From next month, AFIC is pleased to announce that electronic text-only version of Food Facts Asia will be available in Thai language. Any journalist or health professional who would like to receive this by email should contact info@afic.org. The text will also be available on AFIC’s website. Please visit www.afic.org for further details. 

Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the leading cause of mortality in industrialized countries and is rapidly becoming a primary cause of death worldwide. Harvard School of Public Health professors W. Willett and F.B. Hu published an important meta-analysis of current evidence for dietary strategies in the prevention of CHD, concluding that there is convincing evidence for three dietary strategies, namely replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat, including plenty of fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes and wholegrain cereals and ensuring adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids. The review is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2002) Volume 288, No 20, and is entitled ‘Optimal Diets for Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease’

There is a huge and growing range of dietary supplements on the market, and many consumers use such products occasionally or indeed regularly. Currently, there s no common definition of dietary supplements but  the term is generally used in reference to product that contains  a vitamin, mineral, amino acid, fatty acid, herb or other botanical that is intended as a supplement to the diet. The science of supplements is a dynamic and rapidly evolving field.  The International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements (IBIDS) database is an excellent source of the latest information on the latest research results for efficacy, safety, biochemical activity of dietary supplement ingredients. This electronic database, which provides access to bibliographic citations and abstracts from published, international, scientific literature on dietary supplements, may be accessed at http://ods.od.nih.gov/databases/ibids.html

Overweight (13%)

Current estimated suggest that worldwide, over 1 billion people are overweight, and more than 300 million have a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher, the threshold figure for classification as obese. Many countries in the Asia region are experiencing rapid rises in the prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst their populations. An important conference and symposium in 2002 reviewed current status, and strategic options for addressing this issue. Proceedings of this conference organized by the International Life Sciences Institute South-East Asia Region, in conjunction with the Singapore Health Promotion Board, Singapore National Heart Association, Food and Agriculture Organisation, Singapore Nutrition and Dietetic Association, and the Nutrition Society of Malaysia, are published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2002: Volume 11, Supplement S667-S751 

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD), including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, stroke, osteoporosis and some cancers are becoming increasingly significant causes of disability and premature death both globally and in the Asia Pacific region. Nutrition both in adulthood, and in some instances early childhood, are recognized as major modifiable determinant of chronic disease. It is estimated that in 2001, NCD’s were responsible for 60% of deaths worldwide, and this figure is expected to rise. The results of a joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation, which reviews current status and scientific evidence on the role of lifestyle and diet were published earlier this year. See  Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases, Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation, WHO Technical Report Series – 916 2002, Geneva, Switzerland, ISBN No. 92 4 120916 X

In the words of Dr Verscheuren, who chaired an International Symposium on Functional Foods in 2001, “increasing knowledge of the relationship between diet and health leads to new insights into the effects of food ingredients on physiological functions and health…….Despite the absence of a universally accepted definition for functional foods there is growing general agreement that some foods and beverages have beneficial effects beyond normal nutrition. The full proceedings which include reviews of current status across all regions of the world, and of the scientific understanding to date, see ‘Functional Foods: Scientific and Global Perspectives’ published in the British Journal of Nutrition 2002: Volume 88, Supplement No.2 November 2002