A visiting dietician from Kaoshiung University hospital inTaiwan dr Meng-Chuang Huang has warned Solomon Islanders against too much intake of coconut cream.
She said coconut oil contains a lot of saturated fat one of the dietary risk factors for Cardio-vascular diseases.Dr Huang said although coconut oil is very popular in the islands, people should use it sparely.
She encouraged people to eat more nuts to replace some of the fats in their diet.
Dr Huang said there is a rich supply of nuts in the country which have mono unsaturated fatty acids which are very good for the heart and are effective in lowering blood cholesterol.
Dr Huang encouraged people to eat more fish, but warned against fried fish.
She however said she was impressed by the many variety of fruits and vegetables sold at the Honiara central market, which she urged women and children to eat more.
Dr Huang was among a team of health experts from Taiwan who were involved in a training of local nurses and health workers on the prevention and management of diabetes, hypertension and gout.
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