04/07/98 ADA stresses need to further explore NAS recommendations

ADA stresses need to further explore NAS recommendations

Press Release

Tuesday, April 7, 1998, 12:00 p.m. (EDT)

Media Contacts:
Michael Schiferl and M. Johnna Thomas
E-mail: media@eatright.org
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NATION'S NUTRITION EXPERTS HELP TRANSLATE NEW RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE TEXTBOOK TO THE TABLE

ADA stresses need to further explore NAS recommendations

CHICAGO--To help Americans understand the National Academy of Sciences/Institute of Medicine's newly-released recommendations, known as dietary reference intakes (DRIs), on the nutrients folate, other B-vitamins and choline, The American Dietetic Association (ADA) offers practical advice on which foods are rich in these nutrients and how they can easily be part of a healthful eating plan. Additionally, ADA urges consumers and news media to realize that NAS' recommendations are not public policy guidelines. Actual application of these recommendations is yet to be determined.

"As dietitians, we often say 'people eat foods, not nutrients'," said Tracy Fox, R.D. (registered dietitian), senior federal regulatory manager with ADA's government affairs office in Washington, D.C. "While many Americans have trouble sorting through the 'alphabet soup' of nutrients like folate, B6 or B12 , they are interested in the health benefits these and other nutrients can provide. That's why it's important we talk about these new recommendations in terms of foods."

ADA strongly advises people get these and other nutrients through foods first. For certain individuals, including pregnant women and women of child bearing age, the elderly, strict vegans or others unable to eat a variety of foods, supplementation may be warranted.

"For most Americans, choosing foods as outlined by the Food Guide Pyramid will help work these nutrients into a healthful eating style. It is easier than many people think," said Fox. "Remember, a supplement is just that--a supplement."

ADA points out that scientists continue to identify specific components of food that may expand its role in prevention and treatment of disease. For people who think they may not be getting all the nutrients they need through foods, ADA suggests they ask their physician for a referral to a registered dietitian.

The following information, based on ADA's Complete Food & Nutrition Guide (Chronimed Publishing), provides a practical overview of folate, other B-vitamins and choline, which were highlighted in NAS' latest recommendations:

Folate (also called folic acid or folacin)

What it does:

  • Folate plays an essential role in making new body cells by helping to produce DNA and RNA, the cell's master plan for cell reproduction
  • Works with vitamin B12 to form hemoglobin in red blood cells
  • Eating plans rich in folate may help protect against heart disease
  • Can help women lessen risk of delivering a baby with neural tube defects, like spina bifida

If you don't get enough:

  • A deficiency affects normal cell division and protein synthesis, especially impairing growth
  • Anemia, caused by malformed blood cells that can't carry as much oxygen, may be the result of folate deficiency
  • Pregnant women who don't get enough folate, especially during the first trimester, have a greater risk of delivering a baby with neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Dietitians recommend all women of child-bearing age consume adequate amounts of folate in their eating plans.

Which foods are folate-rich?

Leafy vegetables, some fruits, legumes, liver, yeast breads and wheat germ, and some fortified products like cereals, juices, rice or pastas, are good sources. Most enriched grain products--bread, flour, corn grits, cornmeal, farina, rice, macaroni and noodles--must be fortified with folate according to law. A few examples include:

Food Folate (mcg)
spinach (1/2 cup) 130
navy beans, boiled (1/2 cup) 125
wheat germ (1/4 cup) 80
avocado (1/2) 55
orange (1 medium) 45
slice of bread (fortified) 40
peanuts (dried, one ounce) 30
Vitamin B12 (also known as cobalamin)

What it does:

  • Works closely with folic acid to make red blood cells
  • Helps your body use fatty acids and amino acids
  • Serves as a vital part of many body chemicals and so occurs in every body cell

If you don't get enough:

  • A deficiency may result in anemia, fatigue, nerve damage, a smooth tongue, or very sensitive skin. Deficiencies can be masked--even progress--if extra folic acid is taken to treat or prevent anemia.
  • Strict vegetarians, who eat no animal products, and their infants are at risk for developing a vitamin B12 deficiency. This could cause severe anemia and irreversible nerve damage. For these groups, as well as some elderly people, including fortified foods or a dietary supplement can prevent these problems.

What foods are rich in vitamin B12?

Animal products--meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and other dairy foods. Some fortified foods have vitamin B12 as well. Examples include:

Food Vitamin B12 (mcg)
Salmon, cooked (3 oz.) 2.6
Beef Tenderloin lean, broiled ( 3 oz.) 2.2
Yogurt, skim (1 cup) 1.4
Shrimp (cooked, 3 oz.) 1.3
Milk (1 cup) 0.5
Thiamin (Vitamin B1)

What it does:

Helps produce energy from carbohydrates in all the cells of your body.

