(5/11/00 HeartInfo) - The American Heart Association (AHA) published its updated dietary guidelines in the October 1, 1996 issue of Circulation, the first update since 1988 when the guidelines were issued. Dr. Ronald Krauss,  chairman of the Nutrition Committee for the AHA, stated that the AHA believes the guidelines will be effective in helping reduce heart disease risk.

The changes are a result of careful analysis of current nutrition research published in scientific journals. In addition, the Committee made the guidelines more consistent with those established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Krauss stated the biggest change in the guidelines emphasizes that what a person consumes over several days or a week is more important than what a person eats at a single meal.

The following is a summary of the dietary guidelines, including the changes:

Original Guidelines:

• Total daily fat intake should be restricted to no more than 30% of total calories.
• Cholesterol intake should be less than 300 milligrams daily.

Carbohydrates should comprise 55%-60% or more of calories, with attempts to increase the amount of complex carbohydrates consumed.

Modifications To the Guidelines:

• More emphasis should be placed on exercise and weight maintenance because of the rise in obesity in the United States.
• A person's diet may have to be altered in the case of a genetic disorder which affects cholesterol, fat, or salt metabolism.
• AHA endorsement of the World Health Organization's recommendation for a lower limit of 15% of calories from fat.
• Recommendation of an intake of "monounsaturated fatty acids in the range of 10%-15% (olive, canola and peanut oils are rich in "monos"). The previous recommendation was less than 10% of calories as saturated fat, less than 10% polyunsaturated fat and the balance as monounsaturated.";
  Intake of fiber should be 25-30 grams daily from foods, not supplements.
• Avoidance of foods high in sugar (consistent with U.S. guidelines).
• Salt intake should not exceed six grams of sodium chloride (table salt) daily (slightly more than one teaspoon). This is a reduction from the original guideline of 1.5 teaspoons. The consumption of sodium in the form of processed foods and cured foods must be considered when determining daily intake of sodium.

The AHA recognizes that more research is needed in the following areas: "antioxidant vitamin supplements, vitamin intake as it relates to homocysteine levels, very low-fat diets and fat substitutes, omega-3 fatty acid (found in fish oils) supplementation, soy protein and genetic factors affecting dietary response." The AHA plans to report on these issues in the future.

The Nutrition Committee emphasizes that the guidelines are intended to apply to total calories eaten over several days, rather than in one day. And the AHA cautions that if the guidelines are "applied to single foods, the 30 percent of calories from fat guideline will cause many foods that fit into a well-balanced eating plan to be excluded. Examples of these foods include: oil and margarine (100% of calories from fat), regular and low-calorie salad dressings (75%-100% of calories from fat), dark chicken meat without skin (43% of calories from fat), salmon (36% of calories from fat), lower-fat meats like turkey ham (34% of calories from fat), as well as many nuts and seeds (75%-90% of calories from fat). "




Sources

Circulation, October 1996; AHA Press Release 10/1/96; AHA Scientific Position: "Dietary Guidelines for Healthy American Adults"