Recent nutrition research: implications for foods of the future

Dietary habits and the foods we ingest influence health. Nutrition is one factor that can be controlled in such a way as to influence an individual's destiny in such diseases as coronary heart disease (CHD) hypertension, stroke, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and gall stone disease. The role of nutrition in treatment and prevention of CHD is one example. It is not only a problem in Western Europe and in the United States anymore but with "westernization" of Asia and Africa and in many Eastern European countries, CHD is increasing at an alarming rate. Led by the American Heart Association, influential groups have provided dietary recommendations to the general public over the past 30 years. These recommendations have been based to a large extent on research carried out to determine the influence of various dietary components, particularly fatty acids and dietary cholesterol, on the risk factors leading to CHD. The results of these investigations can now be used by industry to provide foods for the future which will provide the public with more healthy choices and hopefully aid in the control of diseases which can be influenced by diet.