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Chemical food composition: implications for atherosclerosis prevention
Carlos Scherr1, Jorge Pinto Ribeiro
1Universidade Gama Filho, Instituto do Coração e Diabetes, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. scherr@all.com.br
Revista Da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992)
|May 4, 2011
Summary
Brazilian food composition tables show significant discrepancies in fatty acid and cholesterol content compared to actual food analysis. These differences impact dietary recommendations for preventing atherosclerosis.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Food Composition Analysis
- Public Health
Background:
- Accurate food composition data is crucial for effective dietary guidance.
- Existing Brazilian food reference tables may not reflect the true nutritional content of commonly consumed foods.
- Discrepancies can lead to suboptimal dietary recommendations, particularly for chronic disease prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the fatty acid and cholesterol content of Brazilian foods with data from widely used national reference tables.
- To identify and quantify differences in nutrient composition between analyzed foods and table values.
- To assess the clinical relevance of these discrepancies in dietary planning.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of fatty acid and cholesterol content in 41 frequently consumed Brazilian food items.
- Comparison of analyzed data with values from the Unicamp and UNIFESP food composition tables.
- Statistical analysis to determine the significance of observed differences.
Main Results:
- Significant variations in cholesterol and saturated fat content were found for several food items, including parmesan cheese, yellow cheese, and whole milk.
- Differences in cholesterol content ranged up to 48% and saturated fat content showed notable variations.
- Discrepancies led to clinically relevant differences in a 1,800-calorie diet prescription.
Conclusions:
- Important differences exist between the actual fatty acid and cholesterol content of foods and their representation in commonly used Brazilian tables.
- These inaccuracies can compromise recommendations for preventing atherosclerosis.
- The origin of reference tables (e.g., American origin of UNIFESP table) may contribute to observed discrepancies.
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