Nutrition Maintaining And Improving Health Geoffrey P Webb
Nutrition Maintaining And Improving Health Geoffrey P Webb
Nutrition Maintaining And Improving Health Geoffrey P Webb
Nutrition Maintaining And Improving Health Geoffrey P Webb
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12. vii
Contents
Preface xxiii
Acknowledgement xxvii
About the author xxix
PART 1 CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 1
1 Changing priorities in nutrition 3
Ensuring adequacy and use of food groups 3
A new priority – reducing the chronic diseases of ageing populations 6
Plates and pyramids: food guides to reflect modern nutritional priorities 7
Failure to fully implement better nutritional knowledge and understanding 9
The future of nutrition research 12
Yoghurt and ovarian cancer? A case study of unproductive research 14
Key reference 17
2 Food selection 19
Introduction and aims of the chapter 19
The biological model of food 20
Dietary and cultural prejudice 21
Food classification systems 22
Nutritional classification 22
Consumer classification 23
Anthropological classification of foods 25
Non-nutritional uses of food 27
Religion, morality and ethics 27
Status and wealth 27
Interpersonal relationships 27
Political 28
Folk medicine 28
The hierarchy of human needs 28
A model of food selection – “The hierarchy of availabilities model” 30
Physical availability 32
Economic availability 32
International trends 33
The problem of feeding the world 34
Effects of income upon food selection in the UK 36
Cultural availability 37
Dietary taboos 38
Effects of migration upon eating habits 40
“Gatekeeper” limitations on availability 43
A social–ecological model for food and activity decisions 45
Key references 46
13. viii
Contents
3 Methods of nutritional assessment and surveillance 47
Aims and introduction 47
Strategies for nutritional assessment 47
The general lack of valid and reliable measurements in nutrition 48
Measurement of food intake 49
Population or group methods 49
Individual methods 53
Retrospective methods 53
Prospective methods 54
Doubly labelled water (DLW) 56
Tables of food composition 58
Food table problems and errors 58
Dietary standards and nutrient requirements 60
Origins of dietary standards 60
Definitions and explanations 60
The uses of dietary standards 63
Inaccurate standards 64
Defining requirement 65
Deprivation studies 66
Radioactive tracer studies 66
Balance studies 67
Factorial methods 67
Measurement of blood or tissue levels 68
Biochemical markers 68
Biological markers 69
Animal experiments 69
Clinical signs for the assessment of nutritional status 70
Anthropometric assessment in adults 71
Uses of anthropometric assessment 72
Height and weight 73
The Body Mass Index 73
Alternatives to height 74
Skinfold calipers 74
Bioelectrical impedance (BIA) 75
Estimation of fatness from body density 76
An alternative method of measuring body volume (air displacement
plethysmography or Bod Pod) 76
Body water content as a predictor of body fat content 76
Mid-arm circumference measures 77
Anthropometric assessment in children 77
Body mass index in children 78
Estimating fatness in animals 80
Biochemical assessment of nutritional status 81
Measurement of energy expenditure and metabolic rate 83
Comparisons of metabolic rates between individuals 85
Key references 86
4 Investigating links between diet and health outcomes 89
Aims and scope of the chapter 89
14. ix
Contents
Observation vs experimentation 89
Range and classification of the methods available 90
About statistics 92
Observational human studies 94
Geographical comparisons 94
Anomalous populations 95
Special groups 95
Time trends 95
Migration studies 96
Cross-sectional surveys 96
“Experiments” of nature 97
Case-control studies 97
Cohort studies 98
Association in observational studies does not prove cause and effect 99
Criteria for establishing cause and effect 101
Animal and in vitro experiments 102
Role of animal and in vitro experiments 102
Animal use in UK experiments 104
The rationale for using non-human species in medical research 104
In vitro experiments 104
Animal experiments 105
The potential of animal experiments to mislead human biologists 105
Different strategies of mice and people during cold exposure 106
The nutritional burden of pregnancy in mice and people 107
Species vary in the nutrients they require and their response to foreign chemicals 107
Human experimental studies 108
General design aims of human experimental studies 108
Classifying human experiments 108
Important technical terms 109
Random allocation 109
Double-blind, placebo-controlled 109
Crossover design vs parallel design 110
Risk factors and risk markers 110
Compliance and contamination 111
Some examples of human experimental studies 112
Watercress and cancer 112
Echinacea and cold symptoms 113
Fluoridated water and dental caries in children 113
Folic acid supplements and neural tube defects 113
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), beta-carotene and the risk of lung cancer 113
Scoring clinical trials for quality 114
A warning about uncontrolled trials 114
Key references 115
5 Investigating links between diet and health – amalgamation, synthesis and
decision making117
Aims and scope of the chapter 117
Meta-analysis 117
What is it? 117
15. x
Contents
Growth of meta-analysis 118
Summarising the results of a meta-analysis 119
Some general problems with meta-analysis 120
Decision-making and hierarchies of evidence 121
The basic dilemma 121
Harm from intervention based on inadequate evidence? 122
Harm from unduly delayed intervention? 122
Evidence hierarchies 123
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) 126
The need to be critical of the latest published research findings 127
Why are so many research findings irreproducible? 128
Bias 129
The pressure to achieve statistical significance 129
Selective exclusion/inclusion of outlying results 130
Multiple analyses 130
Underpowered studies 131
Small effect size 131
Multiple modelling 132
Randomised controlled trials, the gold standard of evidence? 132
Are meta-analyses the platinum standard? 134
A footnote about research fraud 136
Key references 139
6 Dietary guidelines and recommendations 141
The range of “expert reports” and their consistency 141
Variations in the presentation of guidelines and recommendations 144
“Food” recommendations 145
Energy and body weight 146
Recommendations for fats, carbohydrates, protein and salt 146
UK Targets 146
Rationale 147
Alcohol 148
Changing UK alcohol recommendations 149
What do these guidelines mean in terms of real-life behaviour? 149
How does current consumption compare to the new guidelines? 149
The economic impacts of alcohol 150
The (apparent) alcohol–mortality J-curve? 151
Alcohol increases risk of cancer, liver disease and accidental death 152
Why are the 1995 and 2016 conclusions so different? 153
Summing up the alcohol debate 155
How do current UK diets compare with “ideal” intakes? 156
Willingness to change 157
Some barriers to dietary change 158
Aids to food selection 160
Concluding remarks 161
Key references 163
16. xi
Contents
PART 2 ENERGY, ENERGY BALANCE AND OBESITY 165
7 Introduction to energy aspects of nutrition 167
Units of energy 167
How are energy requirements estimated? 168
Variation in average energy requirements – general trends 170
The energy content of foods 172
Sources of dietary energy by nutrient 173
Energy density 176
Nutrient density 178
The sources of dietary energy by food groups 179
Starvation 180
The immediate causes of starvation 180
Physiological responses and adaptations 180
Some adverse consequences of starvation 182
Eating disorders 183
Anorexia nervosa: Characteristics and consequences 183
Bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder 184
Incidence of eating disorders 185
Causes of eating disorders 185
Cachexia 187
Cancer anorexia cachexia syndrome 187
Key references 189
8 Energy balance and its regulation 191
Concept of energy balance 191
Is there physiological regulation of energy balance? 193
“Set point” theory 193
External influences that affect food intake 194
Physiological regulation of energy intake 194
Early work with experimental animals 194
Hypothalamic centres controlling feeding – a more recent perspective 195
Gut-fill cues 197
The glucostat theory 198
The lipostat or adipostat theory 198
The leptin story 200
Is energy expenditure regulated? 203
Key references 207
9 Obesity 209
Defining obesity 209
Prevalence of overweight and obesity 210
A worldwide perspective 212
Effects of ethnicity and social status upon obesity prevalence 214
Overweight and obesity in children 217
The consequences of obesity 220
The relationship between BMI and life expectancy 220
Obesity and the quality of life 222
Not all body fat is equally bad 224
Weight cycling 225
17. xii
Contents
Does high BMI directly cause an increase in mortality? 225
The metabolic syndrome or “syndrome X” 228
The causes of obesity 228
Nature or nurture? 229
A weakening link between hunger and eating? – The internal/external hypothesis
and behaviour therapy 230
