Understanding Nutritional Value of Foods

&
Different Types of Non Communicable Diseases
and its Dietary Management
FOOD
can be defined as anything solid or liquid which when swallowed, digested and assimilated in the body
provides it with essential substances called nutrients and keeps it well.

Food supplies energy, enables growth and repair of tissues and organs. It also protects the body from disease
and regulates body functions.

NUTRITION
is defined as the science of foods, nutrients and other substances they contain; and of their actions within the
body including ingestion, digestion, absorption, metabolism and excretion. While this summarises the
physiological dimensions, nutrition has social, psychological and economic dimensions too.

NUTRIENTS
are the constituents in food that must be supplied to the body in suitable amounts. These include
carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, water and fibre. We need a wide range of nutrients to keep
ourselves healthy. Nutrients can be classified as macronutrients and micronutrients on the basis of the
required quantity to be consumed by us everyday.
HEALTH
is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE
refers to contents of food and the impact of constituents on body. It relates to carbohydrates, fats,
proteins, minerals, additives, enzymes, vitamins, sugar intake, cholesterol, fat and salt intake.
... In general food label gives nutritional values to consumers.

NUTRITION FACTS/LABELS
are often displayed as a panel or grid on the back or side of packaging. This type of label includes
information on energy (kJ/kcal), fat, saturates (saturated fat), carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt.
It may also provide additional information on certain nutrients, such as fibre.
Understanding the
Nutrition Facts
Label
Anatomy of a Nutrition Facts Label
1. Servings Per Container shows the total number of servings in the entire food package or
container. One package of food may contain more than one serving. For example, if you eat or drink two
servings, you are getting double the calories and double the nutrients that are listed on the label.
Serving Size is based on the amount of food that is usually eaten at one time. Serving size is not a
recommendation of how much to eat. The nutrition information listed on the label is usually based on one
serving of the food; however, some containers may also have nutrition information listed for the entire package.
2. Total Calories
refers to the total number of calories in a serving of the food. To achieve or maintain a healthy body weight,
balance the number of calories you eat and drink with the number of calories your body uses.

3. Fats - Saturated and Trans

If the label indicates that the food is high in saturated fat (no more than 20 grams total for the day), then it is not
an ideal food for a heart healthy diet. Saturated fats can raise your low density lipoprotein, or “bad cholesterol”,
which can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Trans fats should be avoided altogether, as they have been connected with an increased risk not only of heart
disease and stroke, but also Type II diabetes.
4. Cholesterol
Foods high in cholesterol can increase your risk for heart disease. So, look for foods low in cholesterol,
such as those found in a plant-based diet.

5. Sodium
For a heart healthy diet, you should always try to keep your sodium intake to about 2300 mg per day. A
sodium level of 140 mg or less on the nutrition facts label is considered low sodium. This is an essential
number to look for when reading the label.

6. Total Carbohydrates - Fiber and Sugar

Foods high in fiber can be beneficial to a healthy diet, as fiber helps manage blood sugar levels and can
lower cholesterol.
Simple sugars can give you that quick burst of energy, but they are not heart smart as they can raise
triglyceride levels, which play a role in heart disease and diabetes.
Added sugars in grams is now required on the nutrition facts label. It is recommended that you consume no
more than ten percent of your total daily calories from added sugar.
7. Protein
Protein is part of an overall healthy diet, but beware of adding unnecessary fats from fatty meats and
processed foods

8. Vitamins and Other Nutrients

Nutrients like calcium, iron and vitamins play an important role in a healthy diet! This section provides
great information to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need. The daily values for nutrients have been
updated on the revised nutrition facts label to reflect new scientific evidence.
In addition

