F&N Digest -- November/December 1995

Extension Foods and Nutrition, Cooperative Extension Service, Kansas State University

November/December 1995

What's New: 1995 Nutrition Motivation Contest; Ellyn Satter to Speak in Kansas City; USDA'S Team Nutrition Schools; F & N Digest Now On-Line

Food Safety: Can Your Kitchen Pass The Food Safety Test?

Limited Resources: Obesity Increasing in American Youth; 1995 CCHIP Report Released; More on Yo-Yo Dieting; USDA Defends Food Stamps from Block Grants

Nutrition/Health: How Food and Nutrition Affect Oral Health; Food Labeling Guide for Restaurants and Other Retail Establishments; Vitamin A and Birth Defects; Need New Growth Standards for Children; Folate and Stroke; Diet Myths

Resources: Meat Nutrition Posters Available

1995 Nutrition Motivation Contest
It's time to prepare your entries for the fifth annual Kansas Nutrition Council Nutrition Motivation Contest. We want to know how you motivate children, teens or adults to make positive diet changes! A $100 cash prize will be awarded to the winner.

All programs must originate at the community level, no nationwide or statewide programs are eligible. You do not have to be a member of the Kansas Nutrition Council to submit an entry.

The Kansas Nutrition Council, an affiliate of the Society for Nutrition Education, is a networking group of agencies and professionals, including dietitians, home economists, dietary managers, teachers, nurses, school food service managers and child care providers, who work with food-related issues within Kansas.

All entries are due February 9, 1996. Winners will be notified in late February and awards will be presented at the KNC Conference March 28, 1996.

For more information about the contest criteria, rules and how to enter please contact Linda Walter, Stevens County Extension Office, Courthouse, 200 E. Sixth, Hugoton, KS 67951-2699. (316) 544-4359.

Ellyn Satter to Speak in Kansas City
Enclosed is a registration form for a one day seminar by Ellyn Satter which will be held in Kansas City on January 26. As many of you know, Ms. Satter is a nationally known expert on feeding children. This is an excellent opportunity to get some state-of-the-art training so we can better help parents and caregivers with feeding their young ones. As an added bonus, the training has been approved for continuing education credit. I encourage those of you who work with parents or caregivers of young children to attend this very worthwhile day. (PP)

USDA'S Team Nutrition Schools
USDA's Team Nutrition is a network of public and private partnerships that promote food choices for a healthy diet through the media, schools, families, and the community. USDA's Team Nutrition supports the new policy updating school meals nutrition standards to reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This historic policy change, the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children, is the most significant reform of the school meals program since 1946.

Team Nutrition Schools represent the community focal point for USDA's Team Nutrition. They serve as the catalyst for bringing together stakeholders who will work to ensure healthier school meals and more information for children and their families. Team Nutrition Schools is an exciting incentive program designed to coordinate Team Nutrition activities at the local level and to encourage prompt implementation of the new school meals policy.

In September, USDA highlighted a Team Nutrition School in each state. This national network will demonstrate results of changes in schools meals and showcase their successful nutrition education programs. USDA will continue to recognize those schools and communities that have demonstrated their commitment to improving the health and nutrition education of children and encourage all schools throughout the nation to become a USDA Team Nutrition School. In June 1996, thousands of USDA's Team Nutrition Schools from coast to coast will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the school lunch program.

In October, the US Department of Education and USDA invited every principal in the country to enroll their school in the Team Nutrition Schools Program.

If you are interested, the Regional contact for Kansas is Darlene Sanchez, USDA/FCS/MPRO, 1244 Speer Blvd., Suite 903, Denver, CO 80204. (303) 844-0355. (MC)

F & N Digest Now On-Line
The F & N Digest is now on the World Wide Web. At the present time all issues from 1994 to the present are located on the Extension Web site. Point your browser to http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/humannutrition/newslet.htm (RB)

Can Your Kitchen Pass The Food Safety Test? What comes to mind when you think of a clean kitchen? Shiny waxed floors? Gleaming stainless steel sinks? Spotless counters and neatly arranged cupboards?