Variety of food and sensory specific satiety 232
Is fat more fattening than carbohydrate? 233
Inactivity as a cause of obesity 235
Prevention and treatment of obesity in populations 237
Adopting a “low-risk” lifestyle 237
Targeting anti-obesity measures or campaigns 239
Obesity treatment in individuals 240
Realistic rates of weight loss 240
The reducing diet 241
Alternative diets 241
The role of exercise 242
Are the obese less “vigilant”? 244
More “aggressive” treatments for obesity 245
Drug therapy 245
Appetite suppressants 245
Drugs that block digestion 246
Drugs based on gut hormones 247
Drugs that increase energy expenditure 247
Leptin and leptin analogues 247
Surgical treatment for obesity 247
Very Low Energy Diets (VLEDs) 248
Use of these more extreme treatments 249
Key references 250
PART 3 THE NUTRIENTS 253
10 Carbohydrates 255
Introduction 255
Nature, classification and metabolism of carbohydrates 256
Aerobic metabolism of pyruvic acid 258
Dietary sources of carbohydrate 258
Sugars 259
Lactose or milk sugar 260
Sucrose 260
The new UK “sugar tax” 261
Artificial sweeteners 263
“Calorie-free” sweeteners 263
Sugar replacers 265
Diet and dental health 266
Starches 269
Dietary fibre/NSP 270
Resistant starch 274
18. xiii
Contents
The glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) 276
Dietary fibre and other factors in the aetiology of bowel cancer and heart disease 277
Background 277
Possible mechanisms by which dietary factors may affect bowel cancer risk 278
Descriptive epidemiology 278
Case-control and cohort studies 280
What about fibre and heart disease? 280
Key references 282
11 Protein and amino acids 285
Traditional scientific aspects of protein nutrition 285
Introduction 285
Chemistry, digestion and metabolism 285
Amino acid metabolism 287
Intakes, dietary standards and food sources 288
Nitrogen balance 289
Estimation of protein content 289
The concept of nitrogen balance 289
Negative nitrogen balance 289
Requirements for balance 290
Positive nitrogen balance 290
Dietary adequacy for protein is not a major issue 291
Protein quality 293
Essential amino acids 293
Establishing the essential amino acids and quantifying requirements 294
Limiting amino acid 294
First- and second-class proteins 294
Mutual supplementation of protein 295
Measurement of protein quality 295
Do children need more protein than adults? 296
Absolute requirement 296
The relative requirement 297
The protein level/concentration needed in the diet 297
Reasons why the past protein needs of children were exaggerated
(personal interpretation) 298
Protein quality is probably of little significance in human nutrition 299
Conclusions 299
The protein gap – one of the biggest errors in nutritional science? 299
Overview 299
Aims of this section 300
Past belief in a protein gap and major initiatives taken to close this gap 300
The concept of a protein gap loses credibility 301
What caused the protein gap mistake? 302
Exaggerated estimates of the protein needs of children 302
Kwashiorkor, due to primary protein deficiency, is the dominant form of
worldwide malnutrition? 303
Lasting impact of the protein gap myth 303
Concluding remarks 305
Key references 305
19. xiv
Contents
12 Fat307
Nature of dietary fat 307
Types of fatty acids 309
Saturated fatty acids 309
Monounsaturated fatty acids 309
Polyunsaturated fatty acids 309
Cis/trans isomerisation 310
Effects of chain length and degree of unsaturation upon fatty acid melting points 310
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) 311
Distribution of fatty acid types in dietary fat 312
Polyunsaturates: saturates (P:S) ratio 313
Sources of fat in the diet 314
UK fat intakes and their food sources 315
Roles of fat in the diet 316
Fat as an energy source 316
Palatability 317
Satiation 318
Fat-soluble vitamins 318
Essential fatty acids 319
Essential fatty acids and eicosanoid production 320
Blood lipoproteins 322
Digestion, absorption and transport of dietary lipids 323
Transport of endogenously produced lipids 324
Fat metabolism 326
Statins 326
The “diet-heart hypothesis” and its implication for dietary fats 329
Current “health images” of different dietary fats 332
What about saturated vegetable fats like coconut and palm oil? 333
Trans-fatty acids 334
Plant sterols 335
Review of the evidence for the diet-heart hypothesis 336
The key tenets of the diet-heart hypothesis 336
Evidence overview 337
Experimental studies 337
“Experiments of nature” 337
Cohort studies 338
Intervention trials and clinical trials 338
Fish oils 340
Overview 340
How might fish oils exert beneficial health effects? 340
Evidence that high fish oil consumption may reduce CHD 341
Conclusions and fish consumption recommendations 342
Other natural oils used as supplements 343
Key references 344
13 Dietary supplements and food fortification 347
An overview of food fortification 347
Definitions 347
Early successes 348
20. xv
Contents
Fortification in the UK 348
Folic acid (vitamin B9) in flour – a modern fortification success story 348
Time to update UK food fortification policy 351
An overview of dietary supplements 353
Definition and categories of dietary supplements 353
Size and breakdown of the supplement market 354
Overview of uses and potential hazards 354
Some rules and regulations 355
Vitamin and mineral supplements 357
Do vitamin and mineral supplements ensure adequacy? 357
Do micronutrient supplements reduce cancer, cardiovascular disease
and increase life expectancy? 359
Do individual micronutrient supplements offer specific benefits? 359
Strategies for improving micronutrient adequacy 363
Natural fats and oils 364
The main “natural oil” supplements 364
Evening primrose and starflower/borage oils 364
Fish oils 365
Dietary supplements or natural medicines? 366
Natural metabolites as dietary supplements 368
Conditionally essential nutrients 368
L-Carnitine 369
Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulphate 369
Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) or ubiquinone 370
Creatine 371
Alpha (α)-lipoic acid 371
Lecithin and choline 372
s-Adenosylmethionine 372
Natural extracts as dietary supplements 373
Secondary metabolites in plant extracts 373
Role of plant secondary metabolites in preventing/treating disease 375
Phytoestrogens 376
Garlic supplements 377
Others 378
Antioxidants and the oxidant theory of disease 379
The nature and effects of free radicals 379
Origins of free radicals 379
Physiological mechanisms to limit free radical damage 380
Situations that might increase damage by free radicals 381
Do high antioxidant intakes prevent heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases? 384
Key references 388
14 Food as medicine 391
Fruit and vegetables five, seven, ten or even three portions per day? 391
Background 391
A flavour of the evidence underpinning the 5-a-day recommendation 392
Calls to change the 5-a-day recommendation 393
Can we justify increasing the 5-a-day recommendations? 397
Is 10-a-day a realistic recommendation? 397
21. xvi
Contents
Superfoods 398
What are “superfoods”? 398
What is the theoretical basis of claims for superfoods? 399
Examples of superfoods 400
The choice of which foods to classify as superfoods is biased 402
Conclusions 402
Functional foods 403
Phytoestrogens 404
Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics 405
Plant sterols or phtyosterols 408
Key references 410
15 The vitamins 413
Some general concepts and principles 413
What is a vitamin? 413
Classification 414
Vitamin deficiency diseases 415
Precursors and endogenous synthesis of vitamins 416
Circumstances that precipitate deficiency 416
A note about individual vitamins 417
Vitamin A – retinol 417
Key facts 417
Nature and sources of vitamin A 418
Functions 419
Requirements and assessment of vitamin A status 420
Deficiency states 420
Risk factors for deficiency 421
Benefits and risks of high intakes 421
Vitamin D – cholecalciferol 421
Key facts 421
Nature, sources and requirements for vitamin D 422
Functions of vitamin D 424
Acute deficiency states 425
Vitamin D, osteoporosis and non-bone conditions 426
Safely improving the vitamin D status of the population 426
Vitamin E – α-tocopherol 426
Key facts 426
Overview 427
Vitamin K – phylloquinone 427
Key facts 427
Overview 428
Thiamin – vitamin B1 429
Key facts 429
Nature and sources 429
Functions 429
Requirements and assessment of status 430
Deficiency states 430
Riboflavin – vitamin B2 431
Key facts 431
22. xvii
Contents
Nature and sources 432
Functions 432
Requirements and assessments of status 432
Riboflavin deficiency 432
Niacin – vitamin B3 432
Key facts 432
Nature and sources 433
Functions 434
Dietary requirements and assessment of status 434
Niacin deficiency 434
Vitamin B6 – pyridoxine 435
Key facts 435
Nature and sources 435
Functions 436
Requirements and assessment of status 436
Deficiency and toxicity 436
Vitamin B12 – cobalamins 437
Key facts 437
Nature and sources 437
Functions 438
Requirements and assessment of status 438
Deficiency of B12 438
Folate or folic acid (vitamin B9) 438
Key facts 438
Nature and sources 439
Functions 440
