Download Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Meeting II

Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Meeting III
April 29-30, 2009
Highlights
Adam Drewnowski, Professor of Epidemiology
School of Public Health and Community Medicine
 Higher cost diets tend to be nutrient-rich, whereas lower cost diets tend to be
energy-rich and nutrient-poor
o However, many foods are affordable/accessible and nutrient-rich
 Which of the following approaches should we adopt?
o Help Americans build better diets by highlighting affordable/accessible
nutrient-rich foods
or
o Remove and limit nutrients (sugar, fat, and sodium)
 does not always, by default, lead to healthier diets
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Committee discussion about money, cooking knowledge, and time
NFI Opportunities
o DGA has opportunity to eliminate barriers to seafood consumption
including poor cooking knowledge and perception of expense
Patricia Crawford, Director and Nutrition Specialist
Center for Weight and Health, College of Natural Resources
University of California, Berkeley
 Concerns with the DGA 2005 from the field
o Complexity
o Too much focus on nutrients vs. foods
o Lack of food-based specifics
 I.e., for lean meats, what are those meats?
 NFI Opportunities
o Give a simple, specific, food-based recommendation for fish
Food Safety and Technology
Discussion Leader: Roger Clemens
 Priority Level 1: Risks of Fish Consumption
o Only looking at mercury
o No longer looking at POPs as an exposure, though Committee expressed
concern with this
 Resources reviewed
o Seafood Choices (IOM, 2007)
o FDA Report
o Presentations from Mike Bolger, FDA
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o Nutrition Evidence Library Literature Review, 2006-2009
o Q: What are effects of sodium intake on health?
Points of Interest
o Species specific mercury content
o Species specific fish consumption by socioeconomic status, demographics,
and pregnancy
Fatty Acid Subcommittee will address benefits related to fish
Committee asked “where is the problem here?”
NFI Opportunities
o Encourage science-based comments about PCBs in salmon (farm-raised
and wild)
o Encourage “net effect” approach that does not separate benefits and risks,
as this is not how people eat whole foods
o Encourage simple advice
 Nuanced advice is confusing to consumers
o Put “problem” of mercury toxicity in perspective to consequences of lowomega-3 intake
Sodium, Potassium, and Water
Discussion Leader: Larry Appel
 Priority level 1: Sodium in children
 Priority level 2: Sodium levels in adults
 2005 Recommendation = 2300mg/day, 1500 mg/day for 69% of the population
 Committee asked if a 1500 mg/day diet can be tasty. Discussion leader said yes.
Nutrient Adequacy
Discussion Leader: Shelly Nickols-Richardson
 Nutrients of concern
o Deadline May 29 for first draft
o Functional health outcome is important
 Food groups of concern
 May create new view of the traditional “food groups”
 NFI opportunities
o Highlight omega-3s as a nutrient of concern
o Highlight vitamin D as a nutrient of concern
o Highlight fish as a food of concern, rich in both omega-3s and vitamin D
o Suggest putting fish in its own category, separate from meats
Carbohydrates and Protein
Discussion Leader: Joanne Slavin
 Considering splitting plant- and animal-based proteins
o Deadline end of May
 NFI opportunities
o Suggest putting fish in its own category, separate from meats
Fatty Acids
Discussion Leader: Tom Pearson
 Marine vs. plant sources of omega-3s
 Reviewing relationship between fish and health outcomes
o For omega-3s, look at health outcomes from birth up
 NFI opportunities
o Give examples of health professionals confusing plant- and fish-based
omega-3s
Science Review, Cross-cutting Issues
Discussion Leader: Linda Van Horn
 Fish identified as cross-cutting issue
o Fish oil studies are unimpressive
o Fish consumption is strong, so there is something about the whole fish
o Number one source of omega-3s is salad dressing
 But this is ALA, not EPA/DHA
o Fish was taken out of the recommendations in 2005, and will be put back
in this time