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Foods : About the Nutrition Facts label (FAQs)

The well-known U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Nutrition Facts Label is very useful for determining the quality of food items, and we provide it in its standard layout for every item in our foods database. The label consists of the following main elements:

• Serving size
  
  This element is shown at the top of the label, and most food items can be analyzed for various serving sizes. Nutrients of those items with only one selection of serving size have to be scaled up or down according to the difference of the actual serving size and that used in our database.


• Calories and calories from fat
  
  The first value shows the total number of calories stored in that particular serving size of that food item. It should be used for traditional calorie counting purposes, in which dieters strive not to exceed a certain number of calories per day. The second value is mostly used by people on low-fat diets, who limit the consumption of items rich in fat.


• Nutrients to be limited
  
  This element shows total fat, cholesterol, and sodium values. According to the FDA, intake of these nutrients should be kept as low as possible for a nutritionally balanced and healthy diet.


• Supplemental nutrients
  
  Last but not least, dietary fiber, various vitamins, calcium, and iron values are shown. Eating enough of these can improve your health and help reduce the risk of some diseases and conditions. For example, getting enough calcium may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, a condition that results in brittle bones as one ages. Eating a diet high in dietary fiber promotes healthy bowel function. Additionally, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grain products that contain dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber, and low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Added 2007-06-03 22:10:07

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