THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION ISSUES NEW DIETARY GUIDELINES.

New dietary guidelines (replacing guidelines issued in 2000) to promote heart health were recently published by the AHA. The previous recommendations stressed a healthy dietary pattern; the new ones broaden that concept to include the importance of a healthy lifestyle pattern. Designed for Americans age 2 and older, the dietary guidelines recommend further reducing saturated and trans fatty acids. Americans are also advised to minimize their intake of food and beverages with added sugars, and encouraged to stick to a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grain foods. Emphasis is also placed on physical activity and weight control. “The key message of the recommendations is to focus on long-term, permanent changes in how we eat and live,” said Alice Lichtenstein, chair of the AHA’s Nutrition Committee. The AHA is also urging the food industry to reduce the salt and sugar content in processed foods, and to increase the proportion of whole grains compared to white flour in baked goods. (Food Navigator USA, 06/21/06)