Requirements and assessment of folate status 440
Folate deficiency 440
Folic acid and birth defects 441
Potential hazards of high folic acid intake 441
Biotin 441
Key facts 441
General overview 441
Pantothenic acid 442
Key facts 442
Vitamin C – ascorbic acid 442
Key facts 442
Nature and sources 443
Functions 443
Requirements and assessment of status 443
Deficiency states 443
Benefits and risks of high intakes 444
Key references 445
16 The minerals 447
Introduction 447
Chromium 448
Key facts 448
Overview 449
23. xviii
Contents
Copper 449
Key facts 449
Overview 449
Fluoride 450
Magnesium 451
Key facts 451
Overview 451
Manganese 451
Overview 452
Molybdenum 452
Key facts 452
Overview 452
Phosphorus 452
Potassium 453
Key facts 453
Overview 453
Selenium 454
Key facts 454
Overview 454
Zinc 455
Key facts 455
Overview 455
Iodine and iodine deficiency diseases 457
Key facts 457
Distribution and physiological function of body iodine 457
Iodine deficiency 457
Epidemiology of iodine deficiency across the world 458
Iodine in the UK and other affluent countries 459
High intakes and goitrogens in food 460
Iron and iron deficiency anaemia 461
Iron nutrition 461
Key facts 461
Distribution of body iron 462
Requirement for dietary iron 462
Regulation of iron balance and iron overload 463
Determination of iron status 463
Iron deficiency 464
Prevalence of iron deficiency and anaemia 464
Preventing iron deficiency 465
Calcium, diet and osteoporosis 467
Key facts 467
Distribution and functions of body calcium 467
Hormonal regulation of calcium homeostasis 468
Requirement and availability of calcium 468
Calcium and bone health 470
The nature of bone 470
Effects of age and sex upon bone density and fracture risk 470
Incidence of osteoporosis 472
24. xix
Contents
General and lifestyle risk factors for osteoporosis 472
Dietary risk factors for osteoporosis 474
Prevention and treatment of osteoporosis 474
Diet and lifestyle conclusions 476
Salt and hypertension 477
Key facts 477
Overview 477
Historical importance of salt 477
The problems with salt 478
Requirement for salt 479
Amount and sources of dietary salt 480
A review of the evidence for a salt–hypertension link 482
Observational evidence 482
Experimental studies 484
Relationship between salt intake and morbidity and mortality 485
Other factors involved in the aetiology of hypertension 486
Conclusions 487
Key references 488
PART 4 VARIATION IN NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND PRIORITIES 491
17 Nutrition and the human lifecycle 493
Introduction 493
Nutritional aspects of pregnancy 495
Pregnancy overview 495
Effects of malnutrition in pregnancy 495
The scale of increased nutritional needs in pregnancy 495
RNI and RDA for pregnancy 496
Pregnancy outcomes 497
Estimating the extra nutritional needs of pregnancy 498
Preconception 498
Energy aspects of pregnancy 499
Protein in pregnancy 502
Minerals in pregnancy 503
Calcium 503
Iron 504
Folic acid/folate and NTDs 505
Other vitamins in pregnancy 505
Alcohol and pregnancy 506
Lactation 506
Infancy 507
Breastfeeding versus bottle-feeding 507
Prevalence of breastfeeding 508
Factors influencing choice of infant feeding method 510
The benefits of breastfeeding 513
Weaning 517
When to wean? 517
What are weaning foods? 518
25. xx
Contents
The priorities for weaning foods 518
Childhood and adolescence 520
Data from the rolling NDNS programme 521
The elderly 525
Demographic and social trends 525
The effects of ageing 527
Nutritional requirements of the elderly 529
The diets and nutritional status of elderly people 531
Energy and macronutrients 531
Levels of overweight, obesity and other risk factors 533
Diet and disease risk in the elderly 535
Key references 538
18 Nutrition as treatment 541
Diet as a complete therapy 541
Overview and general principles 541
Food allergy (including coeliac disease) 542
Immediate hypersensitivity reactions 542
Coeliac disease (gluten-induced enteropathy) 543
Phenylketonuria 545
Diet as a specific component of therapy 546
Diabetes mellitus 546
Classification and aetiology 546
Diagnosis 547
Symptoms and long term complications 547
Principles of management 548
Can type-2 diabetes be reversed? 549
Cystic fibrosis 551
Chronic renal failure 553
Malnutrition in hospital patients 554
Overview 554
Prevalence of hospital malnutrition 555
Consequences of hospital malnutrition 555
The traditional causes of hospital malnutrition 557
Improving the nutritional care of hospital patients 560
Aims of dietetic management of general hospital patients 560
Aids to meeting nutritional needs 560
Measures that could improve the nutritional status of hospital patients 561
Impact of nutritional support 562
The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool 563
NICE quality standards and guidelines 563
Key references 564
19 Some other groups and circumstances 567
Vegetarianism 567
Introduction 567
Prevalence of vegetarianism 568
The risks and benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets 569
Adequacy of vegetarian diets 569
Vegetarian diets and nutritional guidelines 573
26. xxi
Contents
Racial minorities 574
Introduction and overview 574
The health and nutrition of particular minority groups 575
Dietary comparison of ethnic groups in Britain 577
Nutrition and physical activity 580
Fitness 580
Guidelines 582
Current levels of physical activity and fitness 582
Long-term health benefits of physical activity 585
Introduction 585
Diet as a means to improving physical performance 587
Key references 590
PART 5 FOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY 593
20 The safety and quality of food 595
Aims of the chapter 595
Consumer protection 595
Food law 595
Food labelling 597
Labelling in the UK 597
Labels in the US 598
An overview of health claims 599
Food poisoning and the microbiological safety of food 601
Introduction 601
The causes of food-borne diseases 602
The causative organisms 602
How bacteria make us ill 603
Circumstances that lead to food-borne illness 603
Principles of safe food preparation 606
Requirements for bacterial growth 606
Some specific causes of food poisoning outbreaks 607
Some practical guidelines to avoid food poisoning 608
Minimise the risks of bacterial contamination of food 608
Maximise killing of bacteria during home preparation of food 609
Minimise the time that food is stored under conditions that permit bacterial
multiplication 609
A note about treatment of food-borne disease 610
Pinpointing the cause of a food poisoning outbreak 610
A review of some common food poisoning organisms and foodborne illnesses 612
The Campylobacter 612
Salmonella 612
C. perfringens 613
E. coli 0157 and the VTEC bacteria 613
S. aureus 613
B. cereus 614
C. botulinum 614
L. monocytogenes 614
27. xxii
Contents
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) 615
Overview 615
The nature of prion diseases 616
The infective agent 616
Causes of prion disease 616
The cattle epidemic of BSE 617
Time course of the epidemic 617
What caused the cattle epidemic? 617
Measures taken to limit vCJD and eliminate BSE 617
The human vCJD epidemic 618
The costs of this crisis 619
Food processing 620
Some general pros and cons of food processing 620
Specific processing methods 622
Canning 622
Pasteurisation 622
Ultra-high temperature treatment 622
Cook chill processing 622
Food irradiation 623
The chemical safety of food 625
Overview of chemical hazards in food 625
Natural toxicants and contaminants 625
Circumstances that may increase chemical hazard 625
Some natural toxicants in “Western” diets 626
Residues of agricultural chemicals 627
Food additives 629
Uses 629
Some arguments against the use of food additives 629
Some counter-arguments 629
Food additive regulation 630
Testing the safety of food additives 631
Key references 634
Index 635
28. xxiii
Preface
The main aims of this book have remained constant
over its five editions; I have tried to write a compre-
hensive introduction to nutrition that is accessible to
a wide range of students, including those with limited
mathematical and biochemical background. Whilst
not ignoring the nutritional problems of developing
countries, the main focus is upon nutritional issues
and problems that are considered important in indus-
trialised countries like the UK and the USA. As the
main market for the book is the UK, recommenda-
tions and data from the UK have been central to most
discussions, but in many places I have used US data
and recommendations to highlight the similarities
or sometimes the differences between two affluent
industrialised countries. For some topics, I have used
data from other sources, especially the WHO, to give
a worldwide perspective. For example, I have given
past and present rates of obesity and overweight in
adults and children in different countries to illustrate
how rates have been rising not only in industrialised
countries but rising even faster in some developing
countries. As another example I have also compared
breastfeeding rates around the world; the UK has the
world’s worst record for mothers who wholly breast-
feed their babies for the recommended 6 months.
