Development and implementation of the guiding stars nutrition guidance program.

PURPOSE . To describe the collaborative process between a grocery retailer and a panel of nutrition experts used to develop a nutrition guidance system (Guiding Stars) that evaluates the nutrient profile of all edible products in the supermarket, and to report the results of the food and beverage ratings. DESIGN .

Position of the American Dietetic Association: functional foods.

All foods are functional at some physiological level, but it is the position of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) that functional foods that include whole foods and fortified, enriched, or enhanced foods have a potentially beneficial effect on health when consumed as part of a varied diet on a regular basis, at effective levels. ADA supports research to further define the health benefits and risks of individual functional foods and their physiologically active components. Health claims on food products, including functional foods, should be based on the significant scientific agreement standard of evidence and ADA supports label claims based on such strong scientific substantiation.

Health claims in the United States: an aid to the public or a source of confusion?

Health claims in the United States have been a topic of intense controversy since the mid-1980s. Three categories of claims can currently be used on food and dietary supplement labels in the United States: 1) health claims, 2) nutrient content claims, and 3) structure/function claims. Structure/function claims were authorized under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act and describe the effect of a dietary supplement on the structure or function of the body.

Applying the theory of planned behavior to women's behavioral attitudes on and consumption of soy products.

Objective: To identify variables that significantly predict the intention and behavior concerning soy consumption applying the Theory of Planned Behavior and to determine the role of race on women's perspectives and consumption behaviors concerning soy.

Design: Cross-sectional survey, with self-administered questionnaires.

Setting: City park service programs, community organizations, black cultural classes, and university offices.

Position of the American Dietetic Association: Functional foods.

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that functional foods, including whole foods and fortified, enriched, or enhanced foods, have a potentially beneficial effect on health when consumed as part of a varied diet on a regular basis, at effective levels. The Association supports research to define further the health benefits and risks of individual functional foods and their physiologically active components. Dietetics professionals will continue to work with the food industry, the government, the scientific community, and the media to ensure that the public has accurate information regarding this emerging area of food and nutrition science.

Effects of a functional foods nutrition education program with cardiac rehabilitation patients.

Purpose: This study educated cardiac rehabilitation patients about the potential health benefits obtained from specific "heart healthy" functional foods and evaluated whether a targeted education program about these foods leads to their increased consumption or positive attitude changes.

Methods: The targeted audience was 69 cardiac rehabilitation patients (phases 2 and 3). Four foods (soy, oats, sterol/stanol ester-enhanced margarine, and nuts) were discussed in two 90-minute education sessions conducted 2 months apart.

Effects of an educational program on intent to consume functional foods.

As consumers seek alternate ways to enhance health and prevent disease, incorporating functional foods into nutrition counseling and educational programs will become increasingly important. The Functional Foods for Health Program at the University of Illinois created and distributed 142 functional food educational kits to Illinois registered dietitians (RDs). Twenty-seven RDs presented the kits to consumer groups and returned 530 utilizable program evaluation/consumption questionnaires (370 females, 160 males).

The cardiovascular effects of soy products.

In human clinical intervention trials, soy product consumption reduced levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). In October 1999, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a health claim for the relationship between consumption of soy protein and reduced risk of coronary heart disease. This article provides an overview of the cardiovascular effects of various soy products, including their effects on blood lipids, LDL-C oxidation, blood pressure, and vascular reactivity.

Functional foods: benefits, concerns and challenges-a position paper from the american council on science and health.

Functional foods can be considered to be those whole, fortified, enriched or enhanced foods that provide health benefits beyond the provision of essential nutrients (e.g., vitamins and minerals), when they are consumed at efficacious levels as part of a varied diet on a regular basis.