If you don't get enough:

Because most Americans consume many grain products, a thiamin deficiency is rare today, with one exception: chronic alcoholics.

What foods are rich in thiamin?

Whole-grain and enriched grain products, such as bread, rice, pasta, tortillas and fortified cereals provide much of the thiamin we eat. Pork, liver and other organ meats provide significant amounts too.

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)

What it does:

  • Helps produce energy in all cells of your body
  • Helps change the amino acids called tryptophan in your food into niacin (protein is made of many different amino acids)

If you don't get enough:

Except for people who are severely malnourished, a deficiency isn't likely. Contrary to popular myth, riboflavin doesn't cause hair loss.

What foods are rich in riboflavin?

Milk and other dairy foods are major sources of riboflavin. Some organ meats--liver, kidney and heart--are excellent sources. Enriched bread and other grain products, eggs, meat, green-leafy vegetables and nuts supply smaller amounts. Ultraviolet light, such as sunlight, destroys riboflavin. That's why milk is packed in opaque plastic or cardboard containers, not clear glass. Examples include:

Food Riboflavin (mg)
Beef liver, braised (3 ounces) 3.5
Yogurt (skim, 1 cup) 1.6
Milk (skim, 1 cup) 0.4
Enriched corn tortilla 0.2
Egg, one large 0.1
Niacin

What it does:

  • Helps your body use sugars and fatty acids
  • Helps enzymes function normally in your body
  • Helps produce energy in all the cells in your body

If you don't get enough:

For people who consume adequate amounts of protein-rich foods, a niacin deficiency isn't likely. Pellagra is caused by a significant niacin deficiency--symptoms include diarrhea, mental disorientation and skin problems.

What foods are rich in niacin?

Foods high in protein are typically good sources of niacin: poultry, fish, beef, peanut butter and legumes. Niacin is also added to many enriched and fortified grain products. Some examples include:

Food Niacin (mg NE)
Turkey breast, roasted (3 oz.) 4.5
Peanut butter (2 tbls.) 4.0
Enriched spaghetti, cooked (1/2 cup) 2.5
Enriched corn tortilla (one) 1.5
Black-eyed peas (frzn, cooked, 1/2 cup) 0.5
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)

What it does:

  • Helps your body make nonessential amino acids, or proteins, which are then used to make body cells
  • Helps produce other body chemicals, including insulin, hemoglobin and antibodies to fight infection
  • Helps turn the amino acid called tryptophan into two important body substances: niacin and serotonin (a messenger in your brain)

If you don't get enough:

A deficiency can cause mental convulsions among infants, depression, nausea, or greasy, flaky skin. For infants, breast milk and properly-prepared infant formulas contain enough.

What foods are rich in pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)?

Chicken, fish, pork, liver and kidney are the best sources. Whole grains, nuts, and legumes also supply reasonable amounts. For example:

Food Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) in mg
Chicken, light meat, 3 oz. 0.5
Pork, loin, 3 oz. 0.4
peanut butter, 2 tbls. 0.1
black beans, boiled, 1/2 cup 0.1
almonds, 1 oz. 0.1
Biotin

What it does:

Helps your body produce energy in your cells and helps metabolize (use) protein, fat and carbohydrate from food.

If you don't get enough:

It's rarely a problem for healthy people who eat a variety of foods. In those rare cases, symptoms may appear, including depression, fatigue, appetite loss and heart abnormalities.

What foods are rich in biotin?

Biotin is found in a wide variety of foods, including eggs, liver, yeast breads, and cereals.

Pantothenic Acid

What it does:

Helps your body produce energy in your cells and helps metabolize (use) protein, fat and carbohydrate from food.

If you don't get enough:

It's rarely a problem for people who eat a variety of foods. Consuming too much may result in occasional diarrhea and water retention.

What foods are good sources of pantothenic acid?

Meat, poultry, fish, whole-grain cereals, and legumes are among the better sources. Milk, vegetables and fruits also contain varying amounts.

Choline

While the NAS' report gives recommendations for choline, it states "there are no nationally representative estimates of the intake of choline from food or from food supplements." ADA questions why recommended intakes were offered given limited research available to date.

Choline is produced by the body and found in a variety of foods. According to ADA, choline deficiency is not a problem for most Americans.

The American Dietetic Association is the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. With nearly 70,000 members, ADA serves the public through the promotion of optimal nutrition, health and well-being.