One of the best ways to know whether a certain food is high or low in a particular nutrient is to make the best use of Daily Value. Low does not necessary imply bad while high does not necessarily imply good. That is why it is important to know which nutrients are needed most and which nutrients are least needed in a particular serving. 5 and 20 Rule has been found to be the best rule of thumb (Abrams and Hawthorne, 2012). The terms “low” and “high” in the context of nutrients need to be well understood. The Daily Value (DV) of a nutrient is regarded low if it is either 5% or less. For example, if one is looking for a food label with nutrients low in saturated fat, then that will be considered a good thing and a healthy choice. However, if the food label shows that it is low in calcium, iron, or any other nutrient that one needs more of, the low is not regarded as a good choice. If the food label shows that the DV of a nutrient is 20% or more, then that will be considered high. If one is evaluating food and finds that the DV for sodium is 20% or more, there might be a need to find another food. However, if the DV for Vitamin C is 20% or more, then that might be the best choice.
The food label for a show that for every 250ml Coke soda serving, the DV for various nutrients is sugars (29%), fat (0%), saturates (0%), and sodium (<1%). It also shows that he kcal 5%. In this food label, the 5-20 rule applies because it shows Coke is low in sodium, kcal, fats, and saturates. DV for sodium and fats is less than 5% suggesting that Coke is a healthy choice for a person who is looking for a drink that is low in fats and sodium. However, if the person is also looking for food with a low DV for fats, Coke serving is an unhealthy choice. This is because the DV for sugars in Coke is high (>25%).
Food labels are very effective for guiding consumers on healthy food choices. Some consumers, however, might have challenges interpreting what is high or low. The 5-20 rule as it is might not be the best in offering accurate guidance. 5-20 rule is only a good rule of thumb. The changes suggested offers accurate guidance to consumers on the best choice of food with the desired DV. This include people who are managing chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (WHO, 2017), chronic diseases include diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Diabetes causes an increased risk of other conditions such as infections, heart diseases, kidney diseases, and heart diseases. Besides physical inactivity, overweight, weight gain, and obesity are strongly associated with obesity. Obesity has been found to be caused by physical inactivity and consumption of food which are high in energy or excess calories such as fats, sugar, and starch. The major cause of cardiovascular disease is high pressure. High intake of salt has been linked with high pressure. Poor weight control, lack of physical activity, and consumption of food with high trans-fats and saturated fats has been found to escalate the risk of cardiovascular conditions while high intake of fruits and vegetables has been shown to be a good remedy for cardiovascular conditions. 5/20 rule can be used to manage people with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases effectively. In this case, diabetic people with Type 2 diabetes should consume food that is low in sugar, fats, and starch. The food that should be increased is food rich in fibre such as fruits, vegetables, cooked dried beans and peas, brown rice, bran foods, and whole-grain crackers, bread, and cereals. Foods that need to be reduced are those that are high in trans-fats and saturated fats such as baked food, milk, cheese, and beef. Salt for diabetic patients also increases high blood pressure. As such, they should take food low in salt. People with high risk of cardiovascular diseases should also take food with a low DV in fats, carbohydrates, sugars, and salt. However, they should increase food rich in fibres such as vegetables and fruits. They should also increase intake of nuts, whole grains and dietary fibre.
For the nutritive management of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, there is a need to decrease consumption of macaroni & cheese because it is high in total calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Biscuits should also be decreased not only because of the high total calories but also because it has a high DV of sodium. Potato chips also have high calories and high sodium, and it should not be served frequently.
References
Abrams, S.A. & Hawthorne, K.M. (2012). Bone Health in Children. Boca Raton: CRC Press
World Health Organization (WHO). (2017). Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/trs916/summary/en/