They can help, but a truly "clean" kitchen, that is, one that ensures safe food, relies on more than just looks: It also depends on safe food practices.

In the home, food safety concerns revolve around three main functions: food storage, food handling, and cooking. To see how well you're doing in each, take this quiz, and then read on to learn how you can make the meals and snacks from your kitchen the safest possible.

Choose the answer that best describes the practice in your household, whether or not you are the primary food handler.

1. The temperature of the refrigerator in my home is:: a. 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius); b. 40 F (4 C); c. I don't know; I've never measured it.

2. The last time we had leftover cooked stew or other food with meat, chicken or fish, the food was:: a. cooled to room temperature, then put in the refrigerator; b. put in the refrigerator immediately after the food was served.; c. left at room temperature overnight or longer

3. The last time the kitchen sink drain, disposal and connecting pipe in my home were sanitized was:: a. last night; b. several weeks ago; c. can't remember

4. If a cutting board is used in my home to cut raw meat, poultry or fish and it is going to be used to chop another food, the board is:: a. reused as is; b. wiped with a damp cloth; c. washed with soap and hot water and sanitized with a mild chlorine bleach solution

5. The last time we had hamburgers in my home, I ate mine:: a. rare; b. medium; c. well-done

6. The last time there was cookie dough in my home, the dough was:: a. made with raw eggs, and I sampled some of it; b. store-bought, and I sampled some of it; c. not sampled until baked

7. I clean my kitchen counters and other surfaces that come in contact with food with:: a. water; b. hot water and soap; c. hot water and soap, then bleach solution; d. hot water and soap, then commercial sanitizing agent

8. When dishes are washed in my home, they are:: a. cleaned by an automatic dishwasher and then air-dried; b. left to soak in the sink for several hours and then washed with soap in the same water; c. washed right away with hot water and soap in the sink and then air-dried; d. washed right away with hot water and soap in the sink and immediately towel-dried

9. The last time I handled raw meat, poultry or fish, I cleaned my hands afterwards by:: a. wiping them on a towel; b. rinsing them under hot, cold or warm tap water; c. washing with soap and warm water

10. Meat, poultry and fish products are defrosted in my home by:: a. setting them on the counter; b. placing them in the refrigerator; c. microwaving

Answers:
1. Refrigerators should stay at 40 F (4 C) or less, so if you chose answer B, give yourself two points. If you didn't, you're not alone. According to Joseph Madden, Ph.D., strategic manager for microbiology in the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, many people overlook the importance of maintaining an appropriate refrigerator temperature.
"According to surveys, in many households, the refrigerator temperature is above 50 degrees (10 C)," he said.
His advice: Measure the temperature with a thermometer and, if needed, adjust the refrigerator's temperature control dial.
A temperature of 40 F (4 C) or less is important because it slows the growth of most bacteria. The temperature won't kill the bacteria, but it will keep them from multiplying, and the fewer there are, the less likely you are to get sick from them.
Freezing at zero F (minus 18 C) or less stops bacterial growth (although it won't kill bacteria already present).

2. Answer B is the best practice; give yourself two points if you picked it.
Hot foods should be refrigerated as soon as possible within two hours after cooking. But don't keep the food if it's been standing out for more than two hours. Don't taste test it, either. Even a small amount of contaminated food can cause illness.
Date leftovers so they can be used within a safe time. Generally, they remain safe when refrigerated for three to five days. If in doubt, throw it out, says FDA microbiologist Jeffery Rhodehamel. "It's not worth a foodborne illness for the small amount of food usually involved."

3. If answer A best describes your household's practice, give yourself two points. Give yourself one point if you chose B.
According to FDA's Madden, the kitchen sink drain, disposal and connecting pipe are often overlooked, but they should be sanitized periodically by pouring down the sink a solution of 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water or a solution of commercial kitchen cleaning agent made according to product directions. Food particles get trapped in the drain and disposal and, along with the moistness, create an ideal environment for bacterial growth.

