Press. Voanews.
Adults and children
should consume a maximum of 10 percent of their daily calories in the form of
saturated fat such as meat and butter and one percent from trans fats to reduce
the risk of heart disease, the World Health Organization said Friday. The draft
recommendations, the first since 2002, are aimed at reducing non-communicable
diseases, led by cardiovascular diseases, blamed for 72 percent of the 54.7
million estimated deaths worldwide every year, many before the age of 70.
"Dietary
saturated fatty acids and trans-fatty acids are of particular concern because
high levels of intake are correlated with increased risk of cardiovascular
diseases," Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of WHO's Department of Nutrition
for Health and Development, told reporters.
The dietary recommendations
are based on scientific evidence developed in the last 15 years, he added. The United
Nations agency has invited public comments until June 1 on the recommendations,
which it expects to finalize by year-end. Saturated fat is
found in foods from animal sources such as butter, cow's milk, meat, salmon and
egg yolks, and in some plant-derived products such as chocolate, cocoa butter,
coconut, palm and palm kernel oils.
An active adult
needs about 2,500 calories per day, Branca said.
"So we are
talking about 250 calories coming from saturated fat and that is approximately
a bit less than 30 grams of saturated fat," he said. That amount of
fat could be found in 50 grams (1.76 oz) of butter, 130-150 grams of cheese
with 30 percent fat, a liter of full fat milk, or 50 grams of palm oil, he
said.
Trans fats
Trans fats occur
naturally in meat and dairy products. But the predominant source is
industrially-produced and contained in baked and fried foods such as fries and
doughnuts, snacks, and partially hydrogenated cooking oils and fats often used
by restaurants and street vendors. In explicit new
advice, WHO said that excessive amounts of saturated fat and trans fat should
be replaced by polyunsaturated fats, such as fish, canola and olive oils.
"Reduced
intake of saturated fatty acids have been associated with a significant
reduction in risk of coronary heart disease when replaced with polyunsaturated
fatty acids or carbohydrates from whole grains," it said. Total fat
consumption should not exceed 30 percent of total energy intake to avoid
unhealthy weight gain, it added. The
recommendations complement other WHO guidelines including limiting intake of
free sugars and sodium.
Reuters