EFSA Establishes Dietary Reference Values for Key Nutrients

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The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published its final draft of dietary reference values (DRVs) for carbohydrates, dietary fiber, fats, and water. EFSA came to its final opinions on various nutrients after having met with nutrition experts from European Union member states, following two years of submitted opinions on nutrients. EFSA...s Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies, crafted the final opinions which include the following determinations:

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published its final draft of dietary reference values (DRVs) for carbohydrates, dietary fiber, fats, and water. EFSA came to its final opinions on various nutrients after having met with nutrition experts from European Union member states, following two years of submitted opinions on nutrients.

EFSA...s Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies, crafted the final opinions which include the following determinations:

Carbohydrates should account for 45 to 60% of total energy intake in adults and children.

Dietary fiber can provide adults with normal bowel function at 25 grams, daily. Additional evidence suggests that higher consumption of dietary fiber may result in greater benefits.

Fats should account for 20 to 35% of total energy intake, but levels are dependent upon unique needs of demographic groups such as infants and young children.

Adequate water intake levels are 2 liters for women and 2.5 liters for men.

One nutrient that lacked conclusive evidence for a final opinion was sugar. Even though higher sugar intake has been linked to weight gain and greater risk of tooth decay, EFSA...s panel found a lack of sufficient evidence to set upper limits on sugars. Possible health effects, the panel said, 'are mainly related to patterns of food consumption"rather than a relation to the total intake of sugars itself.'

For more information on the scope of EFSA...s findings, click here.

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