4. If answer C best describes your household's practice, give yourself two points. Washing with soap and hot water and then sanitizing with a mild bleach solution is the safest practice, said Dhirendra Shah, Ph.D., director of the division of microbiological studies in FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
If you picked A, you're violating an important food safety rule: Never allow raw meat, poultry and fish to come in contact with other foods. Answer B isn't good either. Improper washing, such as with a damp cloth, will not remove bacteria.

5. Give yourself two points if you picked answer C.
The safest way to eat hamburgers is to cook them until they are no longer red in the middle and the juices run clear. That doesn't happen with rare-cooked meats, and it may not happen with medium-cooked ones. Cooking food, including ground meat patties, to an internal temperature of a least 160 F (71 C) usually protects against foodborne illness. Well-done meats reach that temperature.
To be on the safe side, check cooked meat, fish and poultry with a meat thermometer to ensure that they have reached a safe internal temperature.
For microwaved food, follow directions, including the standing time, either in or out of the microwave, after cooking. Microwave cooking creates pockets of heat in the food, but allowing the food to stand before eating allows the heat to spread to the rest of the food.

6. If you answered A, you may be putting yourself at risk for infection with Salmonella enteritidis, a bacterium that can get into shell eggs. Cooking the egg or egg-containing food product to at least 140 F (60 C) kills the bacteria. So answer C, eating the baked product, will earn you two points.
You'll get two points for answer B, also. Foods containing raw eggs, such as homemade ice cream, cake batter, and eggnog, carry a Salmonella risk, but the commercial counterparts don't. Commercial products are made with pasteurized eggs (eggs that have been heated sufficiently to kill bacteria), and may contain an acidifying agent that kills the bacteria. Commercial preparations of cookie dough are not a food hazard.
If you want to sample homemade dough or batter or eat other foods with raw-egg-containing products, consider substituting pasteurized eggs for raw eggs. Pasteurized eggs are usually sold in the grocer's refrigerated dairy case.

7. Answers C or D will earn you two points each; answer B, one point. According to FDA's Madden, bleach and commercial kitchen cleaning agents are the best sanitizers, provided they're diluted according to product directions. They're the most effective at getting rid of bacteria. Hot water and soap does a good job, too, but may not kill all strains of bacteria. Water may get rid of visible dirt, but not bacteria.
Also, be sure to keep dishcloths and sponges clean because, when wet, these materials harbor bacteria and may promote their growth.

8. Answers A and C are worth two points each. There are potential problems with B and D. When you let dishes sit in water for a long time, it "creates a soup," FDA's Madden said. "The food left on the dish contributes nutrients for bacteria, so the bacteria will multiply." When washing dishes by hand, he said, it's best to wash them all within two hours. Also, it's best to air-dry them so you don't handle them while they're wet.

9. The only correct practice is answer C. Give yourself two points if you picked it.
Wash hand with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food, especially raw meat, poultry and fish. If you have an infection or cut on your hands, wear rubber or plastic gloves. Wash gloved hands just as often as bare hands because the gloves can pick up bacteria. (However, when washing gloved hands, you don't need to take off your gloves and wash your bare hands, too.)

10. Give yourself two points if you picked B or C. Food safety experts recommend thawing foods in the refrigerator or the microwave oven or putting the package in a water-tight plastic bag submerged in cold water and changing the water every 30 minutes. Changing the water ensures that the food is kept cold, an important factor for slowing bacterial growth that may occur on the outer thawed portions while the inner areas are still thawing.
When microwaving, follow package directions. Leave about 2 inches (about 5 centimeters) between the food and the inside surface of the microwave to allow heat to circulate. Smaller items will defrost more evenly than larger pieces of food. Foods defrosted in the microwave oven should be cooked immediately after thawing.
Do not thaw meat, poultry and fish products on the counter or in the sink without cold water; bacteria can multiply rapidly at room temperature.

