Implications of fat replacement for nutrition and food intake

The expanding development and marketing of fat replacers and reduced-fat foods is primarily directed at nutritional concerns regarding excessive fat and energy consumption. Existing and proposed ingredients used to replace fat span a range of physical and chemical properties, with varied functionality and differences in their potential physiological effects. Although the safety and functionality of such ingredients and technologies have been scrutinized by industrial and governmental bodies, there has been rather less consideration given to assessments of their likely effects on food intake and nutritional status. It is often assumed that products made using fat replacement technologies would help to reduce fat intake and aid in weight control, despite little research directly assessing the effects of purchase and consumption of these products by normal consumers in the domestic environment. This review considers existing and proposed fat replacers and reduced-fat foods, focusing on their potential beneficial and adverse influences on diet and nutrition, highlighting the possible implications for fat intake and energy balance.     

Strategien zur Fettsubstitution in Lebensmitteln

Strategies for the substitution of dietary fat. The increasing incidence of overweight and obesity in Europe and North America has to be reduced by lowering the energy and fat consumption. The supply of low-fat products is helpful to decrease the individual fat intake. A simple reduction of dietary fat content, however, is often combined with a loss of sensoric and technological food quality. Therefore, it is necessary to substitute dietary fat either by fat analogs or by fat replacers (also called fat mimics of fat mimetics). Fat analogs having no or a very low energetic value, e.g. special triglycerides, carbohydrate polyesters, retrofats, long-chain ethers, are fat-like in their functional properties (appearance, hydrophobicity, temperature behaviour). Fat replacers having lower energy values than dietary fat are represented by microparticulated proteins and carbohydrates, e.g. inulin, starch, dextrins, water-binding and jelling substances. They predominantly simulate the sensoric, but not the whole range of other functional properties of dietary fat. Due to their toxicological safety and sensoric quality, however, their importance as substitutes for dietary fat will increase.     

Fat,cholesterol, and atherosclerosis

Summary Cholesterol is a universal constituent of all animal cells and therefore occurs in all foods of animal origin. Cholesterol is the mother substance of bile acid and of sex hormones and has other important physiological roles. Cholesterol is synthesized in the body from acetate obtainable from ingested carbohydrate, fat. or protein, of animal or vegetable origin. The fate of cholesterol in the body has not been definitely established. The cause of atherosclerosis is unknown. Atherosclerosis occurs in young as well as old individuals. Atherosclerosis is the number-one killer today. Diagnosis of atherosclerosis in the healthy individual is not possible. Treatment of atherosclerosis is empirical. Reduction of blood cholesterol levels by dietary means is difficult under conditions consonant with good nutrition. A well-balanced intake of all available foods on a modified total caloric basis appears to be the practical approach to the problem of fat, cholesterol, and atherosclerosis. Presented at the 47th Annual, Meeting, American Oil Chemists’ Society, Houston, Tex., April 23–25, 1956.     

Dietary fat and body weight control

The global obesity epidemic has heightened the debate about dietary factors contributing to weight gain. Media stories have promulgated the notion that obesity has increased despite reductions in dietary fat intake. Some have even speculated that lower dietary fat levels may be driving the rapid rise in weight gain within the population. A close examination of the science reveals a different picture and supports the hypothesis that dietary fat, within the context of the total dietary composition consumed by many populations, promotes obesity. Hence, dietary fat control is still an important strategy as part of an overall approach to body weight management in our modern environment. Dietary fat increases the energy density of foods. Abundant evidence from preclinical and clinical studies indicates that fat promotes excess energy intake and positive energy balance. Dietary fat does not promote its own oxidation in the body and is stored efficiently, promoting a positive fat balance. Thus, both the behavioral and metabolic responses to dietary fat increase the probability of positive energy balance and body fat gain. Restoring fat balance when consuming diets rich in fat requires increasing the size of the body fat mass, increasing physical activity, or reducing dietary fat intake. Numerous epidemiologic, preclinical, and controlled clinical studies have shown that body fat is positively associated with dietary fat intake and that dietary fat manipulation leads to appropriate changes in body fat mass. Finally, data from the National Weight Control Registry, a database of >3000 individuals who have successfully maintained a substantial weight loss, indicate that moderating dietary fat intake is a key strategy for long-term management of body weight.     

