Page 99 - FoodFocusThailand No.195 June 2022

SPECIAL REPORT
SPECIAL REPORT

• Vegan diets omit all animal products, including meat, dairy, other starchy tubers) per day. There is large variation in fruit and vegetable
fish, eggs and (usually) honey. intake across Europe. In more than half of the countries in the WHO
• Lacto-vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish, poultry and eggs, European Region, consumption of fruits and vegetables is lower than
but include dairy products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt and 400 g per day, and in one third of the countries (particularly those in
butter. eastern Europe), the average intake is less than 300 g per day.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian diets include eggs and dairy, but not Cardiovascular disease causes more than half of all deaths across
meat or fish. the European Region. Overall, evidence suggests that vegetarian and
• Ovo-vegetarian diets exclude meat, poultry, seafood and vegan diets have a protective effect against coronary heart disease but
dairy products, but allow eggs. increased risk of stroke has been reported in recent analyses. The
• Pesco-vegetarian (or pescatarian) diets include fish, dairy strongest association found so far between diet and cancer risk is for
and eggs, but not meat. bowel cancer (also known as colorectal cancer). Frequent consumption
• Semi-vegetarian (or flexitarian) diets are primarily vegetarian (four or more portions per week) of processed meat and unprocessed
but include meat, dairy, eggs, poultry and fish on occasion, or in
small quantities.
Overall, a diet that is predominantly plant-based and low in
salt, saturated fats and added sugars is recommended as part of
a healthy lifestyle. Such diets are widely associated with a lower
risk of premature mortality and offer protection against Visit us at :
noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). This advice complements Booth No. BN11
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the overall evidence indicating that limiting consumption of red
meat (beef, pork and lamb) and processed meat (such as sausages
and cured, smoked and salted meats) could protect against various
NCDs. Nevertheless, strict plant-based diets, such as vegan diets,
also raise concerns about micronutrient deficiencies (such as iron
and vitamin B12).

NCDs Prevention and Plant-based Diets
NCDs are responsible for 71% of all premature deaths (41 million
deaths a year) globally. Of these, 80% are due to the four most
common NCDs: cardiovascular diseases account for 17.9 million
deaths, followed by cancers (9 million), chronic respiratory
diseases (3.9 million) and diabetes mellitus (1.6 million). Of the
six WHO regions, the European Region has the greatest burden
of NCDs-related morbidity and mortality, at almost 90% of all
deaths. Overweight and obesity are a major NCD risk factor and
affect over 59% of adults and 29% of children in the European
Region. Globally, one in every five deaths in adults is associated
with unhealthy diet for the following reason.
Low fruit and vegetable consumption is linked to poor health
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and increased risk of NCDs. Recent studies have shown that high
fruit and vegetable intake is associated with lower risks of heart
disease and stroke. WHO recommends consuming at least 400
g (five portions) of fruits and vegetables (excluding potatoes and

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