Health Claims| Health Claims are allowed on food packages/products but must follow specific guidelines. The Food and Drug Administration allows certain health claims that are research based and these include: calcium and <u><a href="asfunction:_level0.LinkToWord,Osteoporosis">osteoporosis</a></u>, <u><a href="asfunction:_level0.LinkToWord,Folic Acid">folic acid</a></u> and neural tube defects, sodium and <u><a href="asfunction:_level0.LinkToWord,High Blood Pressure (hypertension)">hypertension</a></u>, and, soluble fiber and heart disease. Food manufactures can also claim their product is fat free, low fat, lean, etc. but must follow standard guidelines. For example, something is "high in calcium" if the food provides 20% or more of the <u><a href="asfunction:_level0.LinkToWord,Daily Values">Daily Value</a></u>.|HealthClaims.swf\Heme Iron|One of two forms of iron occurring in foods.  Heme iron is found in meat, poultry, fish, liver and oysters and is easy for the body to absorb. Consuming foods with vitamin C (strawberries, oranges, etc.) helps increase iron absorption.|HemeIron.swf\High Blood Pressure| High Blood Pressure (hypertension) - can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure. A person can have high blood pressure for many years and not know it and thus, it is often referred to as the "silent killer." Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries and is recorded as two numbers - the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats). Normal blood pressure is less than 120 mmHg systolic/ 80 mmHg diastolic.|HighBloodPressure.swf\High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)| This type of cholesterol is considered Healthy or "good" for the body because it carries away excess cholesterol back to the liver to be removed. High levels of HDL, above 60 mg/dl, may actually reduce your risk of a heart attack.  You can increase your HDLs by eating foods high in monounsaturated fat (olive oil), consuming more fiber (fruits/veggies), avoiding foods with trans fats, and exercising daily.|HighDensityLipoprotein.swf\High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)| High fructose corn syrup is a sweetener processed from corn and consists of a mixture of fructose and glucose. HFCS is found in numerous foods and beverages (soda, bread, crackers, etc.).  It provides sweetness, better browning effect (in baked goods) and freshness.| HighFructoseCornSyrup.swf\Hydrogenation| A chemical process that makes oils more stable at room temperature (for example, hard stick margarine). This process creates trans fats. Trans fats are a concern because it raises bad <u>LDLs</u> and lowers good <u>HDLs</u>. When reading food labels, look for "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil". If a serving of a food item contains less than 0.5 grams of any nutrient (including trans fat), then the amount is considered nutritionally insignificant and can be expressed as "0 grams" on the nutrition food label. However, be careful as eating several servings of foods with small amounts of hydrogenated oil can add up.|Hydrogenation.swf\Hormones| Hormones act as chemical messengers in our bodies (communicating from cell to cell). They  regulate mood, growth and development, and metabolism. There are exocrine and endocrine hormones. Insulin, produced in the pancreas, is an example of an endocrine hormone. Insulin allows for the uptake of glucose into our cells for energy.| Hormones.swf\