Rating Your Home's Food Practices
20 points: Feel confident about the safety of foods served in your home.
12 to 19 points: Reexamine food safety practices in your home. Some key rules are being violated.
11 points or below: Take steps immediately to correct food handling, storage and cooking techniques used in your home. Current practices are putting you and other members of your household in danger of foodborne illness. (KP)

Source: FDA Consumer, pp 14-18, October 1995.

Obesity Increasing in American Youth
Research shows obesity among children and adolescents is a growing concern.

According to the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) (1988-1991), the prevalence of obesity among 12 to 19 year olds was 21%, an increase of 6% since NHANES II (1976-1980). Among male adolescents, 20% were overweight, compared with 22% of female teenagers. The survey data indicated that the increased prevalence of obesity among adolescents is related to decreasing levels of physical activity and increases in energy intake.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study of 2300 girls revealed 21% of white 9-10 year old girls and 30% of African American girls were obese. This represents a 40% increase and 100% increase respectively since the NHANES II data. According to this study, obesity is related to percentage of television watched.

Responding to the conclusions of these two studies, Dr. Doris Derelian, president of the American Dietetic Association said, "Those in the nutrition business have to pay more attention to physical activity and those in the physical activity business have to pay more attention to nutrition". (MP)

Source: CNI June 23, 1995 Family Economics Review, 8:3, 1995.

1995 CCHIP Report Released
According to the Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project (CCHIP) study released in July 1995, almost one-third of all children under 12 live in families that are hungry or at risk of being hungry during at least one part of one month of the year. Four million children under age 12 are hungry and 9.6 million are at risk of hunger. The number of hungry children has decreased from the first CCHIP survey in 1991, which found that more than five million children under age 12 were hungry. However, 6 million were at risk of hunger in 1991.

The study of 5000 low income households with at least one child under age 12 was conducted in Washington, DC and nine states: Maine, New York, Indiana, South Carolina, Utah, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Texas and Ohio.

Other key findings of the study include:

60% of hungry households had at least one employed member. 70% of the "at-risk households" had at least one employed member. 43% of families receiving food stamps and 68% of families whose children eat school lunches have an employed family member. The average income for families receiving food stamps was 66% of the poverty line. Recipients of WIC had an average income of 89% of the poverty line and school lunch recipients 98% of poverty. 97% of adults in hungry households reported skipping meals. 1/3 of families receiving WIC, School Lunch and school breakfast use food pantries or soup kitchens.

The survey also revealed hunger's negative impact on children's health. Compared to non-hungry children, hungry children are four times as likely to have difficulty concentrating and to suffer from fatigue, three times as likely to have unwanted weight loss, twice as likely to be anemic, and significantly more likely to have frequent colds and ear infections. (MP)

Source: CNI July 1995

More on Yo-Yo Dieting

About 40% of women and 25% of men in the U.S. are on a diet at any given time. Within a year, approximately 90% will regain most or all of the weight they have lost. Obesity experts have warned of the hazards of repeated weight loss and gain and some have suggested that remaining overweight may be preferable to so-called "yo-yo" dieting. A recent study, however, indicated the contrary.

Researchers on a National Institutes of Health task force reviewed 43 human studies on yo-yo dieting. They found most studies do not show that yo-yo dieting by itself lowers metabolic rate, increases percentage of body fat, makes it harder to lose weight the next time, raises blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar, or increases the risk of heart disease.

The investigators made the following recommendations:

If you are obese or seriously overweight, don't let concerns about the effects of yo-yo dieting interfere with efforts to lose weight. Even a loss of 5 to 10 pounds can be beneficial. Work towards a lifelong commitment to increased physical activity and lowering calorie intake.

If you are not seriously overweight, avoid "dieting". Maintain a stable weight. (MP)

Source: University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter 11:4. January 1995.

USDA Defends Food Stamps from Block Grants

Congress currently is studying a plan to replace the federal food stamp program with block grants to the states. Through a series of official statements and position papers, the USDA has mounted a vigorous campaign for maintaining the food stamp program at the federal level.

Reduction of benefits

According to USDA, if block grants had been a reality during the recession of 1989, the food stamp budget would not have increased automatically as more people became eligible. As a result, by 1994, there would have been $12 billion less in food stamp spending than was budgeted that year.

