Christian Rémésy: “need to reduce empty calories”
“What will we eat tomorrow? A huge question answered by Christian Rémésy in his last book.
The Director of research at INRA is also will discuss the various problems in the food chain. This is a opportunity for the nutritionist to expose to Healthlift his vision of the food industry and food in general. Interview.
You say in your book that “nutritional environment was upset in the last 50 years. Why and how has it changed?
The nutritional environment was upset in order to apply the logic of industrial production. The world is urbanized, the food industry has developed. And this industry has imposed on food a drastic treatment. Natural foods have become processed foods.
Today, all our knowledge in the field of nutrition could enable us to optimize food production.
The food industry poisons consumers?
We cannot say in this way but industrial production was not designed to be adapted to the needs of man. We cannot speak of poisoning in the proper sense but, in contrast, one can speak of a “energy poisoning”. From foods, the food industry extracts of fat, sugar, refined flour. All this by isolating the energy part of the Izvor, e.g. of fibres and micronutrients.
This is very worrying because we know what this causes on the organization. Found in the United States, countries where food transformations are very important, epidemics of obesity and metabolic diseases such as diabetes. Already well known the damaging effects of such food.
The food industry simply had a desire to produce. But obviously it does not arose many questions on the consequences long term of the tender which it offered consumers. And without a clear framing of the public authorities, it happened what had to happen…
It is ultimately the entire food chain which must be reformed. Should require that foods have a sufficient nutritional density. For example, a loaf of bread should be made with flour type 80. In a grain of wheat, minerals and other vitamins are in the envelope of the grain. By removing it, you keep finally only a quarter of vitamins and minerals originally present. Thus, a flour type 55 contains 0.55 grams of minerals for 100 grams while the integral flour (type 180) contains 1.80 grams per 100 grams. In white flour, there is little magnesium, little fiber, low B vitamins… substances yet present in the original grain. Legislators should have and able to directly require that the bread is made from flour type 80.
Can we have products taste good and good for health?
You know, the taste of the products is increasingly manipulated. To take the example bread, white bread has been systematically valued while it has no monopoly of good taste, far from it, since we find excellent breads bis or complete.
In addition, the food industry manipulates taste with aromas. But however cannot be against taste and health. Today, one can find healthy products that have taste.
What were the advantages and disadvantages of diets in 1950? And those for the present day?
The past was not so great as this. At the time, he had not a good variety of food. And diversity, it is the true progress of today.
Previously, the notions of dietetics were rudimentary, could not progress in this area. But I would like to point out that we could have done better, especially if we had a clear vision of the needs of man. It should do everything possible to preserve the complexity of food and their micronutrient content.
What are the basics of a good PSU?
For the good basics, take each class of foods one after the other.
For carbs, I advise to consume complex plant products (dried vegetables, breads complete…). Absolutely avoid purified sugars. These sugars are found in soft drinks, starch, clarified fruit juice…
For proteins: they should be half animal and half vegetable. A little meat (I think that should be avoided the excesses of animal protein), bread and dried vegetables, all this is very natural.
Finally, for fat, I have several recommendations to make. It be absolutely balanced fatty acids. The mixture of oil of olive and rapeseed oil seems essential to me.
We must also reduce the empty calories, i.e. reduce foods that contain that energy and few factors of protection for the body. This is the case for example of biscuits, industrial pizzas…
Vitamin C in fruit juice has the same effect on the body than that of fruit and vegetables?
Not at all! Most of the time, in a natural fruit, are polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamin E… While with fruit juice, there is less antioxidants, vitamin C finds himself isolated and is therefore less effective. I believe finally that it is best to keep the complexity of a food.
One speaks more in addition to the polyphenols. What could they be used in the near future?
Polyphenols are present in all foods, not plant products without polyphenol. Fruits and vegetables are very rich, wine and cider also… In grains, the concentration of polyphenols is lower. These micronutrients have a great antioxidant power. However, little is known about yet the physiological effects of polyphenols.
What do you think of products enriched in phytosterols (cholesterol close plant compounds family), omega-3?
There are margarine enriched with phytosterols. It is argued that it would be effective against cholesterol and prevention of cardiovascular disease, which is the last straw! In this case, isolated an element to highlight a selling point. But this argument is very reductive.
Finally, there’s not much to expect these new fortified products. Dairy 0% fat is 0% with sugar and more! There again, we add empty calories. Dairy products are naturally fat which are vectors of fat-soluble vitamins and which should therefore retain in part as such.
For omega-3-enriched products, I find we forget quickly that these fatty acids found in fatty fish, walnuts, etc. All of a sudden it starts to mention omega-3s, only omega-3. This is still a very reductionist view of nutrition. In my opinion, better to have a diversified natural products diet instead of buying this kind of fortified products.
How to make aware people that they should change their habits?
It should already change supermarkets. They should contain less processed products, 50% of the products should be from the countryside or the sea. The multitude of processed products should be limited.
We buy good products to prepare good meals. Many processed products are not of sufficient quality, the food industry should be able to provide consumers with much better food. Must and can find a good balance between natural products and products processed base. But many things need to be rethought, whether at the level of farming, food transformations or supermarkets. Of local markets should emerge.
Many scientists point the finger products refined… Why aren’t more challenged by the general public?
It is one of the big problems. The public should understand the concept of empty calories (as defined by Christian Rémésy in his book: ‘this term means that a food or ingredient brings energy with a very low accompaniment in non-energy compounds such as fibre, minerals, and micronutrients’.) The classics include “products snacks, chocolate bars, alcohol”, Editor’s note). This excess energy becomes dangerous for the organism. Intakes of micronutrients, minerals and vitamins are essential. The public should be able to select products with the micronutrient content was the best preserved.All too purified and too refined products should be abandoned in favor of more natural products: prefer a white bread buns, Virgin oils colored clear deodorized oils, cloudy fruit juices (or better the full fruit) to the limpid fruit juice. There’s a job to do on everyday products. Again for other examples: pasta should contain more dietary fiber, rice should at least be semi-fixed.
The public must now comply with these basic principles. A food, this isn’t anything. For its part, the farmer must be able to work in good conditions. And, yet again, foods should not be distorted.
The title of your book (what will we eat tomorrow?) question. Can you answer this?
Everything depends on what we are going to guide us. Currently, we are not going in the right direction, certainly…But in the future, should that power be richer in fruits and vegetables but also starchy base (rice, bread…). It is finally an old recipe as the world! It is far from all pills that you would want us to swallow in the best of the futuristic worlds. It would be desirable also that power is more balanced in essential fatty acids. I especially hope you will adopt Foods abundant and light, wellbalanced diet and at the same time pleasant dining and effective in the maintenance of health. All of this, it is finally back to basics with modern techniques.
And if it does not go in the right direction?
If this does not happen? Consumers will be like cats conditioned to eat their Kibbles, whereas before, our cats knew enjoy and complete the dishes of their masters. The men will be completely dependent on processed products and have even lost the taste of natural foods… Consumers will be passive. In short, it will be just about anything. The most resistant will hold the shot, but for others, this is not ideal…However, I do not think will be such an extreme situation.
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