Nutrition: New Federal Dietary Guidelines issued in the US suggest the amount of fruit and vegetables people are supposed to be eating should be increased significantly.
The guidelines will be used to update the familiar food pyramid, which most people recognise but few heed. The revision will be the pyramid's first since it was created 12 years ago.
The guidelines also encourage people to eat whole fruits and vegetables rather than fruit and vegetable juices.
The new guidelines suggest that less than 10 per cent of calories should come from saturated fats, and fat should make up no more than 25 to 30 per cent of total calories. No firm guideline was set for "trans fats", only a recommendation to keep them "as low as possible."
Trans fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil - a process called hydrogenation which increases the shelf-life and flavour stability of foods containing these fats. It can be found in some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils. Unlike other fats, the majority of trans fat is formed when food manufacturers turn liquid oils into solid fats. A small amount of trans fat is found naturally, primarily in dairy products, some meat and other animal-based foods.
Trans fat, like saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, raises the LDL cholesterol that increases risk for heart disease. Although saturated fat is the main dietary culprit that raises LDL, trans fat and dietary cholesterol also contribute.
Other recommendations include:
Meanwhile, the Irish Sea Fisheries Board, BIM, has produced a series of booklets and leaflets on the nutritional and health benefits of fish. The Nutritional Aspects of Fish booklet has been developed as a resource for health professionals. BIM has also launched its "wellbeing" website, a comprehensive guide to fish, including detailed nutritional information and easy-to- follow recipes. They are available at: www.bim.ie/wellbeing
In addition, a series of leaflets aimed at informing consumers has been produced - available from www.bim.ie
