponding weight management suggestions: for the elderly with a suitable BMI, it is appropriate to maintain the current weight level and avoid further weight loss; For the elderly whose BMI is below the appropriate range, measures should be taken to avoid further weight loss and increase their weight appropriately; For the elderly whose BMI is higher than the appropriate range, it is advisable to maintain a stable weight level and avoid further weight gain or loss.
The Guide suggests that for the elderly who can eat independently and have a suitable BMI, they should encourage healthy eating habits, adhere to food diversity and reduce unnecessary food restrictions; It is advisable to eat food with soft texture, easy swallowing, high nutrient density and suitable energy.
Zhao Wenhua stressed that health management and family care should be strengthened for the elderly, so that they can take part in regular physical examinations and establish health records. He suggested paying close attention to the changes of their height and weight. The elderly should measure their height at least once a year and their weight at least twice a month. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain regular physical activities, reduce the time of sitting, and advocate the elderly to actively integrate into society and participate in various cultural and leisure activities.
interlinkage
The Asian Nutrition Congress, sponsored by the Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies, is held every four years to encourage professional academic exchanges between researchers and research institutions in the fields of nutrition and food in Asian countries and around the world. It has become an important platform to share the latest research progress in the field of nutrition, display the latest scientific research achievements in the field of nutrition science and public health, and promote the all-round development of nutrition.
China Nutrition Society joined the Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies in 1985. Since the 14th Asian Nutrition Congress, China has officially become the chairman of the Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies (2023— 2027).
关于作者