Calories,fat and cancer

The experiments reported are part of our effort to dissociate the tumor-enhancing effects of dietary fat and high caloric intake. Rats either were fed ad libitum diets containing 4% corn oil or their calories were restricted by 40% and their diets contained 13.1% corn oil. Incidence of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumors was 80% in rats fed ad libitum and 20% in those fed the calorie-restricted diets. Incidence of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colon tumors was 100% in rats fed ad libitum and 53% in those whose caloric intake was restricted by 40%. The tumor yield (tumors per tumor-bearing rat) was significantly lower in rats on caloric restriction. In another series, rats were fed diets containing 5, 15 or 20% corn oil ad libitum or were fed calorie-restricted (by 25%) diets which provided 20 or 26.6% corn oil (therefore, the same absolute amount of fat was consumed in each of the pair-fed groups). Tumor incidence and tumor yield in the two calorie-restricted groups were similar to those seen in the rats fed 5% fat ad lititum; tumor burden (total g of tumor) was 45–65% lower in the calorie-restricted rats. The data suggest that caloric intake is a more stringent determinant of tumor growth than fat intake.     

Is a Calorie Really a Calorie? Metabolic Advantage of Low-Carbohydrate Diets

The first law of thermodynamics dictates that body mass remains constant when caloric intake equals caloric expenditure. It should be noted, however, that different diets lead to different biochemical pathways that are not equivalent when correctly compared through the laws of thermodynamics. It is inappropriate to assume that the only thing that counts in terms of food consumption and energy balance is the intake of dietary calories and weight storage. Well-controlled studies suggest that calorie content may not be as predictive of fat loss as is reduced carbohydrate consumption. Biologically speaking, a calorie is certainly not a calorie. The ideal weight loss diet, if it even exists, remains to be determined, but a high-carbohydrate/low-protein diet may be unsatisfactory for many obese individuals.     

The twisted tale of saturated fat

Recent research results mandate a careful re‐evaluation of the widespread belief that dietary saturated fat is harmful. Specifically, multiple recent reports find no association between dietary saturated fat intakes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). There is, however, a consistent pattern of increased risk for both CVD and type‐2 diabetes associated with increased levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA) in circulating lipids. This raises the important question as to what contributes to increased levels of saturated fat in the blood? Whereas dietary intake of saturated fats and serum levels of SFA show virtually no correlation, an increased intake of carbohydrate is associated with higher levels of circulating SFA. This leads to the paradoxical conclusion that dietary saturated fat is not the problem; rather it's the over‐consumption of carbohydrate relative to the individual's ability to metabolize glucose without resorting to de novo lipogenesis. From this perspective, insulin resistant states like metabolic syndrome and type‐2 diabetes can be viewed as carbohydrate intolerance, in which a high carbohydrate intake translates to increased serum SFA and therefore increased risk.     

Saturated fat and heart disease: The latest evidence

In recent years, many nutrition news headlines exclaimed that saturated fat was not linked to heart disease, leaving the public confused about whether to limit intake, as has been the dietary recommendation for several decades. However, a more nuanced look at the evidence indicates that high saturated fat diets are in fact not benign with respect to heart disease risk. Dietary recommendations should emphasize replacing saturated fats typical in red and processed meats, and certain tropical oils and dairy forms, with healthier polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat‐rich foods, such as nuts, olive oil, and fatty fish, as well as healthy sources of carbohydrates, such as fiber‐rich whole‐grain foods, rather than refined‐grain and sugar‐laden foods.     

Fette und Ernährung aus Sicht der DGE

Fat and Nutrition - The Point of View of the DGE Fat is an important energy source because of its high energy density. Moreover fat in food is carrying fat soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids. Fat contributes to the taste of dishes and increases the acceptance of food. Energy density of fat is important for the high energy demand of children and heavy workers. The supply of fat soluble antioxidative vitamins is of increasing importance. The influence of the amount and the quality of fat on lipoproteins in blood and coronary risk as well as epidemiological data on the relation of a high fat intake and the risk of different kinds of cancer are of importance. Fat intake is a critical factor in nutrition and should be intensively monitored with respect to upper and lower limits.     

