Advertisement "1 candy is equivalent to 1 plate of vegetables", what do nutrition experts say?

Previously, advertising Kera vegetable candy on livestream, Quang Linh Vlog said "1 pill is equal to 1 bunch of vegetables". Responding, Miss Thuy Tien also said: "Just eating 2-3 pills a day can supplement fiber for a normal person, very convenient"...

According to Kera Vietnam, each Kera vegetable candy contains 2 types of fiber: Inulin fiber and fiber from vegetables and fruits. Accordingly, the Inulin fiber content in KERA vegetable candy is 186mg/tablet. In addition, 100g of KERA vegetable candy contains 0.935% fiber from vegetables and fruits (according to information provided by Asia Life factory - KERA candy factory). Thus, the total fiber content from vegetable powder and Inulin fiber (a type of soluble fiber) in 1 KERA vegetable candy is more than 200mg (0.2g) of fiber.

Miss Thuy Tien advertises Kera vegetable candy product (photo cut from clip).

Regarding the advertisement "1 pill is equal to a bunch of vegetables", according to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam, former Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute of Nutrition, there is no food or diet that can completely replace vegetables. Fiber products only provide temporary supplementation for people who eat little or no vegetables during the period when they need to supplement, such as people with constipation.

Currently, fiber supplements have very low fiber percentages or do not clearly state the fiber percentage in the product. Meanwhile, 100g of fresh green vegetables contain a rich amount of fiber, which varies depending on the type of vegetable. For example, 100g of spinach contains about 2.2g of fiber; 100g of water spinach contains about 2g of fiber; 100g of broccoli contains about 2.6g of fiber; carrots contain about 2.8g of fiber; cabbage contains about 2.5g of fiber; Malabar spinach contains about 2.1g of fiber and amaranth contains about 1.8g of fiber.

"An average plate of boiled water spinach weighing 200-300g will have about 4-6g of fiber. So it is not correct to say that a candy weighing only 3.2g has the same amount of fiber as a plate of vegetables," said Ms. Lam.

Sharing the same view, Associate Professor Nguyen Trong Hung, National Institute of Nutrition (Hanoi) affirmed that a 3.2g candy with 0.016g of fiber cannot have the same amount of fiber as a plate of vegetables. The fiber requirement for children aged 1-3 years is 19g, from 4-18 years is 25-30g or 14g/1000kcal of food intake; a person should eat 400-450g of vegetables per day to get enough fiber.

According to Mr. Hung, eating vegetable candy with enough fiber will cause excess energy leading to weight gain and obesity because the total kcal of a 96g box of candy is about 300kcal, while 100g of vegetables is only 50-70kcal. In addition, the sugar content in a box is 71.7g, while the recommendation of the World Health Organization is 25g of sugar/day. Eating candy with enough fiber causes nutritional imbalance, going against the recommendations of the health sector.

Experts recommend supplementing fiber from fresh vegetables and tubers, because in addition to fiber, they also contain many vitamins that are good for the body. Instructions from the Vietnamese Ministry of Health recommend eating about 300-400 grams of vegetables every day to provide enough vitamins, minerals and fiber for the body.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/quang-cao-1-vien-keo-tuong-duong-1-dia-rau-chuyen-gia-dinh-duong-noi-gi-192250307154806441.htm