CHICAGO--The potential health benefits and risks of consuming light to moderate amounts of alcohol, dairy foods, and iron-fortified products will be discussed at the Institute of Food Technologists' (IFT's) 1998 Annual Meeting & FOOD EXPO in Atlanta in June.
The benefits of light to moderate alcohol consumption (one to two drinks per day) and the hazards of heavier drinking (more than two drinks per day) will be discussed in the symposium "Alcohol, Nutrition and Health" (Session 75, June 24, 9 AM). Biological and epidemiological studies to date will be examined. Research over the past 30 years links light to moderate alcohol consumption to healthier fat and blood clotting profiles and lower rates of coronary heart disease, diabetes, ischemic stroke and overall mortality. The effects of alcohol consumption on fats, hormones, and clotting factors will be examined along with risk of obesity, breast cancer, and heart disease, areas of greatest research. National health recommendations will be debated, weighing the possible benefits of alcohol consumption against its potential for abuse.
"The Role of Dairy Foods in Reducing the Risk of Colon Cancer" (Session
22, June 22, 9 AM) will cover the epidemiological, in vitro, animal, and human
studies associating dairy food components with decreased risk of colorectal
cancer, the third leading cause of death from cancer in the United States.
These components are thought by researchers to include calcium, vitamin D,
conjugated linoleic acid, sphingolipids (cell membrane fats), butyric acid, and
probiotic cultures (friendly bacteria). The scientific standards for health
claims on food labels will also be presented by speakers from the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA). The Quaker Oats Co. will provide an industry
perspective of the regulatory landscape and economic effects of getting a health
claim approved by the FDA, followed by a discussion of the National Dairy
Council's potential purs
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Contact: Angela Dansby
aldansby@ift.org
(312) 782-8424 X134
Institute of Food Technologists
7-May-1998