For the second edition, I introduced bullet point
summaries at the end of every section and these have
been retained because they are popular with student
readers. For some sections, readers might even find it
useful to read the summary before reading the main
text section.
I am now an active blogger (http
s://d
rgeof
fnutr
ition.wordpress.com/) and regularly post articles/
essays about aspects of diet, lifestyle and health or
make comments about “new research findings” that
have generated headlines in the general media. I
have also posted many articles about aspects of the
methods and processes used in biomedical research
and about research fraud. A number of these blog
article topics are also discussed in this book. Readers
may find the fully referenced blog articles to be a
useful extra resource for more in-depth coverage of
some of these topics; especially as most have URL
links to key sources.
What changes have I made to this edition?
Although it has been largely re-written, the theme of
Chapter 1 is still changing priorities in nutrition edu-
cation and research. The traditional priority in nutri-
tion was ensuring adequate intakes of energy and
all essential nutrients. More recently, an additional
aim has been to guide consumers towards a diet that
maximises long-term health and reduces morbidity
and mortality from the so-called “diseases of indus-
trialisation” like heart disease, many cancers, type-2
diabetes, osteoporosis, dental caries and dementia.
These expanding aims are reflected in new consumer
guides and I briefly review changes in these food
guide tools from simple food groups to more elabo-
rate food guide plates and pyramids. I end Chapter
1 with a critical discussion of the direction of much
recent nutrition research that is focused upon trying
to find tenuous links between individual foods or
dietary components and the risk of specific diseases.
The epidemiological methods used to try to estab-
lish such subtle links between diet and diseases are
necessarily too crude to identify these links with any
degree of confidence. A claim of a weak link based
upon this crude methodology can lead to decades of
unproductive research which has negligible chance
of leading to any clear answer or useful dietary rec-
ommendation as exemplified in the yoghurt and
ovarian cancer case-study at the end of the chapter.
Another stream of current research is an avalanche
of papers confirming already well-established links
with different data sources and/or ever larger sample
sizes such as the association between high fruit and
vegetable consumption and reduced mortality that
has been almost universally accepted for over 30
years; the methods used cannot establish cause and
effect definitively, so a strong association remains
29. xxiv
Preface
an association no matter how large the sample size,
detailed the database or sophisticated the statistical
manipulations.
Chapter 2 deals with the social, cultural and eco-
nomic influences upon diet and food selection. I have
tried to streamline this chapter whilst still discuss-
ing the major topics discussed in earlier editions. A
large part of this chapter uses my “hierarchy of avail-
abilities” model of food selection as the framework
for discussing the many non-nutritional factors that
influence food choices. This simple model was based
upon the concepts in Abraham Maslow’s famous
hierarchy of human needs.
Methods of nutritional surveillance and research
remain an important part of the book. Chapter 3 dis-
cusses methods used to assess nutrient intake and
nutritional status. It has been updated. This chapter
now includes a discussion of convincing evidence
that most methods used to assess nutrient intakes
that involve self-reporting substantially under-
estimate energy and food intake; this finding has
important and far-reaching implications for nutri-
tion surveillance and research. The section dealing
with the epidemiological and experimental meth-
ods used by nutritionists has been fully revised and
expanded and is now split into two chapters (4 and
5). Chapter 4 deals with the individual methods and
their strengths and limitations. Chapter 5 is about
how information from these diverse studies is syn-
thesised, amalgamated and translated into practi-
cal treatments or recommendations. This chapter
also contains a discussion of why many scientists
think that many published research findings are not
reproducible and probably wrong. These criticisms of
current research may apply particularly to nutrition
research which relies so heavily upon observational
methods. At the end of Chapter 5, there is also a brief
discussion of research fraud and some of the cases
that have impacted upon nutrition. The methods dis-
cussed in Chapters 4 and 5 are used for all biomedi-
cal research so some appreciation of these methods
should enable students to make a more realistic
appraisal of the claims about scientific breakthroughs
and particularly links between diet, lifestyle and dis-
ease that frequently appear as extravagant headline
claims in the popular media.
Chapter 6 reviews dietary guidelines and rec-
ommendations set by government agencies and the
WHO. Despite differences of emphasis and different
nuances, these recommendations are consistent and
have not changed much over the last three or four
decades. There is also a detailed critical review of the
current UK recommendations about alcohol use and
the new law in Scotland that sets a minimum price
for alcoholic drinks.
The chapter on cellular energetics and metabo-
lism that was present in all previous editions has
been removed but some of the content appears in
other chapters e.g. the metabolism of fatty acids
(β-oxidation) is now moved to the fat chapter.
Chapters 7–9 cover energy aspects of nutrition,
including, adaptations to starvation; the regulation
of energy balance; and the prevalence, causes, con-
sequences and treatment of obesity. There is a short
critical discussion of the briefly popular notion that a
defect in brown fat thermogenesis might be a major
cause of human obesity; premature application of
data with small mammals played a part in generating
this now generally discredited theory. Obesity and
associated medical problems like type-2 diabetes has
long been a major public health problem in industri-
alised countries but is now rapidly becoming a major
problem in many parts of the developing world.
Chapters 10–16 contain an updated discussion
of individual macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein
and fat) and micronutrients (vitamins and miner-
als). Chapter 10 (carbohydrates) includes discussion
of the glycaemic index and of the new UK “sugar
tax” on sugary soft drinks. In Chapter 12 (fat) there
is an extended discussion of statins and impact their
mass use has had upon the blood lipid profile of
UK adults and cardiovascular disease risk. Chapter
13 is about dietary supplements and food fortifica-
tion. Supplements are classified and the rationale for
their use and evidence of their efficacy is evaluated.
The case for fortification of UK flour with folic acid
and perhaps vitamin D is discussed along with an
overview of UK food fortification policy and how it
might be modernised. The overall message from this
chapter is that many supplements are unnecessary or
inherently ineffective. Even where increased intake
of a supplement might be beneficial to some people,
over-the-counter supplements are a very inefficient
means of effecting increasing intakes in those likely
to benefit from them. Chapter 14 is a new chapter
which brings together material about functional
30. xxv
Preface
foods, so-called “superfoods”, and the benefits of
eating large amounts of fruits and vegetables. The
term “superfood” is now widely used but the impli-
cation that these foods can have a transformative
effect upon the diet or health is seriously flawed and
naïve; the evidence supporting most specific claims
for health benefits of individual “superfoods” is
weak or non-existent. Chapters 15 (on vitamins) and
16 (on minerals) remain structurally unaltered from
the fourth edition. Chapter 15 begins with an over-
view of vitamins and vitamin deficiency followed by
a discussion of each individual vitamin. Chapter 16
begins with brief reviews of nine individual minerals
followed by a more in-depth discussion of four min-
eral-related issues: iodine deficiency; iron and iron
deficiency anaemia; calcium, diet and bone health;
and the relationship between salt intake and blood
pressure.
Chapters 17–19 cover nutritional needs and pri-
orities of different lifecycle and racial groups, the
role of nutrition in disease treatment, vegetarianism
and the interaction between nutrition and physical
activity. These chapters have been updated and re-
worked but remain structurally unaltered. The sec-
tion on vegetarianism has been expanded to reflect
the implications of increased numbers choosing a
vegetarian or partly vegetarian diet in the UK. There
has been an increase in people who identify as vegan
and increased use and availability of vegetarian
alternatives to milk and dairy products.
Chapter 20 deals with the safety and quality
of food and it is shorter than in previous editions
mainly because the sections dealing with functional
foods and “superfoods” have been moved to Chapter
14. I contemplated leaving out the section dealing
with the bovine spongiform encephalopathy or “mad
cow disease” because the crisis seems to be over.
However, in the end, I revised it and left it in because
it had such profound economic, political and social
impact in the UK; it has left a lingering mistrust of
government’s ability or willingness to ensure that
our food is safe.
