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Con census Diet Guidelines to Prevent Disease

Are you tired of all of the different recommendations you receive -- often from dubious sources -- as to the best diet you can follow to live a healthy life?  Does it seem that diets to protect your heart may conflict with those to protect you from cancer and other diseases?  Well, now there's an answer.

Five major national health organizations have now joined together to present "Unified Dietary Guidelines" designed to help protect adults* of all ages from a wide variety of diseases.  Although they closely follow the Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid, they are separate and represent a con census among a variety of independent organizations.

Since the broader consensus upon which they are based also includes a strong recommendation not to smoke, ASH presents below:
* A brief news article describing the new guidelines
* The Guidelines themselves, with a link to an article explaining them in detail
* A table showing other related health recommendations (taken from the article)

* Please note that the Department of Agriculture recently released a slightly different set of recommendations for children.  For more information, click here http://www.usda.gov:80/news/releases/1999/03/0126 and
 http://www.usda.gov:80/news/releases/1999/03/0127

      Five of the nation's top health organizations have jointly endorsed a healthy eating plan meant to
       help stave off the diseases that kill most people: heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.

     The advice is not new: Cut fat and cholesterol, eat plenty of grains, fruits and vegetables.

     The Unified Dietary Guidelines were made public by
the American Cancer Society,
the American Dietetic Association,
the American Academy of Pediatrics,
the National Institutes of Health and
the American Heart Association.

     They groups recommend that healthy daily diets include no more than 10 percent of calories from
     saturated fat and no more than 30 percent of total calories from all types of fat.

     The diet also suggests that 55 percent or more of daily calories come from complex carbohydrates like
     grains, fruits and vegetables. Dietary cholesterol should be limited to 300 milligrams or less each day,
     less than the amount in two eggs, and salt to six grams, or one teaspoon, each day.

     The recommendations closely follow the Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid [PICTURED ABOVE],
which are  intended to insure that diets contain enough vitamins, minerals, fiber and other essential nutrients.

     The plan is to be published in the July 27 issue of Circulation, a journal of the American Heart
     Association. [SEE LINK BELOW]

     "The good news is that we don't need one diet to prevent heart disease, another to decrease cancer
     risk and yet another to prevent obesity and diabetes," said Dr. Richard J. Deckelbaum, a professor of
     nutrition at Columbia University and a co-author of the article.

     "A single healthy diet cuts across disease categories to lower the risk of many chronic conditions." 

The consensus in nutrient recommendations from different organizations can be summarized as follows:
 

OFFICIAL  GUIDELINES (in table form by ASH)	EXPLANATORY MATERIALS BY ASH
Saturated Fat less than 10% of calories	found in higher concentrations in meat, poultry, butter, whole milk, coconut/.palm oil; EXAMPLE: 1 tablespoon of margarine, 6 ounces of lean ground beef, 1/2 cup ice cream, and one cup 1% milk.
Total Fat less than or equal to 30% of calories	including all types of fats; found in higher concentrations in salad dressings, baked foods, chips, crackers, chocolate, nuts, avocados, meat, poultry, fish, eggs cheese and fried foods; EXAMPLE: 1 tablespoon of margarine, 6 ounces of lean ground beef, 1/2 cup ice cream, one cup 1% milk, and 2 ounces mozzarella cheese.
Polyunsaturated Fat less than or equal to 10% of total calories	found in higher concentrations in corn, safflower or soybean oils or in fat from seafood. The oils are often found in processed baked goods; EXAMPLE: Two tablespoons corn oil, 1 tablespoon canola oil.
Monounsaturated Fat less than or equal to 15% of total calories	found in higher concentrations in canola oil, oil made from nuts and olive oil. EXAMPLE: Three tablespoons canola oil, 2 tablespoons stick margarine
Cholesterol less than or equal to 300 mg/d  [milligrams/day]	found in high concentrations in egg yolks, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products and butter. EXAMPLE: One egg with yolk, 1 cup 1% milk, 2 ounces mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup ice cream, 3 ounces of tuna packed in water
Carbohydrates greater than or equal to 55% of total calories	such as cereals, grains, fruits, and vegetables
Total Calories to achieve and maintain desirable weight	for example click here: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute BMI Chart (pdf)
Salt Intake less than 6 g/d [grams a day]	about one teaspoon; EXAMPLE: One box convenience rice, 1 medium dill pickle, 1 cup chicken broth, 3 ounces ham, 2  ounces potato chips, 1/2 tsp. table salt

Because it is difficult for many individuals and populations to calculate diets in weights and percentages, these recommendations
can best be achieved by following the US Dietary Guidelines and the Food Guide Pyramid of the US Department of Health and
Human Services and Department of Agriculture (USDA). Guidelines include the recommendations that follow:

     Eat a variety of foods.

     Balance the food you eat with physical activity—maintain or improve your weight

     Choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables, and fruits.

     Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

     Choose a diet moderate in sugars.

     Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium.

     If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.

To read the entire article describing these guidelines, click here Circulation -- Deckelbaum et al. 100 (4): 450

To see a table showing some of the other health-related recommendations, including the one not to smoke, click here Circulation -- Deckelbaum et al. 100 (4): 450