The dietary score as a simplified methodology in processing and analyzing food consumption data

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the dietary score as a valid and rapid alternative procedure for the processing and analysis of food consumption data in Guatemala. The dietary score consists in assigning points to a diet based upon the number of servings the diet provides of each one of the eight groups in which food has been classified. The size of the serving for each food receiving points was estimated based on available data describing the food pattern of Guatemala. The caloric contribution of each of the eight groups to the total caloric intake was also calculated, and information on the caloric and nutrient needs of the Guatemalan population is discussed. In this communication, the dietary score was compared to the percentage of adequacy for energy and nutrients in 392 diets of women, and children between the ages of 24 and 60 months. Half of the dietaries were collected using the 24-hour recall method, while in the other half, the direct weighing method was used. Nutritional adequacy was estimated from food composition tables and based on the recommended energy and nutrient intake figures. In addition, by utilizing the adequacy indices for energy and nutrients, a binary variable was developed to describe the overall adequacy of the diet. This variable describes the probability a diet has of being adequate, given the dietary score obtained. In conclusion, the dietary score was found to be a valid, rapid and efficient alternative for the processing and evaluation of food consumption information, collected by means of either the direct weighing of foods or the 24-hour recall methods.     

Fats in human nutrition

Summary Dietary fats represent the most compact chemical energy available to man. They contain twice the caloric value of an equivalent weight of sugar. However dietary fats should not be thought of solely as providers of unwanted calories as fats are as vital to cell structure and biological function as protein. If an individual consumes food items of high fat content, an adequate protein and vitamin intake should be assured in order to provide the lipotropic factors necessary for normal fat metabolism. It may be more judicious to control the total caloric intake under such circumstances rather than to resort to periods of semi-starvation or to drastically decrease the dietary fat intake which could result in an increase in hunger pangs and an actual increase in total caloric intake. If the excess calories furnished by carbohydrates are converted to fatin vivo, the problem of obesity could not be solved under conditions of increased total caloric intake. The problem could be solved by a curtailed intake of a diet which includes meat, milk, eggs, vegetables, fruits, and sufficient cereals and bread to provide for an adequate protein, vitamin, and caloric intake. Dietary fats provide the essential linoleic acid which seems to have both a structural and functional role in animal tissue. Although the optimum total intake of linoleic acid by man has not been established, it is evident that the level of intake in the American dietary pattern could be increased. However the indiscriminate substitution of soft for hard fats seems undesirable as an excess consumption of highly unsaturated fatty acids may change the functional value of the triglycerides in the depot fats and may put an undue stress on the antioxidant supply availablein vivo.     

Phytosterols and human lipid metabolism: efficacy,safety, and novel foods

Plant sterols have been known for several decades to cause reductions in plasma cholesterol concentrations. These plant materials have been granted a conditional health claim in the United States regarding their effects in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and are being sold in functional foods in several countries in Europe as well as in the United States and Australia. It is generally suggested that daily consumption of ∼2 g of plant sterols can lower cholesterol concentrations as part of a dietary prevention strategy. However, phytosterols have been added and tested for their cholesterol-lowering effects mainly in spreads. Consumption of these high-fat foods seemingly flies in the face of current recommendations for the promotion of heart health, which suggest lowering total fat and energy intake to maintain weight. Hence, new food formulations are being evaluated using phytosterols incorporated into low-fat and reduced-fat food items. The purpose of this review is to examine the cholesterol-lowering efficacy of plant sterols, focusing on novel food applications, their mechanism of action, and safety. These novel food formulations include new solubilization processes that lead to improved uses for plant sterols, as well as new foods into which phytosterols have been incorporated, such as breads, cereals, and beef. Such new foods, and formulations should pave the way for greater use of phytosterols in heart health promotion, increasing the longer-term potential for the creation of innovative functional foods containing plant sterols and their derivatives.     

Dietary fat and the development of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the fifth most common cause of death due to cancer. Except for an association with cigarette smoking, its etiology is poorly understood. Because of the dearth of epidemiological clues as to causation, studies with experiemntal animal models assume greater importance. Rodent models of pancreatic cancer indicate that while dietary fatper se does not cause pancreatic cancer, it does enhance or promote tumor development. Subsequent to treatment with a pancreatic carcinogen, high intakes of dietary unsaturated fats of the n−6 series, but not saturated fats, enhance or promote tumor development. A requisite level of linoleic acid is needed for this promotion. Fats of the n−3 series (e.g., certain fish oils) are inhibitory to tumor growth. Promotion by dietary fats appears only partly related to the high caloric content of fat. Mechanistically, certain dietary unsaturated fats appear to selectively enhance the growth rate of carcinogeninduced, pre-cancerous lesions. Irrespective of precise understanding of mechanisms of promotion, it, appears possible to intervene in the process of cancer development and reduce the burden of cancer. Experimentally, this may be accomplished by decreasing total fat intake, decreasing caloric intake, increasing exercise or increasing the intake of n−3 fatty acids. Based on a paper presented at the Symposium on Lipids in Cancer held at the AOCS Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, April 1990.     