A NOTE ABOUT REFERENCING
When writing a scientific review article, a major
aim of the reference list is to show the provenance
of statements made in the text and to give the reader
an indication of the confidence they should have in
any statement or claim; directing readers towards
supplementary sources is often very much a sec-
ondary aim. In this edition, I have made directing
students towards useful supplementary material a
more prominent aim of the reference list. A stream-
lined list of key references is now given at the end
of each chapter rather than a long list of references
at the end of the book or only available as an online
resource as in the fourth edition. I have tried to
minimise references given just as support for state-
ments made, especially long-accepted statements,
and to maximise those that some interested readers
might actually choose to look up. I have also tried,
where possible, to list references that are acces-
sible online and to minimise, for example, refer-
ences to out-of-print or difficult to obtain books
or book chapters. Where a discussion in the text
has been covered in one of my blog articles, I give
the listed blog address in the references but not the
individual sources cited as these can all be accessed
from the blog article. I have cited many Cochrane
reviews and these are available free online to read-
ers in most countries from the searchable Cochrane
Database of Systematic Reviews (http
s://w
ww.co
chranelibrary.com/cdsr/reviews). I have not given
the full citation for each of these in the reference
list but readers are given enough information in
the text to find these using the search facility of the
database; this will also find the latest update of the
review.
32. xxvii
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank my commissioning editor at
Taylor and Francis Ms Randy Brehm. Her persis-
tence and encouragement eventually persuaded me
to write this fifth edition even though she is based
in Florida, several thousand miles away from me in
London.
34. xxix
About the author
Geoffrey P. Webb, BSc, MSc, PhD, SFHEA, has
a BSc in physiology and biochemistry and a PhD
from University of Southampton and an MSc (dis-
tinction) in Nutrition from King’s College, London.
He has many years’ experience of teaching nutri-
tion, physiology and biochemistry at the University
of East London and is a senior fellow of the Higher
Education Academy. Early in his career he led an
obesity research group and published results which
questioned the once-fashionable notion that a defect
in brown fat might be an important cause of human
obesity.
In recent years, he has focused his efforts on
writing books and review articles, and several
of his reviews have related to the discussion of
major scientific errors and critical discussion of the
research methods used in nutrition and public health
research. This fifth edition is his tenth book i.e. ten
editions spread over four different titles. Three of his
books have been translated into Spanish and one
into Polish. He also wrote a monthly “nutrition and
health” column for a local East London newspaper
for three years and regularly blogs about nutrition,
public health, research methods and research fraud.
He served as a member of the editorial board of the
British Journal of Nutrition for about 8 years.
He has spent several years researching many
cases of research fraud and is in the process of draft-
ing a new book about error and fraud in biological
and medical research.
36. PART
1
CONCEPTS AND
PRINCIPLES
1 Changing priorities in nutrition 3
2 Food selection 19
3 Methods of nutritional assessment and surveillance 47
4 Investigating links between diet and health outcomes 89
5 Investigating links between diet and health – amalgamation,
synthesis and decision making 117
6 Dietary guidelines and recommendations 141
38. 3
1
Changing priorities in nutrition
ENSURING ADEQUACY AND USE
OF FOOD GROUPS
During the first half of the twentieth century, the
focus of nutrition research was to identify the essen-
tial nutrients and to quantify our requirements for
these nutrients.
Essential nutrients are split into two major
categories.
• The macronutrients – carbohydrates, fats
and protein are required in relatively large
quantities and are the main sources of dietary
energy. Within the fats category, small
amounts of certain polyunsaturated fatty
acids are specifically essential and needed
for vitamin-like functions; one of them was
originally designated vitamin F. Within the
protein component, nine or ten amino acids
are termed essential because they are needed
for protein synthesis and cannot be made
from the other 10/11 so-called non-essential
amino acids; some are also needed in other
synthetic pathways. We can synthesise glucose
from some amino acids and from the glycerol
component of fat, but in most healthy diets,
carbohydrates would be expected to provide
more than half of the calories.
• The micronutrients – vitamins and minerals
are only required in small (milligram or
microgram) quantities and do not act as
sources of energy. There are 13 vitamins and 15
unequivocally established essential minerals.
The following list gives the criteria for establishing
that a nutrient is essential.
• The substance is essential for growth, health
and survival.
• Characteristic signs of deficiency result from
inadequate intakes and these are only cured
by administration of the nutrient or a specific
precursor.
• The severity of the deficiency symptoms is
dose-dependent; they get worse as the intake of
nutrient decreases.
• The substance is not synthesised in the body,
or only synthesised from a specific dietary
precursor, and so is required throughout life.
Ensuring adequacy and use of
food groups 3
A new priority – reducing the chronic
diseases of ageing populations 6
Plates and pyramids: food guides to
reflect modern nutritional priorities 7
Failure to fully implement better
nutritional knowledge and understanding 9
The future of nutrition research 12
Yoghurt and ovarian cancer? A case
study of unproductive research 14
Key reference 17
39. 4
Changing priorities in nutrition
Note that a strict application of this rule would
eliminate vitamin D, which can be synthesised
in the skin in sufficient amounts by a
photochemical reaction, provided it is regularly
exposed to summer sunlight.
During the first half of the twentieth century, most
of these essential nutrients were identified and their
ability to cure or prevent certain deficiency diseases
was confirmed. These deficiency diseases have been
major causes of ill-health and mortality and in a few
cases still are.
• Between 1900 and 1950 there were 3 million
cases and 100,000 deaths from pellagra in the
USA, a disease that was shown to be caused
by a lack of niacin or vitamin B3. It has been a
major cause of ill-health in many places where
maize was the dominant staple food.
• In the early 1900s, there were 30,000 deaths per
year from beriberi in British Malaya and up to
20,000 in the American-occupied Philippines.
Beriberi was shown to be caused by a lack of
thiamin (vitamin B1) and was prominent in
other countries where white (polished) rice was
the dominant source of dietary calories.
• In the late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries, up to 75% of children in some British
industrial cities and some northern US cities
like Boston suffered from rickets caused by
vitamin D deficiency. Inadequate exposure of
the skin to summer sunlight was the major
underlying cause.
• Prior to the 1920s, a diagnosis of pernicious
anaemia meant death was almost inevitable
until it was found that eating raw liver (a very
rich source of vitamin B12) could alleviate
this condition. The condition is caused by an
inability to absorb vitamin B12.
The impact of this work was such that several Nobel
Prizes for Physiology or Medicine and for Chemistry
were awarded for vitamin-related work; between
1929 and 1943 a total of 14 individuals shared seven
Nobel prizes for such work.
In most cases, these nutrients have not only been
identified but firm estimates of average requirements
have also been made. Selenium was the last of the 28
micronutrients to have its essentiality established in
1957. Many governments and international agencies
use these estimates of requirements to publish lists
of dietary standards that can act as yardsticks to test
the adequacy of diets or food supplies. These stan-
dards are variously termed Recommended Dietary/
Daily Allowances (RDA) or Dietary Reference Values
(DRV) and they are discussed fully in Chapter 3.
During these early decades of the twentieth cen-
tury, our understanding of the nature, roles and
requirements for essential nutrients was established
and ensuring adequacy became the overriding prior-
ity in nutrition. Good nutrition was all about making
sure that people got enough energy and protein and
adequate amounts of all of the essential nutrients.
The quality of a diet would have been judged upon
its ability to supply all of the essential nutrients and
to prevent nutritional inadequacy.
The official priorities for improving the nutri-
tional health of the British population during the
1930s were the following:
• To reduce the consumption of bread and
starchy foods.
• To increase the consumption of nutrient-rich,
so-called “protective foods”, like milk, butter,
cheese, eggs, fruit and green vegetables.
The following benefits were expected to result from
these changes:
• A taller, more active and mentally alert
population.
• Less of the deficiency diseases like goitre,
rickets and anaemia.
• A reduced toll of death and incapacity due
to infectious diseases like pneumonia,
tuberculosis and rheumatic fever.
These aims have largely been achieved. The aver-
age height of Britons has increased and they are now
much taller now than in the first half of the twentieth
century. Occurrences of overt deficiency diseases are
now rare and usually confined to particular high-
risk sectors of the population like those with chronic
illnesses or those at the extremes of social and eco-
nomic deprivation. Children now mature faster and
reach puberty earlier. The potential physical capa-
bility of the population has undoubtedly increased
even though many of us are unfit because we are
not required to do any hard physical work and can
40. 5
Ensuring adequacy and use of food groups
choose to lead very inactive lives. Infectious diseases
now account for less than 1% of deaths in Britain.
There are still many populations around the world
where people struggle to obtain enough food to eat
and where malnutrition and certain deficiency dis-
eases are still prevalent; ensuring dietary adequacy
remains the nutritional priority for such populations.
Even within affluent countries, those at the extremes
of social and economic deprivation may still strug-
gle to achieve sufficient dietary adequacy to pre-
vent overt indications of deficiency or malnutrition.
