Food-Based Dietary Guidelines

World Health Organization/FAO, Preparation and use of food-based dietary guidelines, WHO Technical Report Series No. 880, Geneva (1998). 

Our supermarkets today provide an abundance in food choices, yet most Americans do not follow the research based advice on good nutrition summarized in The Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Instead, people plan and select a diet of traditional foods that they believe will meet their needs. In the best of cases, this can result in a balanced, healthful diet that makes a positive contribution to the quality of life. In the worst of cases, it can result in over-consumption of some nutrients, under-consumption of other nutrients, and a generally unbalanced diet that results in a general or specific decrement in health. Our goal must be to consume the variety of foods necessary to obtain in the appropriate amounts (i.e., the levels associated with the lowest prevalence of disease and longest life), all the nutrients and protective compounds found in food (1). 

Prioritize diagnoses based on urgency, impact, and available resources Write a nutrition prescription based on a patient s/client s individualized recommended dietary intake of energy and/or selected foods or nutrients based on current reference standards and dietary guidelines and a patient s/client s health condition and nutrition diagnosis Collaborate with the patient/client to identify goals of the intervention for each diagnosis... 

Section 8 of the DSHEA is a grandfathering clause. Substances in use prior to October 15, 1994 are not subject to the standard of reasonably expected to be safe. Substances marketed after this date are considered new dietary ingredients. Unless the dietary supplement was present in the food supply as an article used for food in a form in which the food has not been chemically altered, the manufacturer must notify the FDA at least 75 days before marketing the product. The manufacturer must supply the FDA with information based on history of use or other evidence of safety to support that the product will reasonably be expected to be safe for the stated use. There are no guidelines in the DSHEA for what constitutes history of use or other evidence of safety. - ... 

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