In Brief Sugars are a key dietary component. In fact, the central nervous system (ie, the brain) contains cells that have an absolute requirement for the sugar glucose. In addition to the glucose requirement, sugars are also consumed for their pleasant taste and ease of digestion. The role of sugars in dental health, behavior, and mental and physical performance has been studied. All fermentable carbohydrates, including sugars, contribute to the etiology of tooth decay, but dental researchers who recommend tooth decay prevention efforts also focus on factors other than sugar intake that may have a greater impact, such as good dental hygiene routines that include regular toothbrushing and use of fluoride toothpaste. Numerous scientific studies have failed to support the theory that sugar consumption leads to hyperactivity in children. However, research does support a positive link between sugar consumption and cognitive ability, particularly in the elderly and those with memory impairment, although more research is needed. The examination of sugars continues with a look at some health issues

Blood pressure reduction to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease is a key public health initiative, and reducing sodium intake is currently one of the lifestyle strategies promoted to achieve blood pressure lowering in the American population. Sodium reduction is to be achieved in large part by changes in the food supply, but accomplishing this will take time. Even with sodium reduction, consumer awareness and desire to reduce sodium and make other lifestyle changes will ultimately determine whether the goal of blood pressure reduction through diet and lifestyle can be achieved. The International Food Information Council surveyed consumers about their awareness and concern about sodium as well as other lifestyle behaviors that impact blood pressure. The International Food Information Council also convened an experts roundtable, ‘‘Managing Blood Pressure through Diet and Lifestyle,’’ to explore priorities for addressing the lifestyle management of high blood pressure. A summary of the roundtable experts’ discussion and the responses of consumers with high blood pressure to the questions are reported in this article. Results from both the Consumer Research and roundtable experts indicate that a holistic approach beyond sodium reduction is needed to manage high blood pressure to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. This approach may include messaging to consumers and medical professionals about weight management, more fruit and vegetable intake, and more physical activity. Nutr Today. 2012;47(4):183Y190 Multiple factors affect blood pressure. Uncontrollable risk factors include heredity, race (blacks have higher rates than whites), and age (blood pressure increases with age), whereas modifiable risk factors include overweight/obesity, diet, and physical activity. Lifestyle strategies to affect controllable risk factors include losing weight if overweight, eating more fruits and vegetables, reducing sodium, becoming more physically active, and moderating alcohol intake. The effects of lifestyle modifications vary from person to person, but for many, these changes will reduce the need for medications. Additionally, it appears that multiple lifestyle interventions incorporated simultaneously yield the greatest and most sustained blood pressure effect. However, dietary surveys and consumer opinion research, as well as clinical experience of healthcare providers, indicate that few people implement or sustain these lifestyle strategies to manage their high blood pressure. A combination of barriers, including lack of awareness, has been reported. Although multiple evidence-based strategies are part of standards of practice for treating high blood pressure, a focus on sodium reduction has gained the most attention. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) states: ‘‘reduce daily sodium intake to less than 2300 mg and for some persons including those who are 51 years or older and those of any age who are African American or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease to reduce intake to less than 1500 mg per day.’’ Thus, public health efforts have become focused on the potential of substantial sodium reduction to lower blood pressure at the population level and to a much more limited extent, the other lifestyle modifications that can exert real and significant changes in blood pressure. At the same time, the food industry has responded by committing to a gradual and safe reduction in sodium in the food supply. Since 2006, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation has conducted its annual Food & Health Survey, designed to gain insights from Americans on important food safety, nutrition, and health-related topics. In 2009, IFIC commissioned a separate Consumer Research project to assess concerns, perceptions, and actions taken Clinical Nutrition

In Brief The prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and hypertension in the United States is concerning. The etiologies of these chronic diseases are multifactorial in nature, involving varying genetic, social, and environmental factors. The relationship between food and food ingredients and risk for chronic disease has been particularly questioned. Specifically, scientific investigators have extensively examined the relationship between sugars and health. Consensus to date includes the following: total sugar intake does not cause type 2 diabetes; evidence linking sugar consumption to obesity is inconsistent; and intake of carbohydrates, including sugars, is not considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Although more research is needed in some areas, in general, the available data show no direct link between moderate consumption of sugars and serious diseases or obesity. We continue our exploration of sugars and their effects on some major chronic degenerative diseases

