«Let's learn to read nutritional labels
Carbohydrates or carbohydrates
On the nutritional labels it is mandatory to specify the carbohydrate and sugar content per 100 grams of food. More rarely, the percentage or content in grams of starches (complex carbohydrates) is also reported.
Carbohydrates mainly have an energy function, that is, they represent our daily fuel. However, if they are consumed in excess, once the energy reserves are saturated, they are converted into fat.
The recommended carbohydrate intake is around 50-55% of the total daily energy provided by the diet. The consumption of simple sugars, on the other hand, should not exceed 10-12%.
To learn more about the topic: Glycemic index
Fats or Lipids
Nutritional labels always indicate the fat content per 100 grams of food. More rarely, the percentage or content in grams of unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, trans fatty acids and cholesterol is specified.
From 13/12/2014, if the manufacturer decides to include the nutritional table on the label, it is mandatory that it specifies the quantity of saturated fatty acids contained in the product. The indication of the content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, on the other hand, remains optional.
From 13/12/2016 the presence of the nutritional table will no longer be optional but mandatory, with rare exceptions.
Fats have mainly an energetic function but also intervene in hormonal regulation and in body isolation.
The recommended fat intake is around 25-30% of the total energy.
Fats can be divided into:
- saturated: they are the most dangerous fats for our health; although they are necessary for our body it is good to consume them in moderation (no more than 10% of the total daily energy). They are mainly present in foods of animal origin.
- Unsaturated: present in foods of plant origin, they can be consumed with some freedom.
- Essential polyunsaturated: present mainly in fish from the Northern seas and in vegetable oils, they are particularly healthy, as they protect our body from cardiovascular diseases. For this reason it is good practice to replace meat with fish at least two or three times a week.
- Trans: very dangerous for our health, they are rarely present in nature, but they can be obtained in the laboratory to improve the organoleptic and conservation characteristics of a food. It is good to limit their consumption as much as possible.
Beware of deceptions! A food's low cholesterol content is often misleadingly advertised. According to the astute producer, the absence of cholesterol would be enough to make the food healthy.
In fact, it is always necessary to make sure that the food is at the same time free of trans fatty acids and low in saturated fat.
If the words "margarine" or "vegetable fats" appear in the "list of ingredients", with or without the expression "totally or partially hydrogenated", perhaps it would be good to put the food back on the shelf.
Replacing fats of animal origin, rich in cholesterol, with hydrogenated vegetable fats, certainly does not improve the situation, on the contrary, in some respects, it makes it worse. See: Butter or margarine?
Dietary fiber
Dietary fiber is given by residues of edible plant cells, resistant to human digestive enzymes. Dietary fiber is divided into two major classes: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.
- SOLUBLE FIBER interferes with the absorption of some macronutrients (carbohydrates and lipids), reducing blood cholesterol levels and decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- INSOLUBLE FIBER increases the transit speed in the intestinal lumen and, consequently, decreases the absorption of nutrients.
To deepen the topic: Importance of dietary fiber in a balanced diet.
Recommended daily allowance: about 20-35 g per day (with a 3/1 ratio between insoluble and water-soluble fibers); for the child 5 g per day plus 1 g multiplied by age.
Sodium
Although sodium is an important nutrient it is good not to overdo it, especially in case of hypertension.
Sodium is one of the two elements that make up table salt and it is for this reason that we always consume excessive quantities in our diet.
In healthy adult subjects the recommended intake level is between 575 and 3500 mg / day, equal to approximately 1.5-8 grams of salt.
The salt content - as well as that of fats, saturated fats, carbohydrates, sugars and proteins - must be indicated on the label.
The equivalent salt content is calculated using the formula: salt (g) = sodium (g) × 2.5, and vice versa. The legislator has specified that it is appropriate for the label to bear the word 'salt' instead of the corresponding term of the nutrient 'sodium'.
A statement indicating that the salt content is exclusively due to the sodium naturally present in the product may appear, where appropriate, immediately next to the nutrition declaration.
Vitamins and mineral salts
Vitamins and minerals can only be reported on the nutritional label if they are present in significant quantities.
In addition to the absolute content, which can be expressed in milligrams (mg) or micrograms (µg), the percentage reference to the recommended daily allowance (RDA) must always be indicated.
This scale of values, developed by the Food and Drug Administration (US government agency for the control of foods, medicaments, cosmetics and the like), provides the consumer with an "indication of the daily requirement of the various nutrients and the contribution of the food to its coverage.
As a rule, the following values should be considered when deciding what constitutes a significant amount:
- 15% of the reference nutritional values specified in the table per 100 g or 100 ml in the case of products other than beverages
- 7.5% of the nutrient reference values specified in the table per 100 ml in the case of beverages, or
- 15% of the nutritional reference values specified in the table per portion if the package contains only one portion.