% Daily Value (%DV) 

shows how much a nutrient in a serving of the food contributes to a total daily diet. The Daily Values are reference
amounts (in grams, milligrams, or micrograms) of nutrients to consume or not to exceed each day.
Keynotes:
Step 1: Start with the Serving Size
Step 2: Check Out the Total Calories
Step 3: Check Out the Nutrition Terms
Low calorie: 40 calories or less per serving.
Low cholesterol: 20 milligrams or less and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving.
Reduced: At least 25% less of the specified nutrient or calories than the usual product.
Good source of: Provides at least 10 to 19%  of the Daily Value of a particular vitamin or
nutrient per serving.
Excellent source of: Provides at least 20% or more of the Daily Value of a particular
vitamin or nutrient per serving. 
Calorie free: Less than five calories per serving.
Fat free/sugar free: Less than ½ gram of fat or sugar per serving.
Low sodium: 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.
High in: Provides 20% or more of the Daily Value of a specified nutrient per serving.
Keynotes:
Step 4: Choose Low in Saturated Fat, Added Sugars and Sodium
Step 5: Get Enough Vitamins, Minerals and Fiber
Step 6: Consider the Additional Nutrients (Carbohydrates, Protein)
Step 7: Let the Percent Daily Values Be a Guide
Dietary Management of
Non Communicable
Diseases
 Non Communicable Disease (NCD)
includes cardiovascular conditions (hypertension, stroke), diabetes mellitus, lung/chronic respiratory diseases
and a range of cancers which are the top causes of deaths globally and locally. These diseases are considered
as lifestyle related and is mostly the result of unhealthy habits. Behavioral and modifiable risk factors like
smoking, alcohol abuse, consuming too much fat, salt and sugar and physical inactivity have sparked an
epidemic of these NCDs which pose a public threat and economic burden.

Key facts
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally.
Each year, more than 15 million people die from a NCD between the ages of 30 and 69 years; 85% of these
"premature" deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths, or 17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers
(9.3 million), respiratory diseases (4.1 million), and diabetes (1.5 million).
These four groups of diseases account for over 80% of all premature NCD deaths.
Tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets all increase the risk of dying
from a NCD.
Detection, screening and treatment of NCDs, as well as palliative care, are key components of the response to
NCDs.
In the PHILIPPINES
Key facts
• NCDs account for 68% of all deaths in the Philippines, and the probability of dying between the ages of 30
and 70 years from one of the four main NCDs is 29% in the Philippines.
• The economic cost of NCDs to the Philippine economy is PHP 756.5 billion per year, which is equivalent to
4.8% of the country’s annual gross domestic product.
• NCDs in the Philippines are causing a surge in health-care costs and social care and welfare support needs
and are contributing to reduced productivity.
• The economic modelling for the return on investment analysis suggests that the intervention with highest
economic benefit in Philippines is the package of salt-reduction interventions, followed by reducing tobacco
consumption and increasing physical activity in the population.
• A national multisectoral NCD coordination mechanism needs to be established that can bring together and
strengthen existing cross-agency initiatives on NCDs.
Risk factors
Modifiable behavioural risk factors
Modifiable behaviours, such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and the harmful use of
alcohol, all increase the risk of NCDs.
Tobacco accounts for over 7.2 million deaths every year (including from the effects of exposure to
second-hand smoke), and is projected to increase markedly over the coming years 
4.1 million annual deaths have been attributed to excess salt/sodium intake .
More than half of the 3.3 million annual deaths attributable to alcohol use are from NCDs, including
cancer.
1.6 million deaths annually can be attributed to insufficient physical activity.

Metabolic risk factors

Metabolic risk factors contribute to four key metabolic changes that increase the risk of NCDs:
raised blood pressure;
overweight/obesity;
hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels); and
hyperlipidemia (high levels of fat in the blood).
Types of NCDs
• Cardiovascular disease (e.g., Coronary heart disease, Stroke)
• Cancer
• Diabetes
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)
are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels. They include:
coronary heart disease – a disease of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle;
cerebrovascular disease – a disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain;
peripheral arterial disease – a disease of blood vessels supplying the arms and legs;
rheumatic heart disease – damage to the heart muscle and heart valves from rheumatic fever, caused by
streptococcal bacteria;
congenital heart disease – birth defects that affect the normal development and functioning of the heart
caused by malformations of the heart structure from birth; and
deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism – blood clots in the leg veins, which can dislodge and move
to the heart and lungs.
Heart attacks and strokes are usually acute events and are mainly caused by a blockage that prevents blood
from flowing to the heart or brain. The most common reason for this is a build-up of fatty deposits on the inner
walls of the blood vessels that supply the heart or brain. Strokes can be caused by bleeding from a blood vessel
in the brain or from blood clots.
MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT
How is cardiovascular disease treated?
Treatment plans can vary and depend on the symptoms and the type of cardiovascular disease you have.

