Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has loosened
restrictions on how much scientific proof is required before
possible health benefits appear on food labels. For example, the
FDA now allows sellers of certain nuts to claim that "Scientific
evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces
per day of some nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and
cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease." Sellers of
seafood that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids will want to claim that
their products prevent heart attacks, and so forth, so we will
probably see a proliferation of these statements on food labels in
the years ahead.
A manufacturer cannot claim that a product prevents
heart attacks just because it contains nuts. For example, putting
nuts in ice cream will not allow a manufacturer to claim that ice
cream with nuts prevents heart attacks. The claims are
supposed to help you understand that the specific food only
helps to prevent heart attacks when a person does not take in
too many calories, does not eat too much saturated and partially
hydrogenated fats, and does eat lots of vegetables and other
foods derived from plants. You cannot say that eating nuts
prevents heart attacks, but you can say that eating nuts as part
of a healthful diet helps to prevent heart attacks.
May 1, 2006