On July 6 and 7, the Nutrition Forum, where Mexican and international specialists will meet to address the latest nutrition data globally. Among the topics that will be addressed is digestive health and its impact on Mexicans, the diet of the future, and trends in sustainable nutrition. The best thing about this forum is that in addition to being academic, it will be open and available to the general public virtually.
In an interview, Dr. Nimbe Torres y Torres, president of the Danone Institute of Mexico, explains that this program is an open invitation for the community in general and highlights that there will be a part dedicated to the culinary nutrition, that is, “how to ground all that knowledge that was acquired in the academic modules and take it to the kitchen. How is a diet rich in calcium, in fiber, all this is very valuable for the general public”.
He said that these forums are very important because experts from all over the world attend, “they often bring up topics that perhaps in Mexico are not yet touched upon and it is important that the Mexican public have a true and updated version of knowledge in nutrition ”. Thus he endorsed the invitation.
digestive health
The specialist shares that Mexico currently has serious problems of obesityThis is due to many factors, but one of the most important is not eating healthy foods. He said that it is very important that people return to the awareness that their diet must be adequate and this definitely does not imply a greater expense.
“Today we have studies that show that healthy foods are more accessible, an apple versus a fry has a significant impact on the microbiota, so we must return to the concept of digestive health.”
Digestive health refers to the well-being that includes the entire digestive system, when we have a good digestion of food and intestinal transit is optimal, there is a microbiota adequate, that leads us to adequate defenses and we enjoy good health of the apparatus.
How do we know if we are protecting it? Dr. Torres y Torres explains that we have approximately 1,000 bacterial species in our intestine, these have genes in their DNA that will encode enzymes that are responsible for breaking into smaller pieces everything we eat. The process of digesting is done by bacteria, hence the importance of feeding our intestinal microbiota correctly.
When we have symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, reflux, inflammation, this is already warning us that our health is not adequate and that we have to be aware of our food consumption. “That is why this type of forum is very important, to find out what is good for us.”
He adds that for example, one of the great problems in Mexico is the high consumption of sugar, the Mexican population consumes approximately 38 kilos a year, this is one of the highest consumption in the world. The Mexican population also does not have adequate levels of calcium that come from dairy products, among other deficiencies and abuses that have led to diseases such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes.
The food of the future
Torres y Torres shares that the world is becoming more aware and more institutions are concerned about this concept. “Today research is being done on these foods to send a clear message to the Mexican population.”
But what are we talking about when we say food of the future? In short, the future that arises in food is that it be sustainable, healthy and accessible. This means returning, for example, to the consumption of proteins of vegetable origin, since they trap nitrogen (which produces greenhouse gases), this makes it more sustainable, we must also bet on the reduction of meat consumption, without eliminating it but Cattle are one of the animals that produce the most GHG.
Paradoxically, the diet of the future also implies going back to the traditional diet, since it is varied and has been studied to have ten times more antioxidant activity than current diets.
We are referring to foods such as nopal, which has been studied for its polyphenols, compounds that are very useful to the bacteria in our microbiota and will cause them to increase; beans are rich in soluble fibers and resistant starches that also specifically increase bacteria; Mexican honeys, which unlike table sugar, have almost no sucrose, the culprit of low-grade inflammation, have polyphenols and flavonoids with an important effect; Another superfood is the Chia seed, rich in linolenic acid, a precursor of longer-chain fatty acids that are used for proper brain function; pumpkin seed, rich in oleic acid.
It is also added to drink water, eat legumes, fruits, vegetables, because all this has a very important effect on the gut microbiota. The specialist adds that we have the advantage of living in a country with a wide variety of products throughout the year, to be able to consume according to the seasons and without becoming sophisticated with trendy diets.
What is the microbiota?
In our intestines we can find a whole microscopic world full of life, made up of a community of bacteria that perform specific functions for the benefit of our health.
The intestinal microbiota is made up of at least 1,000 different bacteria, weighs almost two kilos and comprises 3.3 million genes, 150 more than the human genome.
Experts have called the intestinal microbiota a new organ since its functions are strictly necessary to maintain the health of the digestive system.
To register for the event you can consult the following link: https://www.
