EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: 3 p.m. (CT) SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 1997
Media Advisory: To contact David A. McCarron, M.D.,
call Hilary Coburn at 503/494-8490.
NUTRITIONALLY-BALANCED MEALS IMPROVE HEART HEALTH Prepackaged meals more beneficial than those selected by patients
A nutritionally-balanced diet benefits people at risk for cardiovascular disease and also improves quality of life, according to an article in the January 27 issue of The AMA's Archives of Internal Medicine.
David M. McCarron, M.D., from the Department of Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, and colleagues at 10 medical centers in the U.S. and Canada monitored adherence to and the health benefits from nutritionally-balanced meals.
For 10 weeks, 560 men and women with hypertension, dyslipidemia (abnormal amounts of lipids), or diabetes were randomized to either the Campbell's Center for Nutrition and Wellness (CCNW) plan, which is composed of prepackaged meals or a nutritionist-guided American Heart Association Step I and Step II diet, in which participants self-selected foods to meet their nutrition prescription.
The researchers found that nutritionally-balanced meals improved the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. Both plans improved patients' blood pressure, lipid levels, carbohydrate metabolism, weight, and quality of life; however, compliance was greater with the CCNW group and consequently, so were the benefits.
The authors write: "To our knowledge, there are no single pharmaceutical interventions capable of inducing similar simultaneous improvements in these cardiovascular risk factors. Easily prescribed and requiring minimal dietary counseling, the CCNW approach offers an effective and convenient means of achieving the myriad of dietary recommendations for cardiovascular disease management while concurrently improving overall nutritional status and quality of life."
Participants in both diet groups experienced improvements in quality of life throughout the 10-week program including mental health, general perceived health, daily activities and work performance, nutrition hassles, nutritional health perceptions, nutritional effect, social function, and sexual function.
The researchers write: "Our data suggest that consumption of nutritionally complete diets favorably influences physiological and metabolic processes common to the pathogenesis of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus."
Hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus are among the most common modifiable risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and renal disease and occur in combination in many individuals. Dietary modifications including reduced intake of saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and refined sugars and adequate intake of minerals, vitamins, fiber, and complex carbohydrates, are commonly recommended for the prevention and/or treatment of these conditions, according to information cited in the study.
The researchers write: "In what may be an important advance in nutrition research, we tested the hypothesis that a complete meal program, developed on the basis of current knowledge of nutrition science and advances in food technology, would enable high-risk individuals to consume diets that simply and conveniently satisfy the nutritional needs of their medical conditions. We believe this is the first study to provide free-living individuals with food plans that comprise the optimal intake of all nutrients and the macronutrients balance recommended by national health organizations."
The macronutrient composition of both nutritional plans was approximately 17 percent fat, 62 percent carbohydrate, and 21 percent protein. The CCNW plan meets daily nutritional guidelines for the intake of sodium, fat, cholesterol, refined sugars, fiber, and complex carbohydrates. The CCNW plan was fortified to meet at least 100 percent of the recommended dietary allowances for adults for most nutrients, with the exception of vitamin D (77 percent) and copper (91 percent). The self-selecting group was prescribed a set number of servings from each of the American Dietetic Association and American Diabetes Association exchange lists, composed primarily of breads and starches, fruits, low-fat milk, vegetables, and lean meats.
Editor's note: This study was supported by the Campbell's Center for Nutrition and Wellness, Campbell Soup Co. # For more information: contact the AMA's Amy Fox at 312/464-4843. email: [email protected] AMA web site: http://www.ama-assn.org
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