World Food Day was celebrated on 16 October and the international theme of this year could not be more adjusted to the current times, with an urgent and fundamental message: “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together."

To grow in a healthy and conscious way, to nourish in an adequate and equal way, to sustain in order to guarantee to the populations of the whole world access to nutritious and safe foods. And all of this is only possible if we embrace this mission together, a mission that needs to be fulfilled in a concerted and integrated action in response to the current pandemic. In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic opens the window of opportunity for the implementation of “innovative solutions based on scientific evidence so that they can rebuild and improve food systems, making them more resistant to shocks”.

And it is about scientific evidence that we speak of on this World Food Day, because the most correct choices are those that excel in the rigor of Science. And aware that scientific knowledge is the antidote to misinformation, the FMUL Nutrition Laboratory has just published some of the main myths and facts about food in an e-book entitled "Demystifying through Science".

Each chapter is dedicated to a topic, proving facts that result from several research works conducted to date.

Body fat, paediatric vegetarianism, organic food and the obesity pandemic, which coexists with Covid-19, are some of the topics included in a work that is fruit of the collaboration of several authors.

 

“Demystifying through Science” explains to readers why it is not “possible to advise the consumption of organic foods as a way to obtain health gains”, as well as the “healthy, safe and convenient” use of the microwave “to heat or cook food in appropriate containers”; clarifying further that breakfast "is positively associated with all health domains (physical, mental and social) for the general population, regardless of the stage of the life cycle where individuals are"; that “the consumption of meat should be recommended in adequate quantities, reinforcing its importance as an integral part of a balanced diet”; "The consumption of up to one egg a day is safe and does not represent an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease"; “Coconut oil is not at all a good option for the general population”, and may even “be harmful in terms of health”.

Furthermore, the idea that “carbohydrates are bad” is deconstructed, given that “exposure to diets low in HC (carbohydrates) is associated with a decreased supply of glucose to the liver, muscles and brain” and “lactose-free products do not have different nutritional effects on the human body when compared to common dairy products”.

 

Gluten-free diet, which “has somehow been presented as a healthier nutritional approach, in which gluten is mistakenly identified as a potentially harmful component in human nutrition”, is also analysed in detail in the digital book of the Nutrition Laboratory. What is considered “the only effective treatment for celiac disease” has no scientific evidence to support the existence of benefits in individuals without any symptoms associated with gluten consumption.

And because disinformation tends to hide the truth, in the e-book "Demystifying through Science" the myths related to "interactions between food, obesity and COVID-19" are also addressed, with a view to promoting "more literacy at this level and more health in the population”.

 

The book explains that “cumulative evidence suggests that obese individuals (i.e. with excessive accumulation of adipose tissue) have an increased risk of severe symptoms/disease associated with COVID-19, hospitalization and mortality”. And if it is a fact that “weight losses of only 5 to 10% already lead to substantial improvements in terms of the metabolic health of individuals”, it is equally evident that the containment measures resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic “inevitably imposed changes in the lifestyle of individuals, particularly with regard to food intake/behaviour and physical activity patterns”. This is a potentially compromising reality in the management of obesity, which is a “chronic, complex and recurrent disease and, as such, requires continued treatment and long-term sustained behavioural changes”.

 

So far, “there is no evidence that food, cooked or raw, is a vehicle for the transmission of the new coronavirus”, and it appears that “there is also a consensus that no specific food or dietary pattern can prevent or treat the SARS CoV-2 infection”.

However, “the role that an adequate nutritional status can play in optimizing the immune system, in reducing inflammatory processes and in metabolic control, cannot be overlooked. In this sense, the promotion of a healthy and safe diet is essential”. In addition, "combating misinformation in this area and promoting healthy eating in the population, is the right way to go".

 

“World Food Day calls for global solidarity to help all populations, especially the most vulnerable, to recover from the crisis and make food systems more resilient and robust so that they can withstand increasing volatility and climate shocks, provide affordable and healthy diets that are  sustainable for all and decent livelihoods for workers in the food industry”. Learn more about the World Food Day message here.

It is never too much to emphasize the importance of making healthy choices, so take care of your diet and keep your body and mind healthy through a balanced diet. Access the Nutrition Laboratory e-book here and feed on Science, not myths.

 

Also within the scope of World Food Day, we started the second phase of the campaign “Help this cause - COVID-19”, a partnership between Kiddy Cook Portugal and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, which joined forces in a fundraising campaign for the National Health Service.

The balance of the first phase was very positive, since in just over a month the project for the family cookbook gathered €136 in donations in favour of the NHS.

On 16 October, we started the second phase of the campaign with the launch of the Quarantine Recipe Book, which gathers the recipes sent by all those who wanted to help in this campaign. We hope that the result will be inspiring and will act as an invitation to venture into the kitchen with young and old!

To receive this recipe book made with great care by our community, just make a donation from €4 and you will receive in your email a digital version of the book and a version in PDF format to be able to print your favourite recipes.

Kiddy Cook Portugal and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon are together in this mission to collect funds for the NHS, through the FMUL Affiliated Hospitals Network, as a way of thanking their professionals for the work done by all during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Join us on this mission! And remember that a healthier life is always a happier life.

 

Sofia Tavares
Editorial Team