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June 2010
The experts developing the next federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans have the nation's obesity epidemic squarely in their crosshairs. Linda V. Van Horn, PhD, RD, LD, of Northwestern University, chair of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, said in presenting the group's recommendations, "The most important issue is that this set of guidelines is addressing an unhealthy American public for the first time. The obesity epidemic is priority number one, and every single thing in this report is focused on addressing that problem up front." The 13-member committee, which includes Tufts' Miriam Nelson, PhD, made its recommendations to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which will issue the final guidelines by year's end.
Despite the call to arms against obesity, the actual intake recommendations contain only a few changes from the last update in 2005:
* Saturated fat limits were reduced from 10% of total daily calories to 7%, with an emphasis on substituting more healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats.
* Trans fat intake has been halved, from 1% to 0.5%.
* Recommended sodium intake was also slashed, from 2,300 milligrams daily to 1,500 milligrams.
* Recommendations for seafood intake call for two four-ounce servings per week to get 250 milligrams daily of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA.
Although guidelines for protein and carbohydrate consumption are little changed, the expert panel called for a shift to a more plant-based diet and a focus on nutrient-rich rather than energy-dense foods.
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June 2010
Eating right could help protect your eyes from cataracts. Researchers who studied 1,808 women, ages 55 to 86, report that a healthy diet — such as that recommended by the federal dietary guidelines and food pyramid — was associated with reduced risk of cataracts. Overall, 41% of the women experienced evidence of cataracts or had a cataract extracted. To compare cataract risk with eating habits, their diets were scored higher for intakes at or above recommended levels of vegetables, fruits, grains, milk, meat (or beans, fish or eggs) and for eating below recommended levels for fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Investigators concluded that healthy diets "are more strongly related to the lower occurrence of nuclear cataracts than any other modifiable risk factor or protective factor studied in this sample of women." Cataracts are the most prevalent cause of visual impairment due to eye disease in the US. — Archives of Ophthalmology…
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May 2010
Can your body really absorb the vitamin D in fortified orange juice, given that the vitamin dissolves in fat (as in fortified milk) but not water? A new study (funded by Coca-Cola, which makes Minute Maid juice) says yes. Researchers recruited more than 100 adults and divided them into six groups receiving various combinations of OJ fortified with 1,000 IU of vitamin D, supplements of vitamin D, and placebo drinks and pills. When blood levels were tested at the start of the study, 64% of participants were deficient in vitamin D. After 11 weeks, all those getting extra vitamin D saw increases in blood levels, and there was no difference between those receiving it in pills or juice. But there's one catch: You can't buy OJ fortified with 1,000 IU of vitamin D, because government regulations limit it to 100 IU per serving. That may change, however, after the federal dietary guidelines are updated later this year. — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
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May 2010
You deserve a break from sodium today. New York City researchers report that a typical fast-food lunch contains as much sodium as many people should consume in an entire day. They studied the receipts for 6,580 lunches bought at 11 different fast-food chains by ordinary consumers, adding up the sodium content. The average was a whopping 1,751 mg. That's nearly as much as the dietary guidelines' 2,300 mg limit for an entire day, and more than the 1,500 mg the government recommends for everyone over age 40, African-Americans and those with hypertension. About 57% of the lunches purchased exceeded the 1,500 mg mark. The chains with the most sodium in a typical lunch were KFC and Popeye's, both emphasizing chicken dishes, with McDonald's actually the lowest. But lunches at the burger giant still averaged a high 1,477 mg. Researchers noted, "Fast food is not only a high-calorie but also a high-sodium food." — Archives of Internal Medicine
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May 2010
Recommendations of the scientific experts reviewing the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be presented at the committee's final meeting next week, and sugary soft drinks and sodium are in the bullseye. The expert committee's report on May 12 will be followed by a public-comment period in June, with the final 2010 guidelines issued later this year. The guidelines are updated every five years to reflect changes in scientific knowledge about nutrition. The committee is said to be targeting sugar-sweetened soft drinks, especially for children, and considering lowering the recommended daily sodium limit from 2,300 mg to 1,500 mg. It's also weighing alternatives to milk for those who are lactose-intolerant, and may recommended soymilk as the next best thing. Other concerns expected to affect the 2010 guidelines include: the obesity epidemic; a focus on reducing added sugar, fats, refined carbohydrates and sodium rather than discretionary calories; helping people get more exercise; and shifting the overall food environment toward a more plant-based diet. — American Society of Nutrition…
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April 2010