Prolonged periods of ill-health may also precipitate
malnutrition. Many people in the UK without vis-
ible symptoms of deficiency still have intakes of vita-
mins and minerals that are considered inadequate
and/or have biochemical indicators that are below
the threshold values taken to indicate poor status for
particular nutrients.
Right up until the 1990s the guidance tools used
by those seeking to give public health advice about
diet and nutrition reflected this prioritising of ade-
quacy. Foods were grouped according to their abil-
ity to supply important elements of an adequate diet
and clients advised to eat food from each of these
groups each day. A food chart poster produced by
the Ministry of Food in Britain during World War II
(WW2) splits foods up into four groups and recom-
mends that people “eat something from each group
every day”.
The four groups used were:
• Body-building foods – these were all high
protein, animal foods: milk, meat, eggs, cheese
and fish. In a footnote it is acknowledged that
many vegetable foods like peas, beans, bread
and potatoes help in body-building but are not
as good as the five listed.
• Energy foods – a list of 17 quite disparate
foods: starchy foods including potatoes, bread,
oatmeal and rice; sugar and other sugary foods
like honey and dried fruit; foods with a high
fat content like butter, margarine, several fatty
meats and dripping (fat that has dripped from
roasting meat usually beef).
• Protective foods, group 3 – this is a list of foods
likely to contain fat-soluble vitamins like the
oily fish herring and salmon, liver, eggs, dairy
foods, margarine, butter and other dairy foods
(fortification of margarine with vitamins A and
D began during WW2).
• Protective foods, group 4 – this is a list of seven
foods likely to contain carotene (vitamin
A), water-soluble vitamins and minerals:
potatoes, carrots, fruit and green vegetables,
salads, tomatoes and wholemeal/brown bread
(fortification of white flour also began during
WW2).
Some of the suggestions in this poster seem rather
odd in the context of modern recommendations
which favour low (saturated) fat and low sugar diets
with high intakes of fruit, vegetables and unrefined
cereals but only modest amounts of dairy foods and
meat. The classification of butter and margarine as
protective foods and the positive presentation of
sugar as an energy food may strike a particularly dis-
cordant note with modern nutritionists whose focus
is on excessive energy intake and the major public
health problems caused by obesity.
A much more familiar food grouping system is
the Four Food Group Plan, which was the mainstay
of dietary guidelines for around four decades, espe-
cially in the USA. This plan uses four groups and rec-
ommends minimum numbers of portions from each
group each day. These four groups and their essen-
tial nutrient profiles are outlined in the following list,
along with minimum portion recommendations.
• The milk group – milk, cheese, yoghurt,
other milk products and would now include
vegetarian dairy alternatives like soya milk
and other non-dairy “milks” and alternatives
to dairy products that can be made from them.
These provide good amounts of energy, high-
quality protein, vitamin A, calcium, iodine and
riboflavin. At least two portions each day.
• The meat group – meat, fish, eggs and
vegetarian alternatives to meat like pulses, soy
protein, nuts and more recently Quorn. This
group provides protein, B vitamins, vitamin A,
iodine and iron. At least two portions per day.
• The fruit and vegetable group – fruits and
vegetables, and pulses other than those
included in the meat group. Seen as good
sources of carotene (vitamin A), vitamin C,
folate, riboflavin, potassium and fibre. At least
four portions per day.
41. 6
Changing priorities in nutrition
• The bread and cereals group – bread, rice, pasta,
breakfast cereals, other cereals and products
made from flour. Whole grain cereals were seen
as good sources of B vitamins, some minerals
and fibre. In the UK (and the USA) white flour
and many breakfast cereals are fortified. At
least four portions per day.
Even though there are differences between these
two grouping systems, the common theme of both
of them is the emphasis upon adequacy, making
sure that people get enough energy, high-quality
protein, vitamins and minerals epitomised by the
phrase “at least 2/4 portions per day” in the four food
group plan.
A NEW PRIORITY – REDUCING
THE CHRONIC DISEASES OF
AGEING POPULATIONS
In 1901, the average life expectancy was around 47
years in both Britain and the USA. It is now well over
75 years in both countries. In 1901, less than half of
British people survived to reach 65 years but now it
is around 95%. In 1901, only 4% of the population of
Britain was over 65 years but now they make up 16%
of the population. These dramatic increases in life
expectancy have been largely the result of reducing
deaths from acute causes like infection, complica-
tions of childbirth, injury and appendicitis, especially
among children and younger adults. Life expec-
tancy has increased substantially for all age groups,
including the elderly, over this period. This inevita-
bly means that there have been big increases in the
proportion of deaths attributable to the chronic,
degenerative diseases of affluence/industrialisation
that affect mainly middle-aged and elderly people.
Infectious diseases were the major cause of death in
Britain in the nineteenth century but now the cardio-
vascular diseases (heart disease and strokes), cancers
and increasingly dementia account for the majority
of deaths in the UK. Infectious diseases accounted
for 1 in 3 deaths in Britain in 1850, and about 1 in 5
deaths in 1900, but today this figure is under 1%. At
the turn of the twentieth century probably less than
a quarter of all deaths were attributed to all cardio-
vascular diseases, strokes and cancers but now it is
three quarters. In the period 1931–1991, cardiovas-
cular diseases rose from causing 26% of all deaths
to 46% although death rates from heart disease have
seen a very substantial drop since then, and since the
start of the new millennium have just about halved
in UK men.
These diseases of industrialisation were shown
to be associated with a sedentary lifestyle and
diets that are high in (saturated) fat, sugar and salt
but relatively low in starch, dietary fibre and fruits
and vegetables. Many sets of guidelines published
by government agencies since the late 1970s have
focused upon dietary changes intended to reduce the
toll of these chronic degenerative diseases, which
particularly afflict ageing populations (see Chapter
6 for discussion of these different sets of guidelines).
The consensus of these reports and numerous sub-
sequent ones for industrialised populations are sum-
marised in the list that follows.
• Maintain body weight within the ideal range
and avoid excessive weight gain by restricting
energy intake and/or increasing energy
expenditure (exercise).
• Eat a varied diet.
• Eat plenty of starchy and fibre-rich foods; starch
should be 40% or more of the total food energy
with at least 25–30 g/day of dietary fibre.
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables: at least five
portions per day.
• Eat two portions of (oily) fish per week.
• Moderate the proportion of fat and saturated
fat in the diet; less than 35% or even less than
30% of food energy should come from fat with
no more than around 10% from saturated fatty
acids.
• Reduce salt consumption to 5 or 6 g/day.
• Reduce added sugars to 5–10% of energy.
• Limit the consumption of alcohol to 3 (women)
or 4 (men) units per day or even less in more
recent UK recommendations.
These recommendations have not changed in their
main characteristics over the last 40 years. The
emphasis in industrialised countries has moved from
ensuring that we eat enough energy, protein and
nutrients to ensure adequacy to reducing the toll of
chronic age-related diseases. This new aim requires
reduced intake of certain dietary constituents like
42. 7
Plates and pyramids: food guides to reflect modern nutritional priorities
fatty meat, full-fat dairy products, sugary or salty
foods and some high (saturated) fat products used
for cooking or spreading. These latter foods should
be replaced by more starchy foods, unsaturated veg-
etable oils, low fat spreads, fruits and vegetables.
PLATES AND PYRAMIDS: FOOD
GUIDES TO REFLECT MODERN
NUTRITIONAL PRIORITIES
The early food guidance tools based upon food
groups and designed primarily to ensure dietary
adequacy needed to be modified in order to reflect
these new priorities. In 1992 the Food Guide Pyramid
shown in Figure 1.1 was adopted as the new food
guide tool in the USA.
This is a recognisable development of the four
food group plan but reflected the new priorities of
reducing sugar and fat (especially saturated fat),
increasing the starch and fibre content of the diet
and increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables.
The likely sources of dietary fat and added sugars
within the six food groupings are indicated by the
density of circles (fat) and triangles (added sugar)
within the pyramid’s six compartments. This guide
was intended to steer consumers towards a diet that
is not only adequate in all the essential nutrients but
also reflected these new priorities aimed at reducing
or delaying the so-called diseases of industrialisa-
tion or affluence.
A food guide in the form of a tilted plate was
introduced in the UK in 1994 with essentially the
same aims and it was similarly a recognisable
development of the old four food group plan (see
Figure 1.2).
These food guides have been updated and modi-
fied since 1992. Figure 1.3 shows the latest Eatwell
Milk, Yogurt
Cheese Group
2-3 SERVINGS
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans,
Eggs Nuts Group
2-3 SERVINGS
KEY
Fat (naturally occurring and added)
Sugars (added)
These symbols show fats and added sugars in foods.
