The Heart Check Symbol – one of the first front-of-pack nutrition labels – was created by the American Heart Association in 1995. The idea was to give people a quick visual cue as to foods that were low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Unfortunately, the sugar count was not considered. And thus, ridiculously sweet and unhealthy foods started to appear with the heart check symbol.

No more, says an AHA spokesperson:

The association advocates limiting the amount of discretionary calories in the diet which come from added sugars. Since desserts are a significant source of added sugars, we have elected to close the dessert category to further certification.”

What you need to know:

This is a good development.

Endorsements on food products by respected health organizations are a double edged sword. On one hand, the AHA wanted to promote healthier eating habits. But on the other hand it began to develop a tidy little revenue stream, charging companies thousands of dollars per product endorsement.

That creates an unnecessary tension that could potentially cause the criteria for heart healthy food to be lower than if no money was being paid. Not saying that this is what happens, but it could.

In general, nutrition labeling that is not regulated by the FDA is an opening for various tricks, shenanigans, and nutrition voodoo. Instead of contributing to healthier consumer choices, such labels may actually achieve the opposite.

What to do at the supermarket:

Your best bet is NOT to rely on front-of-pack labels or other health claims, and head straight to the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel. Granted, it’s more time consuming and requires effort, but if you need help – we’re here to provide advice.

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The American Heart Association wants you to be healthier. And in a new, online campaign, dubbed My Life Check, the organization is introducing 7 factors that will help you live longer:

1. Stop smoking
2. Get active
3. Lose weight
4. Eat better
5. Manage blood pressure
6. Control cholesterol
7. Reduce blood sugar

No big surprises in the list. Smoking is a killer that everyone acknowledges. Most of us live a sedentary lifestyle and would do better to get physical activity into the daily routine. Losing weight and eating better seem like the same thing at first, but are not necessarily so. To lose weight you just need to cut calories, but that does not mean you are eating healthfully. Case in point, the recent Taco Bell Drive Thru Diet, where a young lady lost 50 pounds by eating at a fast food establishment. Eating better means incorporating nutrient dense foods into the lowered number of calories you are consuming as part of your diet. Nutrient dense foods are fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean cuts of meat, legumes, and dairy products.

These first 4 activities can be handled by yourself, with help and advice from registered dietitians to create a weight loss plan that fits your personal needs.

The last 3 suggestions in the list require a visit to the doctor’s office for a checkup and some tests (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar), something we should do once a year if we’re healthy and young, and more often if not.

The program is sponsored by the “Pharmaceutical Roundtable”, which in the AHA’s words is:

the first roundtable in the pharmaceutical industry and one of the most exciting developments in cardiovascular research in recent years. This innovative forum provides an opportunity for an ongoing exchange of ideas and information between our medical leaders and those from prestigious pharmaceutical companies.

All the big pharma companies are members and will be more than happy to provide you with pills, shots, and treatment plans to help you get better.

Other features of the program include an online quiz you can take to assess how you are faring in each of the seven steps to a healthier heart.

What to do at the supermarket:

It’s much cheaper for you, not to mention healthier, not to be in a position to need the help of the pharmaceutical industry. You don’t want to get to the stage where drugs are what keep your heart healthy. So start making smart food choices NOW, for yourself, and even more importantly, for your children.

Our usual basket of advice includes buying mostly unprocessed products and preparing meals and snacks at home. When you do buy prepared foods, a short ingredient list is usually a sign of a better product for you. Try to ignore front of package health claims and marketing speak, because in many cases they only present half the truth – a low fat product may be very high in sugar to compensate.

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The American Heart Association has just published a report on sugar consumption [PDF] in its Circulation Journal. Not surprisingly, Americans are consuming way too many teaspoonfuls of ADDED SUGAR in our diet.

How much? 22 teaspoons worth on average!

If you think that’s not typical, just add up a  breakfast cereal (3 teaspoons),  lowfat strawberry yogurt (3 teaspoons), one can of soda pop (8 teaspoons), 3 teaspoons for three cups of coffee during the day, and a serving of ice cream for dessert (4 teaspoons). You’ll have reached a similar amount. And that’s not counting natural sugars.

Added sugar is found in refined and processed foods such as snacks, breakfast cereals and soft drinks. Sugar is also naturally found in fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. And though our body reacts to sugar pretty much the same way no matter the source, when we eat fruits we also get the benefits of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber that helps us feel fuller, longer.

The by the AHA is interesting because traditionally the organization has endorsed some sugary foods as heart healthy. Companies have paid, and still pay, to get the AHA symbol on products that are low-fat, regardless of their sugar content. It’s good deal for both sides – the AHA gets much needed funds, and the companies get an “objective” approval of their product’s nutritional value.

Perhaps now the AHA will take a more holistic approach to is endorsements, and stop recommending foods that have taken out the fat but added sugar as compensation. Removing one “bad” nutrient and replacing it with another “bad” one has not done consumers any good. Just ask the 24 million diabetics and 1 million additions each year.

The nutrition panel on food products displays the total amount of sugar in a serving. Unfortunately it doesn’t tell us how much is naturally present and how much has been added. In some categories such as cereals, pastries, and sweet snacks, you can bet that most of the sugar, if not all, is not naturally present.

The FDA would do wisely to require added sugar to appear as a separate line in the nutrition panel. Until then, we’ll have to guess.

What to do at the supermarket:

The less processed a food, the less added sugars. Consuming sugars from natural sources such as fruits is excellent and tasty.

Most people, by just quitting soft drinks and drinking coffee straight, can drastically cut their refined sugar intake.

Leave the few teaspoons of added sugar to a nice scoop of ice cream over a fresh hot brownie.

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We recently wrote about the soup war raging between Campbell’s and Progresso. Could the following be another battle for consumer mindshare?

Campbell Soup Company has reformulated its product line specifically for schools, lowering salt and fat content to meet the nutrition standards of an alliance set up to fight childhood obesity. Campbell Soup Company announced this week that their Foodservice division will provide healthier reformulated soups and snacks to schools. Some soups got cheaper too. Here’s a rundown of the healthier products:

* lower-sodium Campbell’s Chicken & Stars soup
* lower-sodium versions of Campbell’s Vegetarian Vegetable Alphabet
* Campbell’s Mega Noodle soup
* four varieties of Campbell’s Healthy Request soups
* Goldfish Snack Crackers in Cheddar, Parmesan and Whole Grain Cheddar
* Flavor Blasted Goldfish Snack Crackers in Kickin’ Ranch and Hot and Spicy Cheddar
* Giant Goldfish Grahams in Chocolate and Cinnamon
* Goldfish Physedibles(R) Animal Crackers in Strawberry, Lemon and Vanilla

According to Campbell’s, The reformulation meets nutrition standards of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation – a partnership of the American Heart Association and The William J Clinton Foundation (President Clinton) – which is fighting childhood obesity. The soups have less than 480mg of sodium per serving (at the supermarket sodium levels can be twice as high). And of course, no MSG.

What to do at the supermarket:

Unfortunately these 50oz supersize soup packs are only sold to schools and organizations. Hopefully Campbell’s will expand their health drive to adults as well. At the supermarket, do look for low sodium alternatives when visiting the soup aisle. And if you can, try to make your own soup at home, where you control how much salt goes in.

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