The insights and advice on what is healthy and what is not, is regularly adapted. But there are a number of tips for healthy food that the experts reasonably agree on. These tips and insights are assessed and described by the Health Council and translated into guidelines for healthy nutrition.
Eat more Eggs
According to the study, no link is seen between the consumption of eggs and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. It is assumed that eating 7 or more eggs per week and a high intake of cholesterol (400 milligrams per day) are associated with a higher risk of diabetes. The advice is to use cholesterol-rich products only on average.
Replace butter with vegetable oils
According to the Health Council, it has been sufficiently demonstrated that foods rich in cis-unsaturated fatty acids, such as soft margarines or vegetable oils, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to foods rich in saturated fatty acids, such as butter and hard margarines.
Drink three cups of tea daily
According to the Health Council, it is convincingly proven that the consumption of tea lowers the blood pressure and it is plausible that the consumption of black and green tea lowers the risk of diabetes. Herbal tea is not covered by this advice.
Replace unfiltered with filtered coffee
Coffee is allowed, but it depends on how it is used. Filter coffee and coffee from coffee pods fall into the category of filtered coffee, just like instant coffee and vending coffee based on liquid coffee concentrate. Unfiltered coffee is used for cooking coffee, cafetière, Greek coffee and Turkish coffee. Espresso and coffee from coffee machines in which the coffee is freshly brewed can fall into both the unfiltered and filtered coffee category, depending on the type of coffee and the way it is brewed. With filter coffee, the substance remains cafestol, which increases the bad cholesterol (LDL) behind in the paper filter.
Drink as few sugary drinks as possible
Sugar-containing beverages include both drinks with added sugar and fruit juice, because the sugar content in these drinks is comparable. Further included are: fruit drink, fruit nectar, soft drinks, iced tea, vitamin water and sports drinks to which sugar is added. Consumption of one or two glasses of sugary drinks leads to an increased risk of diabetes.
Do not drink alcohol or at least not more than one glass a day
In the previous guidelines, the advice was to limit the intake of alcohol to one glass (women) or two glasses (men). That advice has now been adjusted downwards. According to the report, moderate alcohol consumption (up to 15 grams per day) is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and dementia, but a higher risk of breast cancer. Moderate use of beer in men and spirits in women is associated with a higher risk of diabetes. Moderate use of beer and wine is associated with a lower risk of lung cancer.
According to the Health Council, the use of dietary supplements is healthy but not necessary, except for people who belong to a specific group for which special advice applies. That advice is for example for women of 50 plus and men of 70 plus, for vitamin D. Women who want to become pregnant are advised to take folic acid.