June

June 2002 Highlights from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Below are summaries of several nutrition research articles published in the June 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association and reactions to the studies from ADA spokespeople. For more information, or to receive a faxed copy of a JADA article, please call Bridget McManamon 800/877-1600, ext. 4769; or e-mail bmcmana@eatright.org.

Five A Day keeps the doctor away: Americans are listening

The National Cancer Institute began the 5 A Day for Better Health Program in 1991 to educate consumers about the need to consume more fruits and vegetables. So are consumers following this advice? Researchers from NCI surveyed more than 2,500 consumers in 1991 and 1997 regarding consumption of and attitudes and knowledge about fruits and vegetables. Researchers found that individuals who were aware of the 5 A Day for Better Health program ate a significantly larger amount of fruits and vegetables (5.2 daily servings) than those who were not aware of the program (3.6 daily servings). In addition, women were more aware of the program than were men (21.1 percent versus 14.9 percent) and those with more than a high school education were more aware of the program than were those with less. Researchers suggest nutrition-counseling efforts should be aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among targeted groups, particularly men and those less educated. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, at least 20 percent of all forms of cancer may be prevented by eating a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables.

"Fruits and vegetables play an important role in fighting heart disease and several forms of cancer," says Atlanta-based registered dietitian and ADA spokesperson Chris Rosenbloom, chair of the department of nutrition at Georgia State University. "The fact that more Americans are listening to this message and taking steps to include fruits and vegetables in their eating plan is a great step toward improving Americans' health."

Flavored milk increases calcium consumption among children

Ninety percent of teenage girls and 70 percent of teenage boys do not meet current calcium recommendations of 1,300 milligrams per day*. How can we get kids to increase their calcium consumption? Researchers at the University of Vermont suggest offering children flavored milk to drink. Researchers evaluated nearly 4,000 children and adolescents who participated in the USDA Continuing Survey of Food Intakes of Individuals to see if offering children flavored milk would increase their calcium consumption and lower the amount of sugar-sweetened beverages the children consume. They found that children who consumed flavored milk had higher total milk intake and lower soft drink and fruit drink intake than non-flavored-milk drinkers. Flavored-milk drinkers consumed the same amount of fruit juice and had similar percent of calories from fat compared with children who did not consume flavored milk. Researchers state that flavored milk can play a role in changing recent trends in children's sugar-sweetened beverage intake and offer a nutritious alternative to the wide array of beverages available to children.

*Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture

"Flavored milk is a great way to help children increase their calcium intake," says Denver-based registered dietitian and ADA spokesperson Jackie Berning, assistant professor at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. " It is vital for children to consume adequate amounts of calcium to help promote strong bones, and if flavored milk does the trick, than drink up!"