[PHNUTR-L] Nutrient density score helps develop healthy diet

[Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD]

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Nutrient density score helps develop healthy diet
Dec 1st - 5:20pm
http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=106&sid=637281

A nutrient density score can help people develop a healthy diet.

"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," a 
researcher in the United States reports.

"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," said Adam 
Drewnowski at the University of Washington in Seattle. "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 
2,000 kcal food, can be used to assign nutrient density values to foods 
within and across food groups."

Drewnowski noted, "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," concluded 
the investigator.

Drewnowski published the study in the American Journal of Clinical 
Nutrition (Concept of a nutritious food: toward a nutrient density 
score. Am J Clin Nutr, 2005;82(4):721-732).
-- 
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD < fivestar at nutritionucanlivewith.com >
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