| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
COMMENTARY |
1 From the Nutritional Sciences Program and the Center for Public Health Nutrition, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
The American diet is said to be increasingly energy-rich but nutrient-poor. To help improve the nutrient-to-energy ratio, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that consumers replace some foods in their diets with more nutrient-dense options. Such dietary guidance presupposes the existence of a nutrient density standard. However, a review of the literature shows that the concept of a nutritious food is not based on any consistent standards or criteria. In many cases, healthful foods are defined by the absence of problematic ingredients—fat, sugar, and sodium—rather than by the presence of any beneficial nutrients they might contain. Past attempts to quantify the nutrient density of foods have been based on a variety of calories-to-nutrient scores, nutrients-per-calorie indexes, and nutrient-to-nutrient ratios. The naturally nutrient rich (NNR) score, which is based on mean percentage daily values (DVs) for 14 nutrients in 2000 kcal food, can be used to assign nutrient density values to foods within and across food groups. Use of the NNR score allows consumers to identify and select nutrient-dense foods while permitting some flexibility where the discretionary calories are concerned. This approach has implications for food labeling, nutritional policy making, and consumer education. The Food and Drug Administration has considered approving nutrient claims based on the ratio of a beneficial nutrient to the food's energy content, as opposed to a specified minimum amount of a nutrient per serving size. Given the current dietary trends, the nutrient density approach can be a valuable tool for nutrition education and dietary guidance.
Key Words: Energy-dense food • nutrient-poor food • nutrient density standard • nutrition quality index • naturally nutrient rich score • food labels • health claims
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  W. You, G. Zhang, B. M. Davy, A. Carlson, and B.-H. Lin Food Consumed Away from Home Can Be a Part of a Healthy and Affordable Diet J. Nutr., October 1, 2009; 139(10): 1994 - 1999. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. K. Johnson, L. J. Appel, M. Brands, B. V. Howard, M. Lefevre, R. H. Lustig, F. Sacks, L. M. Steffen, J. Wylie-Rosett, and on behalf of the American Heart Association Nutrit Dietary Sugars Intake and Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Circulation, September 15, 2009; 120(11): 1011 - 1020. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. L. Fulgoni III, D. R. Keast, and A. Drewnowski Development and Validation of the Nutrient-Rich Foods Index: A Tool to Measure Nutritional Quality of Foods J. Nutr., August 1, 2009; 139(8): 1549 - 1554. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. D. Miller, A. Drewnowski, V. Fulgoni, R. P. Heaney, J. King, and E. Kennedy It Is Time for a Positive Approach to Dietary Guidance Using Nutrient Density as a Basic Principle J. Nutr., June 1, 2009; 139(6): 1198 - 1202. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. T. Borra and A. Bouchoux Effects of Science and the Media on Consumer Perceptions about Dietary Sugars J. Nutr., June 1, 2009; 139(6): 1214S - 1218S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Drewnowski, E. C. Fiddler, L. Dauchet, P. Galan, and S. Hercberg Diet Quality Measures and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in France: Applying the Healthy Eating Index to the SU.VI.MAX Study J. Am. Coll. Nutr., February 1, 2009; 28(1): 22 - 29. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Maillot, N. Darmon, M. Darmon, L. Lafay, and A. Drewnowski Nutrient-Dense Food Groups Have High Energy Costs: An Econometric Approach to Nutrient Profiling J. Nutr., July 1, 2007; 137(7): 1815 - 1820. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. P Heaney and K. Rafferty Assessing nutritional quality Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2006; 83(3): 722 - 723. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
