WHO: healthy diet to prevent chronic diseases and caries

Authors:

ABSTRACT

Aim

For some years now, the WHO has recommended less than 10% of energy intake from free sugars. The same document
also stresses the need to bring this limit below 5% as soon as possible. These guidelines have been promoted with the aim of reducing
the prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and metabolic syndrome. At
the same time, the reduction of free sugars in the diet can be part of a strategy to reduce the prevalence of caries, which is known to be
an infectious and transmissible multifactorial disease known to be “triggered” by wrong dietary habits. For this reason, paediatricians
and paediatric dentists should combine their efforts to promote good eating habits from an early age and perhaps even earlier! In fact,
we should teach future mothers and their children to prefer slowly absorbed sugars and drastically reduce the intake of free sugars with
the diet. As soon as the child is able to chew, the diet should include fibre-rich foods, and water should be preferred over any sweetened
drink. Raising children with a healthy and balanced diet means investing in his or her long-term general health and offer a dental future
free of caries!

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