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What Should You Eat?
Answers from the FDA
by Michelle Gibeault Traub, R.D.
There are few topics that cause as much confusion and controversy as the age old question, "What should I eat?" One year eggs are good for us, the next they are bad. It is enough to confuse even the savviest consumer. Educating yourself based on your individual needs, consulting with a trusted health professional, and looking to reliable sources for information are all helpful in making healthy choices. When it comes to trust-worthy sources for health information, government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration are on your side.
Meet the FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was established in 1906 with the primary goal of keeping the country's food and drug supply safe.1 Although that once basic task has dramatically expanded in the past 100 years given the explosion of new drugs, food items, and ongoing research, they still remain one of the most trusted sources for nutrition information.
What does the FDA Approve?
The FDA is often criticized by health researchers for their overly-conservative approach when making nutrition recommendations and allowing health claims. However, given the frequent inconsistencies in research findings, their conservative approach may be justified. Regardless, there are select "tried and true" health claims that the agency has approved based on "significant scientific agreement." 2
The following represent the nutrients and foods that the FDA allows to have "health claims." If you are not interested in all the legalese, skip to The Bottom Line below:
- Calcium and Osteoporosis - Regular exercise and a healthy diet with enough calcium helps teens and young adult white and Asian women maintain good bone health and may reduce their high risk of osteoporosis later in life.
- Sodium and Hypertension - Diets low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure, a disease associated with many factors.
- Dietary Fat and Cancer - Development of cancer depends on many factors. A diet low in total fat may reduce the risk of some cancers.
- Dietary Saturated Fat and Cholesterol and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease - While many factors affect heart disease, diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of this disease
- Fiber-Containing Grain Products, Fruits, and Vegetables and Cancer - Low fat diets rich in fiber-containing grain products, fruits, and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors.
- Fruits, Vegetables and Grain Products that contain Fiber, particularly Soluble Fiber, and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease - Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and rich in fruits, vegetables, and grain products that contain some types of dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber, may reduce the risk of heart disease, a disease associated with many factors.
- Fruits and Vegetables and Cancer - Low fat diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors.
- Folate and Neural Tube Defects - Healthful diets with adequate folate may reduce a woman's risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord defect.
- Dietary Sugar Alcohol and Dental Caries - Frequent between-meal consumption of foods high in sugars and starches promotes tooth decay. Sugar alcohols do not promote tooth decay.
- Soluble Fiber from Certain Foods and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease - Soluble fiber from foods .as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Soy Protein and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease - Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 25 grams of soy protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Plant Sterol/stanol esters and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease - (1) Foods containing at least 0.65 gram per serving of vegetable oil sterol esters, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 1.3 grams, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. (2) Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include two servings of foods that provide a daily total of at least 3.4 grams of plant stanol esters in two meals may reduce the risk of heart disease.
[Note: some claims have been shortened for space; visit the FDA's online "A Food Labeling Guide for complete claim information]
The Bottom Line
The FDA tends to be a little wordy, so to summarize their top recommendations:
Get More |
Get Less |
- Calcium
- Fiber
- Folate (folic acid)
- Fruits & vegetable
- Whole grains
- Soy protein
- Plant sterols/stanol esters
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- Sodium
- Saturated fat
- Cholesterol
- Sugar
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While the Food and Drug Administration may not always provide information that researchers and the food industry want you to hear, they are still one of the best hopes for trusted, thoroughly-researched data. And with each passing day, new findings lead to additional health claims. Currently on the FDA's radar are "qualified claims" indicating additional benefits associated with; calcium (colon cancer and hypertension), tomatoes, green tea, antioxidants, nuts and omega-3 fatty acids to name a few4.
REFERENCES
- John P. Swann, Ph.D. History of the FDA, retrieved 3/9/07 http://www.fda.gov/oc/history/historyoffda/default.htm
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition; Office of Special Nutritionals. Guidance for Industry Significant Scientific Agreement in the Review of Health Claims for Conventional Foods and Dietary Supplements, December 22, 1999, retrieved 3/9/07 http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ssaguide.html
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. A Food Labeling Guide-Appendix C. September 1994 (Editorial revisions June 1999 and November 2000). retrieved 3/9/07 http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/flg-6c.html
- CFSAN/Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements. Qualified Health Claims Subject to Enforcement Discretion. September 2003; Updated August 2005, and November 2005, retrieved 3/9/07 http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qhc-sum.html
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Published by circle of health (formerly nw | health and bone)
Copyright © 2007 Thompson Brands. All rights reserved.
circle of health does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. circle of health compiles information from a variety of public sources to provide individuals with the tools to actively and naturally promote bone health and other related women's health issues. We encourage the broad use of the web to provide additional information. Consult your physician or other health professional in regard to specific medical conditions. |
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