AHA Recommends Reduction of Transfat Intake Starting Age 2

The AHA says cardiovascular disease is the USA's number one killer. The new guidelines are aimed at encouraging Americans to adopt healthier lifestyles.

21/06/06 According to new guidelines set out by the American Heart Association (AHA), less than one per cent of total calorie intake should consist of trans fats. The AHA has updated its dietary guidelines, which were last set out six years ago.

The AHA says cardiovascular disease is the USA's number one killer. The new guidelines are aimed at encouraging Americans to adopt healthier lifestyles. You can read about the recommendations in Circulation, the AHA's journal. The new guidelines now say that all Americans aged 2 or more should…

……continue to reduce their intake of trans fats and saturated fats

……significantly cut down their intake of foods and drinks with added sugars

……be physically active and strive for their ideal body weight

……eat lots of fruit, vegetables and whole-grains

……steer clear of cigarettes and all tobacco products

……strive to have good levels of cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose levels

Alice Lichtenstein, D.Sc., chair of the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee, and Gershoff professor of nutrition science and policy at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, at Tufts University in Boston, said “The previous recommendations stressed a healthy dietary pattern; the new ones broaden that concept to include the importance of a healthy lifestyle pattern. The two go together - they should be inseparable. The key message of the recommendations is to focus on long-term, permanent changes in how we eat and live. The best way to lower cardiovascular risk is to combine physical activity with heart-healthy eating habits, coupled with weight control and avoiding tobacco products,”

In order to achieve a healthy body weight the AHA says more emphasis is now being put in focussing on how many calories a person eats compared to how many calories he/she burns. The recommendations also stress the importance of preparing foods that take into account the size of portions, as well as not adding saturated fats, sugar or salt.

The AHA says that 90 scientific publications were examined by a panel of nutrition and cardiovascular experts. The new guidelines not only include information on personal goals, but also on individual caloric needs, the preparation of foods and examples of good dietary patterns.

The guidelines also focus on the needs of children, seniors, people with metabolic syndrome, patients with chronic kidney disease and groups of people who are at high risk for cardiovascular disease.

Americans are increasingly consuming their calories from foods prepared outside the home. This is a serious challenge for those who want to maintain a healthy dietary pattern. The recommendations, says the AHA, address this challenge.

The 2006 American Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations shows how practitioners, restaurants, the food industry, schools and local governments can help people adopt the recommendations. This should include menus showing the caloric content of each dish, smaller portion sizes, reducing the use of trans fats and using low-saturated fats.

Saturated fats should not make up more than 7% of total calories consumed. Trans fats should be limited to a maximum of 1% of calories consumed.

Alice Lichtenstein said “The point is not to calculate the amount of saturated and trans-fatty acids in the diet, but to choose foods that minimize your intake. For example, you can choose leaner cuts of meat and lower-fat dairy products, smaller serving sizes, avoid foods made with hydrogenated fat and include more fruits, vegetables, vegetarian options and fish in the diet.”

Saturated fats occur mostly in animal products, but can also be found in some tropical oils, such as coconut and palm oil.

Trans fats are commonly used in the preparation of crackers, French fries, cakes, pies, cookies and bread.

Lichtenstein said “Almost anyone can make changes in how they eat and move their bodies to bring themselves closer to the recommended goals. The changes can be small but need to be maintained. In no way are we saying people will have to give up all the things they enjoy; they just may have to make a few modifications in their current habits. A good first step to improve your diet and lifestyle - start paying attention to portion size and liquid calories, such as those in soft drinks, fruit drinks, fruit juices and alcoholic beverages. The next step is to try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. It does not have to be done all at once - accumulating 30 minutes throughout the day is fine - and, of course, more is better. No one is too old or too out of shape to make small changes to increase physical activity.”

The AHA urges the food industry to lower the amount of white flour in baked goods and raise the amount of whole grains. It also says it is crucial that the salt and sugar content of foods prepared and sold by the industry be much lower.