The Indian Council for Medical Research – National Institute of Nutrition dietary guidelines for Indians 2024 just dropped. This is a revised edition from 2011.

Lots of good things, but unfortunately a lot of nutritional myths have found place in this national guideline. Whoever made this, please review and expert nutritionists, please comment.

This is the link to the full 148 page report: https://nin.res.in/dietaryguidelines2024.html

THE GOOD

✅Inclusive diet – preference towards plant based diet, but rational inclusion of animal-based protein including lean red meat. Animal protein 70g per day or approximately 500g per week (two divided portions)

✅Plenty of reference towards including milk in daily diet – from children to adults, to special adult groups

✅No nonsense Ayurvedic diet or Ayurvedic traditional supplements or such in normal adults or special groups such as pregnant women

✅No special Ayurvedic supplements (such as Lactare, fenugreek etc.) for lactating women

✅Avoiding “branded” weaning/complementary foods [no cerelac, nan-pro etc.] and many recipes including those featuring egg and fish for infants after 6 months age

✅NO honey for infants

✅Seed oils ARE OK in daily diet

✅Limiting saturated fats – like ghee, palm oil and coconut oil in diet! [See figure 7.2] – contrary to traditional belief, ghee is not “healthy fat” and so is not coconut oil.

✅No special guidelines on drinking positions. You do not have to drink water in sitting position. Standing is also ok.

✅Steps to correct certain deficiencies in a vegetarian only diet and steps to improve protein intake in vegan diet

✅Advise to limit (but not avoid) processed foods! And swap processed foods with healthier options when possible.

✅Yoga is considered “physical activity” and not “physical exercise” and not “aerobic.” This is perfectly accurate!

✅Pink salt and black salt are NOT superior.

✅There is NO healthy sugar. Refined sugar, jaggery, honey are all sugars, none superior to the other.

THE BAD

Drinking 8 glasses of water a day for normal adult – not based on scientific evidence and is wrong

Putting Yoga everywhere in physical activity guidelines as it is some big deal. It is not.

Demonizing protein supplements – and wrongly linking branched-chain amino acids to risk of non-communicable diseases (they dont, in fact its just the opposite, they are good for metabolic health).

Avoiding “excessive” coffee (without defining it) and preferring tea because coffee causes increased blood pressure, heart rate abnormalities and that coffee causes increase in bad cholesterol and heart disease – this is all wrong!

No mention of AVOIDING alcohol, instead only describing how bad alcohol is.

Long term use of non-calorie sugar substitutes and risk of overweight/obesity, diabetes and hypertension is NOT WELL REFERENCED. This is a myth.

Reading FSSAI labels for proper guidance. I do not think so. Nope.