Nutrition Science and Guidelines Quiz

Module 1: Food Labels and Dietary Guidelines

• Module 1 covers food labels and dietary guidelines
• Part 1 focuses on nutrition science and general advice
• Part 2 delves into food labels and questionable ingredients

Module 1 Learning Objectives

• Define nutrients and distinguish them from food
• Define nutrition science and give examples of current trends in dietary health and disease
• List the 6 essential nutrients and distinguish macronutrients and micronutrients
• List major changes to nutritional guidelines over the past few decades
• List required food label items and interpret food labels
• Define health claims and nutrient claims
• Name U.S. agencies governing food labels and nutritional guidelines
• List common questionable ingredients in packaged foods
• State simple but good nutritional advice

What is Food?

• Food encompasses plants and animals consumed
• Food provides energy (calories) and building blocks (macromolecules) for bodily functions—growth, repair, and homeostasis
• Cultural factors like food availability, climate, agriculture, identity, religious beliefs, and societal norms influence food choices

What are Nutrients?

• Food contains nutrients—molecules needed for life
• Nutrients include carbohydrates (sugars), lipids (fats), proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water
• These are categorized as macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals)

Nutrition as a Science

• Nutrition studies how nutrients affect health
• Nutrition is a comparatively new scientific discipline
• Understanding human nutrition is complex due to factors including: humans' inherent complexity, evolutionary adaptations to consuming fat and calories, cultural influences, food industry trends, and the impact of climate, agriculture, and political/social contexts

What Does a Nutritionist Do?

• Dietitians and nutritionists plan and supervise food service or nutritional programs to help people lead healthier lives
• It's a rapidly growing field within the healthcare sector

Trends in Diet and Health

• Obesity is a significant concern, affecting over 40% of the U.S. population
• Obesity contributes to numerous diseases, including joint and back pain, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, insomnia, and depression
• Food-related conditions like Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and gluten intolerance are increasing, especially in developed nations
• Colorectal cancer is rising among the young, non-obese population, and linked to processed food and meat consumption. Conversely, diets rich in whole grains and fiber are associated with low colorectal cancer risk.

Problems with Packaged Food

• Packaged foods contain various chemicals and enriched vitamins/minerals
• Food labels can be misleading, employing terms like "healthy," "wholesome," and "100%"
• Food labeling often doesn't reflect reality—a product's true composition

More Problems with Nutrition

• Measuring nutrients in foods and making comparisons between products is challenging particularly for foods not produced in an industrial setting
• Difficulties exist in comparing foods like free-range chickens with industrial, antibiotic-fed chickens
• The composition of many nutrients in 'natural' foods is often harder to determine in comparison to packaged goods

How to Decide What to Eat (Simple Guides)

• The best choices are natural meat or vegetables without ingredient lists
• Avoid foods with more than 5 ingredients or ingredients whose names you can't pronounce
• Prioritize foods found in the perimeter of the grocery store
• Mostly eat plant-based products, consuming animal products less often
• Consume only the necessary amount of food to maintain a healthy weight

Simple Advice: Eat Food

• Understand what "food" truly signifies versus manufactured products
• It's crucial to read food labels as producers are required to specify nutritional details
• A good rule of thumb is to avoid foods and ingredients you can't pronounce

Simple Advice: Eat Mostly Plants

• Occasionally consume animal products
• Increase plant consumption for vitamins, minerals, fiber, and microbiome benefits

Simple Advice: Eat Food, But Not Too Much

• Eat only when hungry
• Moderate portions
• Be mindful of serving sizes. Packaged/processed foods often contain more calories than needed in one sitting

Packaged Food Required Items

• Statement of identity (name of product)
• Net contents of packaging
• Ingredient list
• Information about manufacturer, packer, or distributor
• Nutritional information

Statement of Identity

• Commercial food products must have a common name or descriptive term, such as "Protein Snack Bar."

Ingredient List

• Ingredients are listed in order of abundance (greatest to least).
• Preservatives are specifically noted and their functions.
• Eight major allergens are clearly identified.

Food Claims

• Nutrient content claims (e.g., "low fat," "high fiber") adhere to FDA thresholds
• Health claims link dietary components to disease risk, requiring scientific support
• Qualified health claims have disclaimers, acknowledging that scientific evidence doesn't definitively prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Claims Are Usually Nonsensical

• Terms like "twice the protein" or "all natural" often aren't accurate representations of the food's contents or nutritional value
• Be skeptical of unsubstantiated claims

Ingredients Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)

• GRAS designation from the FDA indicates a chemical or ingredient is generally safe for use in food, based on expert opinion and under specific conditions of use.
• Some GRAS substances may be banned or under scrutiny in other countries
• FDA can remove a substance from the GRAS list if new data demonstrates harmful effects

TBHQ (Tertiary Butylhydroquinone)

• TBHQ is a food preservative derived from petroleum (lighter fluid)
• Studies have linked TBHQ to negative impacts on the immune system and potentially carcinogenic properties

BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) and BHT

• BHA is a petroleum-derived food preservative
• Research suggests potential negative consequences like thyroid damage, metabolic/growth disorders, neurotoxicity, and carcinogenicity
• The FDA classifies BHA as GRAS despite concerns raised by other organizations.

Natural Dye- Carmine

• Carmine is a natural red dye derived from cochineal insects.

Shellac

• Shellac is a resin secreted by lac insects, commonly used for shiny coating or glazing in food and furniture.

Natural Ingredient: Silicon Dioxide

• Silicon dioxide, a common food additive, prevents clumping in dry goods like spices and powdered milk. It's considered generally safe, but ingesting it directly is not recommended.

Serving Size Can Vary

• Serving sizes are typically listed per container or serving, and can significantly vary in size and portion sizes
• Serving sizes must be based on typical consumption amounts.

Portion Distortion

• Portion sizes presented on food packaging are often inconsistent with reality
• Visible examples illustrate significant calorie differences based on portion size