Fruit Group
2-4 SERVINGS
Bread, Cereal,
Rice Pasta
Group
6-11
SERVINGS
Vegetable Group
3-5 SERVINGS
Fats, Oils Sweets
USE SPARINGLY
Figure 1.1 The Food Guide Pyramid introduced in the USA in 1992.
43. 8
Changing priorities in nutrition
Guide published in 2016 by Public Health England.
The oils and spreading fats sector in the new plate is
now very small and foods like potato crisps (chips),
bottled sauces, biscuits, cakes, candies and choco-
late are outside the plate altogether and consumers
are advised to consume these less often in smaller
amounts. Around the outside of the plate are a series
of message linked to the four food groups like choos-
ing options that are lower in fat, high fibre or without
added sugar. There is advice about consuming six to
eight portions of fluids each day but to mainly choose
water, low-fat milk, sugar-free options as well as tea
and coffee. There is advice to limit fruit juices to
around 150 ml/day. Finally, consumers are advised
to make use of the “traffic light” labelling on foods
(see Chapter 20).
The 1992 Food Guide Pyramid in the USA was
replaced with a new MyPyramid image in 2005 (see
Figure 1.4). This changes the layout of the pyramid
which is now divided vertically rather than horizon-
tally, but the message remains essentially unaltered
from 1992. The one additional feature is a figure
climbing steps on the side of the pyramid to encour-
age consumers to be active and to balance calorie
intake with output.
Whilst the images and emphasis have evolved
in these food selection guides, the general dietary
characteristics being encouraged have not changed
in their overall aims. This means that for more
than 40 years we have had a pretty good idea of
what nutrients are essential, how much of these are
needed to prevent any indications of deficiency and
the general characteristics of a diet that would reduce
or delay the toll taken by the diseases of affluence/
industrialisation.
In the most recent US food guide there is yet
another change of format and as in the UK, the
image of a plate is used (see Figure 1.5). The plate in
this image is divided into four similar-sized sectors
labelled fruits, vegetables, grains and protein with a
glass/cup by the side of the plate labelled dairy. The
plate is accompanied by ten tips with accompanying
explanation and examples for building a healthy eat-
ing style for life:
Meat, fish and alternatives
Foods containing fat
Foods and drinks containing sugar
There are five main groups of valuable foods
Milk and dairy foods
Bread, other cereals and potatoes
Fruit and vegetables
The Balance of Good Health
Figure 1.2 The UK food guide plate of 1994.
44. 9
Failure to fully implement better nutritional knowledge and understanding
• Find your own healthy eating style.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Focus on whole fruits.
• Vary your veggies.
• Make half of your grains whole grains.
• Move to low-fat or fat-free milk or yoghurt.
• Vary your protein routine (from a listed range
of seafood, beans and peas, unsalted nuts
and seeds, soy products, eggs, lean meats and
poultry).
• Drink and eat beverages and foods with less
sodium, saturated fat and added sugars.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
• Everything you eat and drink matters.
Consumers are effectively being given general
guidelines that they should use to develop a life-
long healthy eating plan that suits them. This lat-
est US guide is almost reverting to the past idea of
food groups plus additional advice on how to select
healthy options within those food groups.
FAILURE TO FULLY IMPLEMENT
BETTER NUTRITIONAL
KNOWLEDGE AND
UNDERSTANDING
This long-standing improvement in the breadth and
depth of knowledge and understanding of nutri-
tion has not always been fully translated into health
improvement.
• In 1915, David Marine said that “endemic goitre is
the easiest known disease to cure” yet hundreds
of millions still suffer from goitre or other
manifestations of dietary iodine deficiency and
this is still the most common, preventable cause
of mental retardation in the world’s children.
• Hundreds of thousands of children in the world
still die or go blind each year due to vitamin A
deficiency (“factor A”extracted from butter fat
c1914).
Check the label on
packaged foods
Each serving (150g) contains
Use the Eatwell Guide to help you get a balance of healthier and more sustainable food.
It shows how much of what you eat overall should come from each food group.
Eatwell Guide
Choose foods lower
in fat, salt and sugars
Eat less often and
in small amounts
6-8
a day
Water, lower fat
milk, sugar-free
drinks including
tea and coffee
all count.
Limit fruit juice
and/or smoothies
to a total of
150ml a day.
Choose unsaturated
oils and use in small
amounts
Oil spreads
of an adult’s reference intake
Typical values (as sold)
per 100g: 697kJ/ 167kcal
Per day 2000kcal 2500kcal = ALL FOOD + ALL DRINKS
Sugars
34g
Salt
0.9g
7%
Saturates
1.3g
Energy
1046kJ
250kcal
Fat
3.0g
13% 4%
LOW LOW
38%
HIGH
15%
MED
E
a
t
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a
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t
5
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u
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a
n
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v
e
g
e
tables every day
Eat more beans and pulses, 2 portions of
which is oily. Eat less and processed meat
sustainably sources fish per week, one of
Choose lower fat and
lower sugar options
Choose
w
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o
l
e
g
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Pota
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Dairy and alternatives
Figure 1.3 The Eatwell Guide, the latest (2016) development of the UK Food Guide.
45. 10
Changing priorities in nutrition
GRAINS VEGETABLES FRUITS MILK MEAT BEANS
Figure 1.4 The 2005 US MyPyramid food guide.
Vegetables
Fruits
Grains
Protein
Dairy
Figure 1.5 The new American MyPlate food guide.
46. 11
Failure to fully implement better nutritional knowledge and understanding
This failure to fully realise the benefits of better
nutrition knowledge is not confined to developing
countries.
In the UK many people have intakes of an
essential vitamin or mineral that are classified as
inadequate i.e. more than two standard deviations
below the estimated average requirement (termed
the lower reference nutrient intake [LRNI] in the
UK). There are also many people who have bio-
chemical indicators of nutrient status that are
below the minimum thresholds used to indicate
adequacy.
• According to a major UK report on iron and
health, over half of institutionalised elderly
people had blood haemoglobin levels indicative
of iron deficiency anaemia, and even in the
free-living elderly, anaemia rates ranged from
6% of women aged 65–74 years to 38% of men
aged over 85 years (anaemia rates are higher
in men than women in the elderly). The same
report found that 9% of adolescent girls were
anaemic, 24% had depleted iron stores (low
serum ferritin) and 48% had total iron intakes
below the LRNI (see Chapter 16).
• In 2012–2013 there were well over 800
admissions of children to British hospital for
rickets (vitamin D deficiency) and during the
winter months well over 30% of UK adults are
below the biochemical threshold indicative of
vitamin D inadequacy; double this number
if the higher threshold used by the American
Institute of Medicine is used (see Chapter 15).
• Many British women and girls have inadequate
iodine intake; perhaps half of teenaged girls
have urinary iodine concentrations indicative
of at least mild iodine deficiency There is
preliminary evidence that poor iodine status of
pregnant UK women is adversely affecting the
intellectual development of their offspring (see
Chapter 17).
Clear evidence has existed since 1991 that daily sup-
plements (400 µg) of folic acid (vitamin B9) taken from
before conception and in early pregnancy reduce the
incidence of neural tube defects, like anencephaly
and spinal bifida, in babies by around three quarters.
Yet advising women to take over-the-counter sup-
plements when planning a pregnancy has had little
impact on the rates of neural tube defects. In 1998,
the US and Canadian authorities introduced manda-
tory fortification of flour with folic acid and this led
to immediate and substantial falls in the incidence
of these neural tube defects. Over eighty countries
have followed this North American lead but despite
repeated recommendations from expert bodies, UK
and other European governments have resisted
introducing similar measures and this has resulted
in thousands of avoidable stillbirths, infant deaths,
terminations and births of severely disabled babies
(see Chapter 13).
The first British report to set quantitative targets
for dietary changes that would reduce the risks of
chronic degenerative disease (the National Advisory
Committee for Nutrition Education [NACNE]
report) was produced in 1983. It set some targets that
it envisaged could be achieved within 5 years, i.e. by
1988, and also more ambitious targets that might
take 15 years to be reached, i.e. by 1998. It set a 5-year
target for reducing the proportion of dietary energy
that should come from fat to no more than 35%. This
target re-appeared in the Department of Health’s
Health of the Nation report as a target for 2005, and
data from National Diet and Nutrition Survey sug-
gest that this preliminary NACNE target may actu-
ally have been reached in around 2010 i.e. more than
20 years later than envisaged by NACNE. In 1990 the
WHO made a recommendation that we should eat
5×80 g portions of fruit and vegetables each day and
this resulted in campaigns to promote 5 a day in sev-
eral countries, including the UK (in 2003). Despite
these WHO recommendations being made over 25
years ago and an active 5 a day campaign in the UK
since 2003, most British adults are still eating less
than 3 portions per day. In about 15 years the 5 a day
campaign has had only a small impact on the average
consumption of fruit and vegetables.
