For A Balanced Diet

Nutritionists say that Indians need to rotate cooking oils, and return to traditional diet

- Namita Kohli

The diet of an urban In-dian—high on salt, sugar and refined carbohydrates, and low on fruits and vegetables—is a nutritionist's pet peeve. Most doctors and nutrition experts agree that unlike the west, saturated fat is not a cause of concern for Indians. What needs to be addressed are other shifts in dietary patterns. “Though data shows that our fat intake has been increasing since the 1970s, it is not alarmingly high,” says Dr Hemalatha R., director of ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.

Instead, research points to the imbalance between polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega3) and (omega 6), particularly, the ratio in which these must be consumed. “Ideally, we should be having the omega 3 and omega 6 in a ratio of 1:5. Instead, there is an increased consumption of oils rich in omega 6, and low or no intake of oils with omega 3,” says Hemalatha.