While states would have averaged a 50% reduction in total food stamp spending in 1994, some states would have fared considerably worse. California, for example, would have experienced a 70% reduction.

Impact on agriculture and the food industry

With block grants, food stamps would no longer be an entitlement. Thus, benefits would not change according to economic fluctuations, resulting in less money available for food purchases. Food purchases could be further reduced if states decided to move away from food stamps and provide assistance in cash. Studies conducted on the effect of cash benefits estimate a reduction of food spending of up to 18%.

Elimination of the Safety Net

Food stamps provide a safety net in two ways. Under the current program, food stamps can be used for food expenditures only. Studies have shown dietary improvement among food stamp recipients. Secondly, food stamps currently are an entitlement. The budget grows or shrinks according to the number of people who become poor enough to qualify. Under block grants, the funding for food stamps would not change with economic fluctuations. States would have to decide whether to cut benefits, tighten eligibility or dedicate state revenues to meet increased need. (MP)

Source: CNI

How Food and Nutrition Affect Oral Health

Note: This is the second part in a 3-part series on Nutrition and Oral Health in the Elderly.

A good diet is essential for oral health. Tissue health, structure and immunity from bacterial infection are promoted by adequate nutrients of all kinds.

Water is our most critical nutrient. Elderly can become dehydrated because of their decreased sensitivity to thirst and lower levels of tissue hydration. An adequate fluid intake is 6 to 8 cups under normal temperature and conditions. High room temperatures, fever and diarrhea can quickly jeopardize the frail elderly.

Obviously, protein is important for repair and maintenance of all kinds of tissues as well as immunity from infections. But all vitamins and minerals in varying degrees support oral health.

For a healthy mouth, follow the Food Guide Pyramid and the 7 Dietary Guidelines. This is the way to get a safe balance of not only the identified nutrients and food components such as fiber but also the unknown ones as well.

Preventing caries development

Four conditions are necessary to produce dental decay: 1) cariogenic bacteria, 2) diet or medication with fermentable carbohydrates, 3) susceptible teeth, and 4) time. Factors that contribute to caries development include poor mouth care and plaque build-up, diseases such as diabetes and Sjogren's disease, gingival recession (gums receding from teeth and exposing tooth roots) and partial dentures.

Caregivers, both paid and unpaid, can help control most of these factors if the elderly person is unable to perform the necessary tasks. Excellent practical advice is available on how to provide these services.

Carbohydrate and fluoride are the two nutrients most involved in promoting and preventing dental caries. High carbohydrate foods rich in sugars between meals as well as at meal-time, promote dental decay. Sweets such as hard candies for sucking or sticky, between-meal snacks such as gooey cookies, raisins, and caramels especially promote caries.

Fermentable carbohydrates sucrose (table sugar), glucose or dextrose, fructose or fruit sugar, maltose, lactose or milk sugar, plus complex carbohydrates such as starches are all potentially cariogenic. The sequence is:

Bacteria in dental plaque on the tooth surface uses the sugars in the diet or medication to produce acid.

The acid in turn, erodes the tooth surface resulting in decay.

The most acid is produced between 5 to 15 minutes of eating the high carbohydrate food and 20 minutes or more later. Studies involving geriatric patients taking sweetened liquid medications for a long time show a significant increase in dental caries. Saliva buffers acid and helps wash sweets out of the mouth.

Presweetened cereals eaten dry as a snack promote caries more readily than when consumed with milk. Starch-sugar combinations such as cakes, cookies and sweet breads are more detrimental than an equal amount of sugar in a liquid. Other habits such as sucking on vitamin C tablets or slowly sipping sweetened, acid-containing beverages like soda pop can promote caries.

Sugar substitutes such as saccharin and aspartame do not promote caries. The sugar alcohols, sorbitol and mannitol, while closely related to sugars do not support plaque microorganisms and when incorporated into sugarless gums stimulate the flow of cleansing saliva. Xylitol, another sugar alcohol used in sugarless gums, is another story and is not recommended for those with dry mouths and at high caries risk.

