2: Dietary Guidelines and Food Policy Flashcards
Nutritional status
condition of the body with respect to nutrition
- whether a person has the appropriate level of nutrients to meet their needs
What are the three steps in a Dietary Analysis?
- Recording everything a person ate over a period
- Comparing recorded intake levels to recommendations
- Determine whether person’s nutrient status is adequate, deficient or excessive
Pros and cons of Dietary Analysis
Pro: give insight whether nutrient intake meets our needs
Con: fails to account for what happens in the body when we eat food
What are laboratory tests used for?
Use blood samples to determine nutritional status
Dietary reference intakes (DRIs)
set of scientifically determined reference values for nutrient requirements
- vary depending on gender and stage of life
How does DRI differ on an individual vs population level
Individual: used to assess nutritional status and determine whether an individual is inadequate, adequate or excessive for a nutrient
Population: used to inform dietary recommendations
What are the four DRis?
- Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
- Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
- Adequate Intake (AI)
- Tolerable Upper Limit (TUL/UL)
Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
amount of a nutrient that will meet the needs of 50% of the population
- EAR rarely used alone, mainly to set recommended dietary allowance
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
amount of a nutrient that meets the needs of 97% of the population
- RDA is set two standard deviations, 20–25%, higher than the EAR
Which DRI out of the four is preferred?
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) because it determines adequacy
- If we cannot determine EAR, then an RDA cannot be set
Adequate Intake (AI)
- Sometimes, there is not enough scientific data to establish the EAR and RDA, so AI is used
- determined by observing how much of that nutrient healthy people eat
More difficult to establish deficiencies since there is less evidence
Tolerable Upper Limit (TUL/UL)
consume an amount of nutrient in excess of its UL, we are more likely to show signs of toxicity
- intake should not exceed this value
What are the two energy intake recommendations
estimated energy requirement and acceptable macronutrient distribution range
Estimated Energy Requirement (EER)
total amount of energy needed to maintain a person’s current size
- To maintain energy balance, energy intake and energy expenditure need to match
Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR)
recommended percentage of energy that should come from each of the three energy-yielding nutrients: carbohydrates, lipids and protein
Estimated energy requirement (EER) depends on what factors
daily energy is required to maintain energy balance depends on sex, age, height, weight and activity levels
What are the RDA for lipids and carbohydrates?
There is no RDA for lipids and carbohydrates, so the AMDR can be used to determine whether intake meets health needs
What are the AMDR percent for daily calories of carbs?
45 - 65%
What are the AMDR percent for daily calories of carbs?
45 - 65%
What are the AMDR percent for daily calories of lipids?
20 - 35%
What are the AMDR percent for daily calories of protein?
10 - 35%
Canada food guide (2019) is made of what portions
50% vegetables and fruits
25% whole grains
25% protein rich foods
And a glass of water
What four key themes did Canada food guide (2019) have
- Variety: wide range of foods
- Accessibility: foods that are relatively inexpensive for most people
- Cultural relevance: ethnic diets
- Availability: available at times of year in different forms, either fresh, frozen, canned or dried
What are the food guide recommendations
- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits
- Choose whole grain foods
- Eat protein-rich foods
- Be mindful of eating habits
- Cook more often
- Use food labels
- Limit foods high in sodium, sugar, fat
- Be aware of food marketing
Why should pregnant women choose foods with healthy fats instead of saturated fat
More omega 3 fatty acids required during pregnancy for healthy brain development
Ex: nuts, seeds, fatty fish, veggie oils
Why should pregnant women choose fish low in mercury?
high levels of mercury can negatively impact brain development of child
Ex: minimize large fish like tuna = higher in mercury
Why should pregnant women eat a little more food each day than you normally would
Extra need for energy to support growth of child in 2nd/3rd trimesters and to produce breast milk. Too much maternal weight gain can negatively impact child/mother health
Ex: small meal/extra snack, banana
Why should pregnant women get enough iron
Iron needed for blood and contributes towards baby’s development (iron stores)
Ex: tofu, fish, eggs, lean meats, whole grain
Why should pregnant women take a daily multivitamin
Micronutrients needs increases during pregnancy and lactation. Consuming enough folic acid reduces risk of birth defects
Why should pregnant women be food safe
Higher risk for food poisoning during pregnancy, negatively impact both mother and baby
Ex: minimize light cooked eggs, meat, raw seafood like sushi
What changes were made to Canadian food policy in 2013
- 2019 Canadian food guide
- Lowered sodium content in prepackaged foods
- Reasonable sodium targets within food and hospitality industries
- Expansion of vitamin D fortification program
- Elimination of industrial trans fat from food supply
- Changes to food labelling
Food labels
communicate information about packaged foods so consumers can make informed decisions
What food items don’t require a food label?
