Many newspapers today reported on recommendations from a UK health watchdog on measures to reduce the population’s risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The guidance, issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), makes a series of recommendations, including a ban on trans fats in foods and the mandatory use of the Food Standard Agency’s traffic light system on all food and drink products sold in England.
The recommendations may not all be implemented. A Department of Health spokesperson said: “The best way to prevent cardiovascular disease is for people to eat better and be more active.
“Today’s recommendations are extensive and wide ranging but it is not practical to implement certain proposals in this guidance, for example on the mandatory use of traffic lights.”
Who is the guidance for?
The guidance is mainly aimed at people and organisations whose actions affect the cardiovascular health of the population. This includes the government, NHS, local authorities and industry (for example, food manufacturers). The guidance also states that it may be of interest to members of the public.
Why has NICE made these recommendations?
These recommendations aim to reduce cardiovascular disease in the general population.
Cardiovascular disease
What are the recommendations?
NICE has made two sets of recommendations. The first is aimed at people who make policies, and the second at people responsible for regional cardiovascular prevention programmes and other groups.
The following are some of the suggested key policy goals and the recommended actions to achieve them:
Reduce the population’s consumption of salt
* Accelerate the reduction in salt intake among the population. Aim for a maximum intake of 6g a day per adult by 2015 and 3g a day by 2025.
* Promote the benefits of a reduction in the population’s salt intake to the European Union (EU). Introduce national legislation if necessary.
* Ensure low-salt products are sold more cheaply than their higher-salt equivalents.
* Clearly label products that are naturally high in salt and cannot meaningfully be reformulated. Use the Food Standards Agency-approved traffic light system. The labels should also state that these products should only be consumed occasionally.
Reduce the population’s consumption of saturated fat
* Encourage manufacturers, caterers and producers to substantially reduce the amount of saturated fat in all food products. If necessary, consider supportive legislation. Ensure no manufacturer, caterer or producer has an unfair advantage as a result.
* Create the conditions whereby products containing lower levels of saturated fat are sold more cheaply than products with high saturated fat, considering legislation if necessary.
Protect the population from the harmful effects of trans fats
* Eliminate the use of industrially produced trans fatty acids (IPTFAs) for human consumption.
* In line with other EU countries (specifically Denmark and Austria), introduce legislation to ensure that IPTFA levels do not exceed 2% in the fats and oils used in food manufacturing and cooking.
* Establish guidelines for local authorities to independently monitor IPTFA levels in the restaurant, fast-food and home food trades using existing statutory powers (in relation to trading standards or environmental health).
Protect children and young people under 16
* Protect children and young people under 16 from all forms of marketing, advertising and promotions (including product placements) that encourage an unhealthy diet.
* Develop a comprehensive, agreed set of principles for food and beverage marketing aimed at children and young people. They should be based on a child’s right to a healthy diet.
* Extend TV advertising scheduling restrictions on food and drink high in fat, salt or sugar (as determined by the Food Standards Agency’s nutrient profile) up to 9pm.
* Develop equivalent standards, supported by legislation, to restrict the marketing, advertising and promotion of food and drink high in fat, salt or sugar through all non-broadcast media. This includes manufacturers’ websites, use of the internet generally, mobile phones and other new technologies.
* Ensure that restrictions for non-broadcast media on advertising, marketing and promotion of food and drink high in fat, salt or sugar are underpinned by the Food Standards Agency nutrient profiling system.
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Swedish physiologist Fredrik Nustrem carried out an experiment couple of years ago. According to the results different people react the changes of the nutrition order differently and the increase of the foods calorie content doesn’t always mean the increase of the body weight.
18 volunteers decreased their physical activity within several weeks and ate lots of high-calorie foods like hamburgers, French fires, ice-cream, sweet milk cocktails, fizzy water, pizza and etc. The daily food calorie content reached 5000-6000 kilocalorie. At the same time the participants of the experiment experienced almost all known medical tests. The synthesis of almost 30 thousands of proteins was evaluated. Various enzymes were analyzed. The part of the fat and muscles in the body as well as changes of the bones density was evaluated with new X-ray methods. It is known that nutrition affects mentality the participants of the experiment passed through various psychological tests. The result was quite different reaction of the people to overeating. Not all of them experienced considerable increase of the weight caused by the overeating. Probably the matter is individual peculiarities of the metabolism and energy exchange.
For instance one of the participants added 4,6 kilograms within one month but the half of this mass related to the muscles mass. He experienced decrease of the blood cholesterol level at the same time. However now walking became more difficult for him. Furthermore even slight physical exercises cause excessive sweating. Another participant had to leave the experiment as he added over 15% of his initial weight within 2 weeks of the experiment and this is quite dangerous for the health. Neither participant of the experiment experienced any troubles with the liver what is considered to be quite corresponding when eating too much and too fatty foods. Though several participants got their blood liver enzymes level increased. This fact shows the increased work the liver had to perform.
Some participants have solved the problem of the excessive calories quite successfully. But fats and carbohydrates they have overused were burned too actively thus causing excessive heat. These people felt hot throughout the experiment and got increased sweating. It is quite interesting that participants were depressed mostly by decreased physical activity and not overeating. Though only few of them engaged sports regularly. Many participants felt lack of the walking or bicycle riding. Furthermore many complained about the lack of the hunger. One begin to appreciate it when lacks it constantly. Psychological tests revealed depression in several participants. This is quite normal in case one has obesity. However the other got considerably better mood condition.
Moreover we have to mention cholesterol separately. It is known for several years already that it is impossible to decrease the blood cholesterol level considerably without any alterations of the diet and refraining from fatty foods. The Nustrem experiment proved this fact once again. Many participants got their blood cholesterol and other fatty substances level increased slightly. The others experienced decreased low density cholesterol level and increased high density cholesterol level. All this once again proves the fact that diets as well as other ways of loosing the weight should always be individually adjusted according to the individual body peculiarities and metabolism.
Soybean oil could make it possible to eat whatever one likes, for it is healthier than other vegetable oils.
University of Missouri researchers have developed a soybean, which produces oil that is naturally low in saturated and trans fats.
“When we started this research, we were looking at three factors. We needed heart-healthy oil. It needed to be stable with a good shelf life. Finally, it needed to be economically feasible,” said Kristin Bilyeu of University of Missouri.
Through natural pollination procedures, Bilyeu and Grover Shannon, professor of plant sciences at MU, developed soybean oil that was very high in oleic acid, which not only stabilized the oil, but also made it healthier.
The natural breeding increased oleic acid in the bean from 20 percent to 80 percent and decreased the amount of saturated fat in the oil by 25 percent.
Additionally, because the new oil is more stable, it doesn’t require hydrogenation, which typically rids the oil of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are good supplements for the human heart.
The next step of the research is determining whether this soybean will produce economically viable yields in different environments.
Fast food chains and restaurants have quietly sunk a plan by Britain’s food watchdog to display calorie counts in eating outlets across the country, The Independent can disclose.
With increasing numbers of Britons eating meals outside of the home – most often in cafés, sandwich stores and fast food outlets – the Food Standards Agency had set up a trial with many of the largest fast food and restaurant companies, in which they printed calorie counts next to products on the shelves, on menus or next to tills.
But chains such as KFC and Burger King have failed to commit to extending the trials. Others, such as Pizza Hut, Mitchells and Butlers, which runs the Harvester chain, and the caterer Compass have abandoned theirs. Only one major company of 18 firms that tested the idea, Pret A Manger, now displays calories next to all its products.