Sugars are a key dietary component. In fact, the central nervous system (ie, the brain) contains cells that have an absolute requirement for the sugar glucose. In addition to the glucose requirement, sugars are also consumed for their pleasant taste and ease of digestion. The role of sugars in dental health, behavior, and mental and physical performance has been studied. All fermentable carbohydrates, including sugars, contribute to the etiology of tooth decay, but dental researchers who recommend tooth decay prevention efforts also focus on factors other than sugar intake that may have a greater impact, such as good dental hygiene routines that include regular toothbrushing and use of fluoride toothpaste. Numerous scientific studies have failed to support the theory that sugar consumption leads to hyperactivity in children. However, research does support a positive link between sugar consumption and cognitive ability, particularly in the elderly and those with memory impairment, although more research is needed.

The prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and hypertension in the United States is concerning. The etiologies of these chronic diseases are multifactorial in nature, involving varying genetic, social, and environmental factors. The relationship between food and food ingredients and risk for chronic disease has been particularly questioned. Specifically, scientific investigators have extensively examined the relationship between sugars and health. Consensus to date includes the following: total sugar intake does not cause type 2 diabetes; evidence linking sugar consumption to obesity is inconsistent; and intake of carbohydrates, including sugars, is not considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Although more research is needed in some areas, in general, the available data show no direct link between moderate consumption of sugars and serious diseases or obesity.

In Brief Sugars have a long history of safe use in foods. Placed on the Food and Drug Administration’s list of foods that are “generally recognized as safe” in 1958, sugars and the health aspects of sugar consumption continue to be evaluated. Recent research has focused on several potential sugars and health relationships, sugar consumption and nutritional quality of the diet, recommendations for sugars or added sugar intake, and the utility of the glycemic index and glycemic load. The data are not clear-cut, although experts generally agree that dietary guidance focusing on calorie control, without singling out one food or nutrient, is essential to addressing the prevalence of obesity. An up-to-date review of the associations between sugars, health and disease, and their place in the diet

In Brief Blood pressure reduction to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease is a key public health initiative, and reducing sodium intake is currently one of the lifestyle strategies promoted to achieve blood pressure lowering in the American population. Sodium reduction is to be achieved in large part by changes in the food supply, but accomplishing this will take time. Even with sodium reduction, consumer awareness and desire to reduce sodium and make other lifestyle changes will ultimately determine whether the goal of blood pressure reduction through diet and lifestyle can be achieved. The International Food Information Council surveyed consumers about their awareness and concern about sodium as well as other lifestyle behaviors that impact blood pressure. The International Food Information Council also convened an experts roundtable, “Managing Blood Pressure through Diet and Lifestyle,” to explore priorities for addressing the lifestyle management of high blood pressure. A summary of the roundtable experts’ discussion and the responses of consumers with high blood pressure to the questions are reported in this article. Results from both the Consumer Research and roundtable experts indicate that a holistic approach beyond sodium reduction is needed to manage high blood pressure to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. This approach may include messaging to consumers and medical professionals about weight management, more fruit and vegetable intake, and more physical activity. There’s more to keeping blood pressure under control than weight and sodium, and it’s laid out here

Public attitudes about dietary sugars have varied over time, depending on numerous factors including consensus and emerging science, public policy, and consumer attention. The rise of obesity, the increasing concern over its associated health consequences, and the role of sugars in the diet continue to be examined by the scientific community. The media, which closely monitor scientific publications and policy development, endeavor to communicate these research findings, along with policy debates, as information for the general public. Because consumers tend to get most of their health and nutrition information from the media, they have been exposed to a significant amount of information on dietary sugars. This article describes how scientific findings and nutrition policy discussions affect media reports and, consequently, consumer perceptions about dietary sugars including obesity, low-carbohydrate diets, the glycemic index, and high-fructose corn syrup.

Today's "coffee culture" and the widespread availability of caffeine-containing foods and beverages fuel the ongoing study of caffeine and its subsequent coverage by the media. Although the media has become influential in communicating health and nutrition information to the public, coverage of emerging science, such as the study of caffeine, does not necessarily bring clarity or improved understanding for consumers. This article highlights the current knowledge of caffeine's effects on health, with emphasis on the most common areas of interest and confusion. To address persistent misperceptions about caffeine, this article also accentuates the need for nutrition professionals to help put the findings of caffeine research into perspective and suggests practical ways to do this.