More Fruits and Veggies Boost Heart Health

Home Care ServicesThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded its health claim for more fruits and vegetables, allowing the American Heart Association to now certify more foods as heart-healthy. Fruits and vegetables are an integral part of a healthy diet for seniors, says the nonprofit association, and Great Care agrees.

“Great Care knows fruits, vegetables, and legumes (dry beans and peas) may reduce the risk of several chronic diseases. We emphasize a healthy diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, lean meats, poultry, fish, legumes, eggs, nuts, and seeds,” says Great Care founder and CEO Julie Sullivan. “Fiber found in fruits, vegetables, and legumes is important for regularity, an issue as we get older, so we also encourage diets rich in fiber, and are also heart-healthy.”

Studies show that compared to people who eat few fruits, vegetables, and legumes, those who consume higher amounts as part of a healthy diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancers in certain parts of the body (mouth, throat, lung, esophagus, stomach, and colon-rectum). Diets rich in fiber-containing foods may reduce the risk of heart disease.

The FDA removed the low fat and positive nutrient requirements which will apply to nearly all fresh fruits and vegetables, allowing them to make a heart health claim and be eligible for food certification programs like the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark program. The program was launched in 1995 to help consumers make better, more informed choices about the foods they purchase.

The ruling was in response to a AHA petition requesting an update to an FDA regulation limiting the health claim to foods that were low fat and contained at least 10 percent of one or more beneficial nutrients including vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, dietary fiber and protein. This requirement excluded foods that could help Americans meet the daily serving recommendation for fruits and vegetables such as avocados, beets, cucumbers, grapes, lettuce, mushrooms, plums, scallions and sweet corn, according to the AHA.

“The American Heart Association wants to help motivate people to eat more fruits and vegetables, especially since most Americans today get less than half the amounts recommended for a healthy diet,” says Jo Ann S. Carson, chair of the American Heart Association’s nutrition committee and professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “By providing them an easy way to identify heart-healthy foods at the grocery store through our Heart-Check program, we can help make a positive and influential impact on improving the health of all Americans.”

The Heart-Check mark, the iconic red heart with the white check mark on food packaging, had not been available for all of these foods because of the regulation related to amounts of fat and beneficial nutrients. However, the interim final rule issued today by the FDA broadens the opportunity for more fruits and vegetables to be labeled as heart-healthy.

The American Heart Association recommends four servings of fruits and five servings of vegetables per day, based on a 2,000-calorie diet, as an important component of an overall heart-healthy eating pattern. This Healthy For Good™ initiative specifically aims to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables every day.

The American Heart Association is pleased the FDA has addressed this issue. However, while the interim rule applies to nearly all fresh/raw fruits and vegetables, it does not affect frozen and canned produce.

“The petition encouraged the FDA to proceed with a ruling on fresh fruits and vegetables if frozen and canned required more consideration, but we still believe strongly that they should be included. Many underserved communities lack adequate access to fresh produce, making frozen and canned varieties an important, and often their only, source of nutrients,” says the American Heart Association, which is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke, two of the leading killers of Americans.

To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of the AHA’s local offices around the country. For more information on the Heart-Check Food Certification Program and a list of certified foods, visit: www.heartcheck.org and www.heart.org/pluscolor.

The professionals at Great Care are available to talk with you and your family about all of your home care needs, including respite care. Great Care is a non medical in-home care agency providing quality and affordable elder care in Fishers, IN and the surrounding areas. Call (888) 240-9101 for more information.

About Julie S.

Julie Sullivan is the Owner at Great Care of Indianapolis, Indiana.
Great Care is a licensed, personal services agency, providing in-home care services to the Indianapolis, Indiana and surrounding areas. We serve the personal health and daily care needs of seniors or individuals who prefer to stay at home, but require assistance with everyday activities, such as dressing, personal hygiene, meal preparation, laundry or errands. Our team of certified nurse aids and home health aids can provide you with personalized, in-home care services to meet your needs, including:
• Daytime hourly in-home care
• Temporary or post-hospital respite care
• 24-hour, around-the-clock home care
• Morning and evening care
• Overnight / Slumber care
In addition, we offer our Care Compass service, to assist in setting the course for the next stage in your loved ones life. We guide you through the currents of aging, and help you find your true north. Our licensed nurses, with experience in hospice and geriatric care, will help guide you through the complex and often sensitive journey of selecting an in-home care service, and will provide a smooth transition to a new way of life for your loved one, without the anxiety and fear.
Our current nursing and management team has more than 75 years of combined experience in the home healthcare services industry. All of our caregivers are bonded, insured and screened thoroughly, so you know you’ll be receiving the greatest care possible. That’s why we stand by our mission: to deliver the same, quality care we expect for ourselves and our loved ones.