On the other hand, fluoride applications can retard dental decay. If fluoridated water is unavailable, dental care providers recommend their patients use fluoridated dentifrices, mouth rinses and gels applied by brush or finger applicator, or a customized tray all depending upon the ability of the person to perform the required tasks. Periodic fluoride applications by a dental hygienist can also protect teeth.

Studies with dairy products, especially cheeses such as cheddar cheese, can protect teeth against caries. Reasons proposed include 1) the calcium and phosphorus neutralize the acid produced by the bacteria, 2) cheeses stimulate saliva flow, and 3) cheese components reduce bacterial activity. Human studies have shown that eating cheese can reduce caries in children and root caries in adults.

Preventing periodontal (gum) disease

Nutritional deficiencies have never been shown to be a primary cause for either periodontitis or gingivitis; however, they may influence how well these tissues resist injurious substances. Thus, nutrient deficiencies can affect the rate and degree of damage rather than cause it in the first place. Prescribing high potency nutrition supplements, especially megadoses of vitamin C as part of periodontal treatment, is not justified.

Other oral conditions

The role of diet and nutrition in treating bone resorption in the edentulous (those without teeth), mouth ulcers and cancerous lesions, painful tongues, and other soft tissue problems is murky. However, one of the reasons many older folks leave the dentures in the glass when it's time to eat is because of bone loss and thin, fragile epithelial tissue underlying the dentures. A lifetime of good food habits and thus good nutrition is an elderly person's first and best line of defense against oral disease.

Furthermore, for many nutrient deficiencies, the oral cavity is an early warning site. Signs of inadequate intake or reduced nutrient absorption are more visible in the mouth than in most other tissues. Of course, many of these signs and symptoms can have other causes and differential diagnosis requires the services of a well-trained health care provider. (MC)

Sources: Niessen, LC, & JA Jones. Oral Health changes in the elderly, their relationship to nutrition. Postgraduate Medicine. 75 (5): 231-237. April 1984. Martin, WE. Chap. 6 Oral Health in the Elderly. In Geriatric Nutrition, the Health Professional's Handbook. Ronni Chernoff, ed. Aspen Pub. Gaithersburg, MD. p. 113-119. Martin, op cit. p. 118. Palmer, CA, Nutrition and oral health of the elderly. In Geriatric Dentistry. ASPapas, LC Niessen, & HH Chauncey, ed. Mosby Year Book, St. Louis. 1991 p. 267. 5. Martin, op. cit., p. 118-119. 6. Palmer, C A. op cit. pp 267-268.

Food Labeling Guide for Restaurants and Other Retail Establishments

A document addressing questions on food labeling regulations for restaurants and other retail establishments is now available. The Food and Drug Administration has prepared this document and made it available through the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. The order number to request is No. 017-012-00374-5.

FDA has received a number of questions regarding how the 1990 labeling amendments apply to retail food establishments. Answers to the most frequently asked questions are found in this document.

Some sample questions and answers from the document are listed below.

How does FDA define restaurant? An establishment where food is consumed immediately or upon walking away or one that delivers ready-to-eat food.

If a restaurant makes a claim for one item, is it required to list the nutrition content of all items? No, only on those foods that have a claim, i.e. low fat brownies.

Does a restaurant have to use the label that appears on packaged foods (the Nutrition Facts format)? No, an abbreviated format is allowed, such as-low fat, this meal provides less than 10 grams of fat.

Is a restaurant required to have a food with a claim analyzed by a lab? No, FDA is allowing flexibility, allowing use of a reliable nutrient database for analysis.

Many other questions regarding the application of the labeling laws to retail establishments are included in this document. For more information on this document contact Michelle A. Smith, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-158), Food and Drug Administration, 200 C St. SW., Washington, DC 20204, (202) 205-5099. (MC)

Source: Electronic Food Rap Vol. 5 No. 42 Bill Evers, PhD, RD and April Mason, PhD, Extension Foods and Nutrition Specialists, Purdue University.