You know that sugar can pad your waistline and rot your teeth, but does too much sugar in your diet also contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels? That's the conclusion of the first study of its kind to look at the link between consumption of sugar added to processed foods and measures of blood cholesterol known to raise the risk of heart disease. Researchers examined data on 6,113 participants in a national nutrition survey, dividing them into five groups based on the percentage of total calories from added sugars — which ranged from less than 5% to 25% or more. With higher consumption of added sugar, average levels of the good HDL cholesterol were lower and triglycerides were higher. Compared with the lowest-sugar group, participants with the highest intake of calories from added sugars were more than three times as likely to have unhealthy LDL cholesterol levels. The study wasn't designed to show cause and effect, and it's possible that added sugar intake is actually a marker for larger dietary patterns. But researchers concluded, "Our data support dietary guidelines that target a reduction in consumption of added sugar." — JAMA…
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April 2010
The prestigious Institute of Medicine, which sets recommended nutrient levels for Americans' food, has called on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the amount of sodium added to foods. A new Institute report concluded that public health and education campaigns have failed to reduce US sodium intake — which mostly comes from processed and restaurant foods, rather than salt shakers. So, the report argued, the FDA should lower the level of salt Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) from 2,300 mg daily, a level most American now far exceed. Then, slowly, over time, the FDA should "reduce the sodium content of the food supply in a way that goes unnoticed by most consumers as individuals' taste sensors adjust to the lower levels of sodium." The recommendation comes as 16 major food companies announced they would commit to New York City's salt-reduction initiative, which has now spread to 28 other locales. And the committee revising the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which holds its final meeting May 12, is expected to call for lowering recommended sodium levels.
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October 2009
Men hoping to ward off high blood pressure might want to boost their consumption of whole grains. A new Harvard analysis of data from the long-running Health Professionals Follow-up Study finds that men who ate the most whole grains were 19% less likely to develop hypertension than those eating the least. Researchers looked at a subset of 31,684 healthy men, of whom 9,227 developed high blood pressure over the next 18 years. Those in the top one-fifth of whole-grain intake averaged 52 grams daily, while the lowest group got only 3 grams a day; current dietary guidelines call for at least 85 grams (3 ounces) of whole grains daily for adults. Among individual whole grains, only bran showed an independent association with hypertension, with those eating the most bran at 15% lower risk. The benefit of whole grains against high blood pressure persisted even after adjusting for other healthy lifestyle habits. The findings, researchers concluded, "have implications for future dietary guidelines and for the prevention of hypertension." — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
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September 2009
Are you getting enough daily grains in your diet? Probably not. A new survey says that only 4% of Americans eat the recommended six daily servings of grains. The Harris Interactive poll of 2,106 US adults, commissioned by the Grain Foods Foundation, found average daily grain consumption was 3.2 servings, barely half that recommended by the federal dietary guidelines. Those guidelines also urge Americans to "make half your grains whole"--a goal that previous surveys have likewise found lagging; only 11% of total grain consumption consists of whole grains. The Grain Foods Foundation used the new survey to launch a "Daily 6" campaign to encourage healthy grain consumption. Getting six daily grain servings, the group noted, is "as easy as having cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and a cup of pasta with dinner." The dietary guidelines count as "one serving" a slice of bread, a cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or a half-cup of cooked rice, pasta or cereal.…
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August 2009
Americans are at least trying to eat more vegetables, according to a new survey that found veggies number-one among foods targeted by those seeking a healthier diet. The survey of 1,000 US adults conducted for the International Food Information Council found that 55% are changing what and/or how much they eat in the interest of health. After vegetables, cited by 60% of those seeking healthier foods, the most popular choices were fruits and fruit juices (53%) and whole grains (11%). When asked to rank the top three factors they look for in selecting healthier food for themselves, respondents picked fiber (37%), followed by whole grains (34%) and protein (28%). That focus on protein may be misplaced: A 2008 analysis of national nutrition data found that most Americans get enough protein (about 56 grams/day for adult men, 46 for women), and federal dietary guidelines recommend getting only 17% to 21% of total calories from protein. — IFIC…
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July 2009
Whole grains in general and bran in particular can help you fight high blood pressure, according to new Harvard research. While whole grains have been touted for heart-health benefits, this is the first study to link greater total intake specifically to reduced risk of hypertension. Researchers analyzed data on 31,684 men, ages 40 to 75, participating in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Over 18 years, 9,227 men were diagnosed with high blood pressure. The group with the highest total whole-grain consumption was 19% less likely to develop hypertension than the group eating the least. Looking at total bran intake, the highest bran-eaters were at 15% lower risk than those with the lowest bran consumption. Researchers concluded, "These findings have implications for future dietary guidelines and prevention of hypertension."— American Journal of Clinical Nutrition…
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