Articles -
Dr. Bernstein Shares His Insights
It's calculation time, for food labels that is, Richard K. Bernstein, M.D., F.A.C.E., F.A.C.N., C.W.S has part 7 of the So What's a Carb. This Week he talks about "How do they come up with the nutritional numbers".
The Diabetes Diet
Richard K. Bernstein, M.D., F.A.C.E., F.A.C.N., C.W.S.
Chapter 4
HOW DO PEOPLE REACT
TO THE NEW DIET?
Most of my patients initially feel somewhat deprived, but they
are also grateful to feel more alert and healthier —sometimes more so
than they have in years. I fall into this category myself. My mouth waters whenever
I pass a bakery shop and sniff the aroma of fresh bread, but I am also grateful
simply to be alive and sniffing.
Part 7of Chapter 4
So What’s Low Carb?
(Con’t)
See all parts here
NUTRITION
FACTS 101
How Do They Do It?
In the lab, protein is estimated based on a test of nitrogen. As you may know,
protein is made up of amino acids. Each amino acid contains a nitrogen atom,
so a lab can accurately estimate protein content by the amount of nitrogen in
the food. Fat content is estimated based on the weight of the fatty acids (lipids)
present in the product. For every three fatty acids, the lab adds the weight
of a glycerol molecule. This provides a pretty accurate picture of triglyceride
(fat) content, since three fatty acid molecules plus one glycerol molecule equals
one triglyceride molecule.
Fat must be further broken down into saturated and unsaturated, and new requirements
require listing trans fat (as in hydrogenated vegetable oil, for example). Carbohydrate
is measured last, and it’s done by elimination — overall weight
of the food minus protein, fat, water, and ash equals carbohydrate. Carbohydrate
must also be broken down into fiber and sugar. Measuring the amount and type
of carbohydrate in food is a complicated business and requires sophisticated
chemistry for some carbohydrate, while for others, such as pure starch or sugar,
reasonably simple enzymatic treatment can be used.
In addition, some nutrition information is just not provided on the labels.
The list below shows the “facts” that food manufacturers are allowed
to include on the nutrition label. The items in boldface are mandatory, the
others are optional.
• total calories
• calories from fat
• calories from saturated fat
• total fat
• saturated fat
• trans fat
• polyunsaturated fat
• monounsaturated fat
• cholesterol
• sodium
• potassium
• total carbohydrate
• dietary fiber
• soluble fiber
• insoluble fiber
• sugars
• sugar alcohol (for example, the sugar substitutes xylitol,
mannitol, and sorbitol)
• other carbohydrate (the difference between total
carbohydrate and the sum of dietary fiber, sugars,
and sugar alcohol if declared)
• protein
• vitamin A
• percent of vitamin A present as beta-carotene
• vitamin C
• calcium
• iron
• other essential vitamins and minerals
According to the FDA explanation of the regulations:
If a claim is made about any of the optional components, or if a food is fortified
or enriched with any of them, nutrition information for these components becomes
mandatory.
These mandatory and voluntary components are the only ones allowed [emphasis
added] on the Nutrition Facts panel.* The listing of single amino acids, maltodextrin,
calories from polyunsaturated fat, and calories from carbohydrates, for example,
may not appear as part of the Nutrition Facts on the label. The required nutrients
were selected because they address today’s health concerns. The order
in which they must appear reflects the priority of current dietary recommendations.†
It’s interesting to note that maltodextrin (a mixture of sugars derived
from corn) “may not appear” on the nutrition facts label (it can
and does appear on the ingredients list).
It’s also worth noting the reference to “current dietary recommendations.”
This has permitted occasional regulatory amendments (trans fats were added in
2003, for example), and it would not be surprising to see labeling requirements
amended again as “current dietary recommendations” and “today’s
health concerns” continue to evolve.
____________________________________
*But that doesn’t mean they can’t use footnotes.
†“The Food Label.” FDA Backgrounder, May 1999. See the full
text at
www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdnewlab.html.
Too Be Continued in Part 8 (Reading Food Labels)
We would like to thank the publisher Little Brown and Company and Dr. Richard
K. Bernstein, for allowing us to provide excerpts from The Diabetes Diet.
Copyright © 2005 by Richard K. Bernstein, M.D.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by
any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval
systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer
who may quote brief passages in a review.
Author’s Note
This book is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. The
reader should regularly consult a physician for all health-related problems
and routine care.
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