- Raw animal products, fresh fruits and vegetables and foods prepared fresh in stores (salads and muffins)
- Neither do alcoholic beverages, not considered foods and are regulated under different legal acts.
What six mandatory pieces of information that must appear on a Canadian food label
- common name of the food
- Net quantity (total weight, volume)
- Name and address of producer
- Date marking (best before) with 90 day shelf life
- 1st ingredient in ingredient list is greatest amount by weight
- Nutrient facts box (expressed in grams/daily values)
Daily values
compares the amount of nutrient in a serving size to an appropriate DRI
Daily values
compares the amount of nutrient in a serving size to an appropriate DRI
What changes are made to the ingredients list of a product
- Sugar based ingredients are grouped together
- Food colours are listed by name
What changes are made to the nutrients facts box?
- calories/serving sizes are prominently displayed
- % of daily value for sugar
- vitamina and are no longer displayed
- Potassium is now displayed
- exact amounts are shown
- Footnote about % daily value
Claims on food labels
Food packaging may contain certain claims to highlight a nutrient, health-associated factor or the nature of a food
Guidelines for the food claim:
“Pure, 100% pure, 100%, all”
Only used for foods that are uncontaminated, must only contain listed product in whole form, not a compound, mixture, imitation or substitute
Ex: 100% pure fruit juice, 100% corn oil
Guidelines for the food claim:
“True, real, genuine”
Cannot contain foods or ingredients that are substitutes or imitations
Ex: genuine maple syrup, contains real strawberries
Guidelines for the food claim:
“ Vegetarian claim”
Must not mislead and must properly represent the type of vegetarian diet
Ex: vegan mayonnaise, part of a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet
Guidelines for the food claim:
“Highlighted ingredient claims”
Only highlight ingredients that are present, those not present cannot be shown in words or pictures, also cannot emphasize the importance of an ingredient or substance
Ex: (contains blueberries, has a picture of blueberries on label)
Guidelines for the food claim:
“Minute or trace ingredients”
Cannot emphasize the presence of a nutrient or substance found in minute amounts
Ex: calcium beverage could only be used if there was enough calcium
Guidelines for the food claim:
“Negative claims”
Cannot mislead and can only be used when the amount of substance is zero or a non-detectable or physiologically insignificant amount
Ex: no artificial sweeteners, no preservatives added, lactose free
Nutrient content claims
amount of energy or specific nutrient in a food
- claim on a package, the product must comply with the requirements for that statement
What are examples of nutrient content claims?
low in fat, lower in Calories and high in fibre
Ex: low in fat, it must contain 3 g or less of fat per serving and 30% or less of the energy in that product can come from fat
What are the two categories of health claims?
disease reduction claims and function claims
Disease reduction claims
link a food or its ingredients with a reduced risk of developing a specific disease
- a healthy diet, rich, and a variety of vegetables and fruit may help me reduce the risk of some types of cancer
Function claims
association between consuming a nutrient or diet factor with its role in the normal bi- ological function of the body
Ex: protein - helps build and repair body tissues, help build antibodies
Front of package labels
- mandatory front-of-package labelling for foods high in sodium, sugar and saturated fat
- associated with an increased risk of disease when consumed in excess
Food safety
Foods can carry pathogens (disease-causing agents) which can promote food poisoning
Natural Health Products (NHPs)
neither foods nor drugs but are naturally occurring substances used to address health needs
Ex: sold vitamins, minerals, multivitamins, probiotics, amino acids and essential fatty acids, as well as homeopathic and traditional medicines
Cons of Natural Health Products (NHPs)
- contains incorrect ingredients
- stated claims may not fully support by evidence
- promotes unwanted side effects like allergic reactions or negative interactions with other NHPs or prescription drugs
What must NHP labels include
product name, the net quantity of prod- uct in the container, a complete list of medical and non-medical ingredients, the recommended dose, specific storage conditions, if applicable, as well as any warnings or cautionary statements and potential side effects
T/F: Nutrients typically have both an RDA and an AI
False, they have on or the other
T/F: All nutrients can promote symptoms of toxicity if consumed in excess
False, many nutrients do not have an upper limit - meaning we do not have sufficient evidence to show that they cause symptoms of toxicity above a certain level
In addition to grams, nutrient amounts on a nutrient facts box may also be expressed in ______________
Daily values
T/F: “Contains strawberries” is an example of a nutrient content claim
False, it is a highlighted ingredients claim
T/F: “Won’t cause cavities” is an example of a nutrient function claim
False, It is a disease reduction claim
T/F: “Won’t cause cavities” is an example of a nutrient function claim
False, It is a disease reduction claim