Vitamin A and Birth Defects

We have known for some time that excessive intakes of vitamin A can cause birth defects. A very recent study shows some birth defects at a much lower level of vitamin A intake than previously thought. As little as 200% of the Daily Value (10,000 IU or 3000 RE's) was associated with an increase in birth defects.

As a precautionary measure, FDA has several recommendations for women of child-bearing age relative to consuming foods containing vitamin A, including dietary supplements.

First, the form of vitamin A that is of concern is pre-formed vitamin A. Therefore, women of child-bearing age are advised to choose fortified foods that contain vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene rather than pre-formed vitamin A, whenever possible. The vitamin A in fruits and vegetables is naturally in the form of beta-carotene, and high intakes of vitamin A from these sources is generally not of concern.

Finally, vitamin A is an essential nutrient and, as with all nutrients, the good health of women throughout child-bearing years, including during pregnancy, is dependent on consuming needed amounts of this nutrient. Taking too little vitamin A can result in adverse effects just as can taking in too much. The key is in finding the "right amount" through carefully reading the product nutrition labeling. (PP)

Source: FDA Talk Paper, Oct. 6, 1995

Need for New Growth Standards for Children

We have evaluated children's growth for decades using growth charts that were developed for white children in the 1960's. But now researchers are showing that children of different races and ethnic groups grow at different rates. Normal growth for one group is not normal growth for another, so using the same growth standards is probably not appropriate.

For example, black girls by age 6 tend to have more muscle and bone mass and grow faster than white or Hispanic girls. They also mature at a faster rate. This may mean that black girls need more protein in their diet because they are developing muscle and bone and growing at a faster rate.

New information on growth rates of various groups may help in developing customized dietary guidelines to meet the nutritional needs of the particular group. This would help healthcare professionals more accurately identify and treat children who are at risk of malnutrition or from disease characterized by obesity, muscle weakness or growth deficiency. (PP)

Source: Nutrition and Your Child, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Summer 1995.

Folate and Stroke

The National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released information that may link low blood levels of folate (folic acid) to higher risk of stroke. This is especially true for African Americans.

Researchers collected information from 2006 people over a period of 16 years. They found that those with low blood levels of folate (below 9.2 nmol/L) were 37% more likely to have a stroke. Among blacks, those with low levels were three times as likely to suffer a stroke.

Because of the low incidence of stroke in the group, this is considered a preliminary study. But, be on the watch for more research results. (PP)

Source: Stroke; Vol. 26, no. 7; July 1995; p. 1166-1170 as reported in Community Nutrition Institute Week, July 28, 1995.

Diet Myths

Just because we are eating more foods that are lower in fat or contain no fat does not mean that we will automatically lose weight. Research has shown what many of us have suspected for some time. People who consume non-fat ice cream think they can have an extra scoop since they are getting no fat. But that extra scoop brings the calories up to what they would have consumed in one scoop of the higher fat ice cream.

A recent study of an average American diet with an increased consumption of skim milk, low-fat mayonnaise, non-fat cream cheese and salad dressing showed that this kind diet provides only two calories less than a diet of two percent milk, regular butter, mayonnaise, and salad dressing because people eat more. Dieters would not lose weight. So we're back to recommending a combination of reduced fat intake and calorie consumption with regular exercise. Nothing is easy! (PP)

Source: Community Nutrition Institute Nutrition Week, August 25, 1995.

Meat Nutrition Posters Available

Updated posters and brochures featuring nutritional data for meat and poultry are available from the Food Marketing Institute. Although the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act does not require nutritional labeling of raw, single-ingredient meat and poultry products, USDA has encouraged retail establishments to voluntarily provide point of purchase information on 45-products. The updated Nutri-facts kit will provide nutritional information on beef/veal, pork/lamb, and chicken/turkey. Contact: Food Marketing Institute, 800 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20006, (202) 452-8444. (KP) tion labeling. (PP)

Source: FDA Talk Paper, Oct. 6, 1995

K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.