Lifestyle changes: Examples include making changes to your diet (low in saturated fat and sodium),
increasing your aerobic activity and quitting smoking.
Medications: Your healthcare provider may prescribe medications to control cardiovascular disease.
Medication type will depend on what kind of cardiovascular disease you have.
Procedures or surgeries: If medications are not enough to manage your cardiovascular disease, your
healthcare provider may use certain procedures or surgeries to treat your cardiovascular disease. Examples
include stents in the heart or leg arteries, minimally invasive heart surgery, open-heart surgery, ablations, 
cardioversion.
Cardiac rehabilitation: You may need a monitored exercise program to help your heart get stronger.
Active surveillance: You may need careful monitoring over time without medications or procedures/surgeries.
Cancer
is the second leading cause of death among Filipinos. The most common cancers are breast, lung, colorectal,
liver, and prostate
Nutrition guidelines during cancer treatment
Maintain a healthy weight. For many people, this means avoiding weight loss by getting enough calories every
day. For people who are obese, this may mean losing weight. If you do try to lose weight during treatment, it
should be moderate, meaning only about a pound a week.
Get essential nutrients. These include protein, carbohydrates, fats, and water.
Be as active as you can. For example, take a daily walk. If you sit or sleep too much, you may lose muscle mass
and increase your body fat, even if you are not gaining weight.
Nutrition guidelines after cancer treatment
Most nutrition recommendations include eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. But a healthy
diet is important for cancer survivors because they may have a higher risk of other health conditions, such as heart
disease, type 2 diabetes, and weakening of the bones.
To lower the risk of other diseases, doctors generally recommend that cancer survivors follow common
recommendations for good health. These include:
Eating a nutrient-dense and plant-based diet, Quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, minimizing alcohol
consumption and staying physically active
Diabetes mellitus
is a disorder in which the body does not produce enough or respond normally to insulin, causing blood
sugar (glucose) levels to be abnormally high. Urination and thirst are increased, and people may lose weight
even if they are not trying to.
What are the different types of diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes: This type is an autoimmune disease, meaning your body attacks itself. In this case, the
insulin-producing cells in your pancreas are destroyed. Up to 10% of people who have diabetes have Type 1.
It’s usually diagnosed in children and young adults (but can develop at any age). It was once better known as
“juvenile” diabetes. People with Type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day. This is why it is also called
insulin-dependent diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes: With this type, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or your body’s cells don’t
respond normally to the insulin. This is the most common type of diabetes. Up to 95% of people with diabetes
have Type 2. It usually occurs in middle-aged and older people. Other common names for Type 2 include
adult-onset diabetes and insulin-resistant diabetes. Your parents or grandparents may have called it “having a
touch of sugar.”
Prediabetes: This type is the stage before Type 2 diabetes. Your blood glucose levels are higher than normal
but not high enough to be officially diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes: This type develops in some women during their pregnancy. Gestational diabetes usually
goes away after pregnancy. However, if you have gestational diabetes you're at higher risk of developing Type
2 diabetes later on in life.

Managing your diabetes by:

Planning what you eat and following a healthy meal plan. Follow a Mediterranean diet (vegetables, whole
grains, beans, fruits, healthy fats, low sugar) or Dash diet. These diets are high in nutrition and fiber and low in
fats and calories. See a registered dietitian for help understanding nutrition and meal planning.
Exercising regularly. Try to exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Walk, swim or find some
activity you enjoy.
Losing weight if you are overweight. Work with your healthcare team to develop a weight-loss plan.
Taking medication and insulin, if prescribed, and closely following recommendations on how and when to
take it.
Monitoring your blood glucose and blood pressure levels at home.
Keeping your appointments with your healthcare providers and having laboratory tests completed as ordered
by your doctor.
Quitting smoking (if you smoke).
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