Role of dietary fat in health

Recent scientific evidence is reviewed which shows that some modest success at improving the morbidity due to atherosclerotic disease has been achieved by a diet lower in fat and cholesterol and higher in polyunsaturated fatty acids than the usual American diet. This has shown a group correlation with serum cholesterol reduction. The effect is small enough that no statistically significant improvement in overall mortality rate has yet been seen in groups studied. Many imponderables remain in the use of a high polyunsaturated fatty acids diet: not only is the optimal daily dietary intake uncertain, but its effects upon the body economy are just beginning to receive attention. While it seems reasonable to attempt nomalization of abnormal blood lipid patterns through dietary or pharmacological efforts in those individuals with acquired or inherited hyperlipidemias, the presently available data do not warrant major revision of the dietary pattern for the remaining 80–90% of the population. One of five papers presented at the symposium, “Status of Fat in Food and Nutrition,” AOCS Fall Meeting, Chicago, September 1973.     

Dietary fat composition and tocopherol requirement: IV. Safety of polyunsaturated fats

In a long-term multigeneration study, conducted in our laboratories for 32-years, with occasional longevity and histopathological evaluations included, rats of our own inbred strain (originally of Wistar derivation) were fed semisynthetic diets comprising whole wheat, skim milk powder, and fat in the form of margarine products. The total source of tocopherols was the dietary fat itself. Saturated fatty acid content (S) remained relatively constant at about 20% of the fat and total tocopherol level also remained constant at about 0.12% of the fat. Polyunsaturated fatty acid (P) content, however, progressively increased almost fourfold, from 7.5% to 28.5% and alphatocopherol levels decreased to one-half level, from 0.033% to 0.016% of the fat. Hence, the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids to alpha-tocopherol content changed markedly from 227∶1 to 1780∶1, with other factors (relative to fat composition) held constant during the 32-year period of feedings and observations. Fat level in the diet increased over the years from 9.2% to 16.0% or from about 21% to about 33% of the caloric intake. Thus, quality and quantity of the fat in the diet progressively changed, and the impact of these changes was evaluated by comparing biological performances of the successive generations. Growth and reproduction and lactation performances were noted to be regularly satisfactory and comparable from generation to generation throughout the experimental period. Longevity studies conducted on arbitrarily selected generations also provided data showing no deleterious effects associated with a dietary change. Histopathological examinations of tissue revealed minimal myocarditis and no malignant tumors which could be attributed to a dietary factor. No vitamin E deficiencies were observed. Even the in vitro peroxide hemolysis values for the red blood cells of the animals, fed the diets containing the higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, were low, indicating that the dietary fats provided sufficient absorbable tocopherol to protect the potentially oxidizable unsaturated fatty acids in the erythrocyte membrane. Biochemical data reflected responses to aging and not to any specific diet fed. It is concluded that a diet providing as much as 33% of the calories as a fat, the latter containing up to 28.5% polyunsaturated fatty acids, substantially of the essential fatty acid type, with a P/S ratio of up to 1.6∶1 and a polyunsaturated fatty acid to alphatocopherol ratio as high as 1780∶1] produces no undesirable effects in the rat. Presented in part at a symposium entitled “Long Term Nutritional Effects of Dietary Fats” at the International Society for Fat Research World Congress, September 30, 1970, Chicago, Illinois.     

