The glycaemic index (GI) of foods is a physiologically based classification ofcarbohydrate foods according to their blood glucose–raising potential. It hasimportant implications for the prevention and treatment of the major causes ofmorbidity and mortality—among them non–insulin dependent diabetes, coronaryheart disease and obesity—in developed and developing nations. The re...

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The nutrition of pregnant women is decisive in the course of gestation and the health of both mother and child. However, in the Spanish population, clinical monitoring of nutrition is rare, the control of bodyweight receiving most attention. Many studies show that pregnant women take too much fat and too little carbohydrate, and that intakes of fibre and several trace elements are lower than re...

Every five years the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture issue a report containing ‘nutritional and dietary information and guidelines for the general public’, meant to help individuals select nutritious, health-promoting diets. At the writing of this editorial, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) has just completed its last meeting bef...

Quantitative dietary guidelines for fats were first issued in 1977 in the USA and these guidelines have changed little since then. In the UK only 14% of the population achieve the dietary goal for fat (33% energy) and only 3% achieve the target (10% energy) from saturated fatty acids. Analysis of the Dietary and Nutritional Survey of British Adults reveals that across quartiles of decreasing to...

The 2010 US Dietary Guidelines recommended limiting intake of sodium to 1500 mg/d for people older than 50 years, African Americans, and those suffering from chronic disease. The guidelines recommended that all other people consume less than 2300 mg sodium and 4700 mg of potassium per day. The theoretical feasibility of meeting the sodium and potassium guidelines while simultaneously maintainin...

In early 1980's, the first edition of dietary guidelines for Taiwanese was established by the Department of Health (DOH), Executive Yuan. The main purposes of the guidelines were to guide nutritional professionals and dieticians to plan diet for preventing general population from diseases. Besides the amount of daily cholesterol intake, the percentages of calories from carbohydrate, protein, an...