On marketing campaigns and social media posts on the so-called benefits of different types of salts like pink salt and black salt, the guidelines say that irrespective of the variety of salt, their consumption should be limited as the sodium content in all varieties of salts is almost similar.
New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research on Wednesday released the country’s latest dietary guidelines that advise people to get rid of protein supplements, restrict salt use and avoid processed food altogether besides busting popular myths on microwave cooking and different types of salts.
The guidelines, prepared by the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, also ask the consumers to read through the food labels rather than relying solely on cost and brand names before making a purchase decision.
“We have also done away with any recommendations on sugar and suggested home-made recipes as complementary food for children of 6-12 months age. Benefits of home-made complementary foods outweigh commercially prepared foods,” an NIN scientist involved in the exercise to make the new Dietary Guidelines for Indians told DH.
The new document comes four years after the NIN revised the nutritional requirements for Indians in 2020. A similar exercise was carried out more than a decade ago when the nutritional requirement guideline of 2010 was followed by a dietary guideline in 2011.
“The dietary habits of Indians have undergone significant changes over the past few decades, leading to an increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases while some of the problems of under-nutrition continue to persist. These guidelines are relevant to the changing food scenario,” said Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and director general of Indian Council of Medical Research, the parent body of the NIN.
On marketing campaigns and social media posts on the so-called benefits of different types of salts like pink salt and black salt, the guidelines say that irrespective of the variety of salt, their consumption should be limited as the sodium content in all varieties of salts is almost similar.