Development of a food frequency questionnaire for Sri Lankan adults

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) are commonly used in epidemiologic studies to assess long-term nutritional exposure. Because of wide variations in dietary habits in different countries, a FFQ must be developed to suit the specific population. Sri Lanka is undergoing nutritional transition and diet-related chronic diseases are emerging as an important health problem. Currently, no FFQ has been developed for Sri Lankan adults. In this study, we developed a FFQ to assess the regular dietary intake of Sri Lankan adults. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of 600 adults was selected by a multi-stage random cluster sampling technique and dietary intake was assessed by random 24-h dietary recall. Nutrient analysis of the FFQ required the selection of foods, development of recipes and application of these to cooked foods to develop a nutrient database. We constructed a comprehensive food list with the units of measurement. A stepwise regression method was used to identify foods contributing to a cumulative 90% of variance to total energy and macronutrients. In addition, a series of photographs were included. RESULTS: We obtained dietary data from 482 participants and 312 different food items were recorded. Nutritionists grouped similar food items which resulted in a total of 178 items. After performing step-wise multiple regression, 93 foods explained 90% of the variance for total energy intake, carbohydrates, protein, total fat and dietary fibre. Finally, 90 food items and 12 photographs were selected. CONCLUSION: We developed a FFQ and the related nutrient composition database for Sri Lankan adults. Culturally specific dietary tools are central to capturing the role of diet in risk for chronic disease in Sri Lanka. The next step will involve the verification of FFQ reproducibility and validity.     

The preparation of polyglycerol esters suitable as low-caloric fat substitutes

Medicinal research has linked dietary fats with such maladies as cancer, heart disease and stroke. The overconsumption of fats has been declared one of the major dietary health concerns in the United States by the Surgeon General. As a result, there is an increased awareness by consumers of their need to reduce the intake of calories derived from fat. The food industry has shown much interest in the development of substitutes for dietary fats and oils. To date, no substitute that can be used as a full fat replacement has entered the marketplace. Linear polyglycerols (LPGs) have been prepared by a proprietary polymerization process. Fatty acid esters prepared from LPGs were found to resist hydrolysis by digestive enzymes and were poorly absorbed in animal feeding tests. When esterified with fatty acids, LPG esters are similar to natural triglycerides in color, odor, taste and other physical characteristics. These properties make LPG oils good candidates for use in nonnutritive edible oil applications, particularly in uses that require stability at high temperatures.     

Fortification and enrichment of foods: considerations on their use for achieving nutritional goals

The diet should, ideally, provide adequate amounts of all nutrients. The traditional foods of many Latin American countries, however, must be fortified or enriched with certain nutrients to satisfy the needs of the whole population. These measures should be considered as temporary, until improvements are achieved in dietary diversification, economic conditions, nutrition education and food processing and storage. Restoration of nutrients lost during cooking or processing and equalization of new foods with the nutrients present in traditional foods, are also important. Conditions for a successful program of fortification or enrichment include a widespread and regular intake of the dietary vehicle, high bioavailability of the added nutrient, low costs of the nutrient and the fortified vehicle, central processing, organoleptic characteristics that ensure acceptability, stability of the product during storage and cooking, no risk of toxicity, and adequate control during the process, distribution, marketing and consumption of the fortified vehicle or food. Control measures must be supported by legal sanctions to those who do not comply with the norms for obligatory fortification or enrichment. Control measures must also identify the necessary modifications due to changes in dietary habits or public health interventions. In Latin America there are fortification and enrichment programs with various nutrients in which local diets are scarce. Many Latin American scientists have been pioneers in this field.     

Chemical composition of food products derived from wheat and corn produced in Costa Rica

Twenty one wheat and corn based food products elaborated in Costa Rica were analyzed by chemically with the purpose of having data on local foods. The analytical methods to determine proximate composition were AOAC's. Energy was estimated by calorimetric bomb and dietary fiber (DF) by the gravimetric enzymatic method. Also food portion size was estimated and related with DF content for food classification. The values of the nutrients per food were established and compared with others reported in foreign tables commonly used in the country. Fat and energy content in cookies are higher than in salad breads and crackers. Wheat and corn based food products are classified either as low or very low DF sources (< 2.9 g FD/portion). Corn "tortilla" DF content duplicates bread's and the fiber is basically insoluble. Marked differences were founded in the nutritive composition of specific foods when compared with values reported in foreign food tables. In other foods, as corn based products, similarities in the chemical composition were common. The chemical composition of the studied local foods shows the potential of the diet to be atherogenic, an important aspect to be considered with relation to the main causes of mortality in Costa Rica population. The more compatible food composition table with our data is the Central American, followed by the Latin American one. The necessity of having data on the chemical composition of local foods has been demonstrated.