The Dietary Guidelines for Americans,
2005 recommends eating a variety of nutrient-dense
foods while not exceeding caloric needs. For most people,
this means eating a daily assortment of fruits and vegetables,
whole grains, lean meats and beans, and low-fat or fat-free
milk products, while limiting added sugar, sodium, saturated
and trans fats, and cholesterol.1
Some fats, mostly those that come from
sources of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fatty acids,
such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils, are an important
part of a healthy diet. However, high intake of saturated
fats, trans fats, and cholesterol may increase
the risk of coronary heart disease. Most Americans should
consume fewer than 10 percent of calories from saturated
fats, less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol, and keep trans
fatty acid consumption to a minimum. In 2003–04, 63.5 percent
of women exceeded the recommended maximum daily intake of
saturated fat—most commonly non-Hispanic White women and
non-Hispanic Black women (65.9 and 64.4 percent, respectively).
Salt, or sodium chloride, also plays an important role in
heart health, as high salt intake can contribute to high
blood pressure. Almost 70 percent of women exceed the recommended
intake of less than 2,300 mg/day of sodium (about 1 teaspoon
of salt).
Folate is an important part of a healthy
diet, especially among women of childbearing age, since
it can help reduce the risk of neural tube defects early
in pregnancy. The Healthy People 2010 objective for red
blood cell (RBC) folate concentration is 220 ng/mL. Non-pregnant
women aged 15–44 have met this goal, but average RBC folate
levels fell from 260 ng/mL in 2001-02 to 235 ng/mL in 2003-04,
representing a decrease of almost 10 percent. The largest
decline was among non-Hispanic White women (16 percent),
but rates among non-Hispanic Black and Mexican American
women also dropped.
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Vertical Bar Chart: Women Exceeding the Recommended
Maximum Daily Intake of Saturated Fat, by Race/ethnicity, 2003-04
>
Line Chart: Red Blood Cell (RBC) Folate Concentration
Among Non-Pregnant Women Aged 15-44, 1999-2004
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