The examples in the previous paragraph suggest
that major improvements in nutritional health in
both industrialised and developing countries are not
now being held back primarily by a lack of scientific
knowledge and understanding but by economic and
political factors and a lack of compliance with nutri-
tional advice and guidelines.
Major and relatively costly vaccination and pub-
lic health programmes have had a major worldwide
impact in reducing the toll of some diseases. Such
47. 12
Changing priorities in nutrition
measures have eradicated smallpox, eliminated polio
in all but a handful of countries and greatly reduced
the prevalence and deaths from measles; one pro-
gramme has even succeeded in eradicating the cattle
disease rinderpest. Despite these great public health
successes, deficiency diseases that could be cured or
prevented by a simple dietary supplement or food
fortification like iodisation of salt have not been
eradicated. These deficiency diseases still exact an
enormous toll of death and disability in many parts
of the world even though cheap and effective cures
have been known for a century.
In affluent industrialised countries, vitamin and
mineral supplements or, more probably, selective
food fortification could also eradicate adverse con-
sequences of deficiency and produce other benefits.
Some examples are listed subsequently and more
detailed discussion of these issues can be found in
other chapters of this book.
• Iodisation of salt (including that used by food
manufacturers) would eliminate sub-clinical
iodine deficiency in Britain which could lead to
improvements in child development.
• Fortifying flour with folic acid (vitamin B9)
would substantially reduce the number of
babies in Britain and Europe affected by a
neural tube defect and so reduce miscarriages,
stillbirths, terminations and children with
major lifelong disabilities. It would also largely
eliminate folic acid deficiency.
• Fortification of a common food with vitamin
D would reduce the relatively small number
of cases of rickets in the UK as well as reduce
the high prevalence of sub-clinical vitamin
D deficiency. This would be expected to lead
to improved musculoskeletal health of the
population and improved immune function;
there is evidence varying from fairly convincing
to speculative that it might reduce other
problems like osteoporosis-related fractures in
the elderly and autoimmune diseases like type-1
diabetes and multiple sclerosis (see Chapter 15).
• Fluoridation of water supplies up to a level of
1 mg/L would lead to fewer dental caries and
immediate improvements in the dental health
of UK children and eventually the whole
population (see Chapter 10).
It is understandable and desirable that governments
should be cautious about taking steps like these.
Some would argue that it amounts to mass medica-
tion without consent, but mandatory fortification of
white flour and margarine has been used in the UK
and elsewhere since WW2. Voluntary fortification
of foods dates back to the 1920s and manufacturers
choose to fortify many foods, notably breakfast cere-
als, as a marketing aid. There may be ways of allow-
ing “freedom of choice” but still ensuring that the
extra nutrients reach most of those who would benefit
e.g. the UK government could formally recommend
folic acid fortification of bread/flour but unfortified
products could still be permitted to be sold provided
they carry a warning such as “not fortified with folic
acid (vitamin B9), an essential nutrient and so does
not comply with government recommendations on
fortification”.
THE FUTURE OF NUTRITION
RESEARCH
Nutrition research has had an illustrious history stud-
ded with many award-winning discoveries capable
of transforming and extending the lives of millions
of people around the world. The previous discussion
also suggests that some of these major discover-
ies and developments in nutritional understanding
have yet to be fully translated into the concerted
and effective measures necessary to realise all of the
potential benefits. This area of translation of nutri-
tional understanding into practical dietary improve-
ments and health benefits seems like a key area for
research and resources. This would be of benefit to
both developed and developing countries. What are
the barriers that prevent sometimes very cheap and
simple measures from being widely implemented
even many decades after scientific confirmation of
their effectiveness? Why does iodine deficiency still
affect millions of people around the world and still
cause mental retardation in hundreds of thousands of
children? Why does vitamin A deficiency still cause
blindness, increased infection and increased child
mortality in many countries? Why are vitamin and
mineral inadequacies and sometimes even an overt
deficiency disease like rickets still an issue in some
affluent countries despite widespread use of vitamin
48. 13
The future of nutrition research
and mineral supplements? Why has fruit and veg-
etable consumption increased so little in countries
like the UK despite decades of campaigns to increase
consumption of which most people are aware? Why
have European governments been so reluctant dur-
ing peacetime to formally recommend or compel the
fortification of foods with certain essential nutrients
where deficiency is known to be prevalent or where
the benefits of supplementation have been proven?
Much current nutritional research seems to lack
real purpose and direction. This is certainly true of
much of the research that is conveyed to the general
public in simplistic and sometimes contradictory
media headlines. Much of the research that gener-
ates headlines in the media is focused on looking
for improbable or tenuous links between individual
foods or food components and diseases.
Some of this research linking dietary components
and diseases is improbably presented as having
potential for drug discovery. Many important drugs
certainly have their origins in plants or other natu-
ral products, but when I have asked my pharmacol-
ogy colleagues for examples of drugs that have been
derived from something with an authentic culinary
use, I have received few convincing examples; it is
difficult to think of any major drug that has come
from a common food. The nature of drug actions
means that they are likely to have side effects and
to be toxic in excess; many of the potential drugs
in plants also have an unpleasant taste or induce
unpleasant pharmacological responses. For such
reasons this failure of foods to be a useful source of
drugs might be expected as we have learnt to avoid
eating them.
Many papers report that a high or low intake of a
food or component is associated with an increased or
decreased risk of developing a particular disease or
report that studies with isolated cells or animal mod-
els give some preliminary evidence for such links.
These associations or effects are usually weak and
inconsistent and even where statistically significant
the effect size is usually small. In many cases there
may be a steady trickle of papers, some of which
support the association and some which do not. In
most of these cases there seems little prospect that
evidence will accumulate in the foreseeable future
that is strong enough to justify encouraging dietary
change based on any one of these claimed links; in
many cases, the small measured effects in epidemio-
logical studies may simply indicate the degree of bias
in the study. It is likely that many such claims will
become another research blind alley which will soak
up researchers’ time and resources and generate
papers for many years, but with no serious prospect
of producing any practically useful conclusion.
I spent a few minutes searching the BBC news
website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news) and found
many headlines making such associations over the
last few years or so (see the sample list that follows).
Some of them make a fleeting appearance and then
disappear whereas others crop up several times. For
example:
• blackberries and dementia;
• olive oil and cancer/inflammation;
• green tea and cancer/Alzheimer’s/heart
disease/arthritis/HIV/obesity;
• garlic and cancer/heart disease/methicillin-
resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)/
malaria;
• turmeric and cancer/arthritis/Alzheimer’s
disease/cystic fibrosis;
• fish oil and depression/anti-social behaviour/
exam performance;
• pomegranates and cancer/heart disease;
• watercress and cancer;
• vitamin C and infections/cancer/blood
pressure/gout;
• broccoli and cancer/arthritis/heart disease.
It seems unlikely that any of these will turn out to
make any significant contribution to the preven-
tion or treatment of disease or improving health.
Probably, their only value will be in their marketing
value for some products and boosting the publication
credits of the researchers involved.
I would also question the value of expensive stud-
ies confirming over and over again associations that
are already well established with ever larger num-
bers of subjects and ever more elaborate statistical
analyses (eg the association between high fruit and
vegetable intake and reduced cardiovascular mortal-
ity). An association between diet and disease still
remains just an association even if the study involves
many hundreds of thousands or even millions of
subjects. Unless a new study is able to make a sig-
nificant improvement to the process of identifying,
49. 14
Changing priorities in nutrition
quantifying and correcting for confounding vari-
ables, is it not just confirming what has been gener-
ally accepted, in the case of fruit and vegetables, for
several decades?
Is there too much emphasis on research about
dietary nuances that are essentially designed to
provide ammunition for effecting more extreme
changes or for marketing specific foods to the afflu-
ent, worried well rather than improving population
health? Should we be agonising over whether 5, 7 or
even 10 portions of fruit and vegetables is technically
optimal (or which type of fruit or vegetable is best)
when 75% of the UK population fails to reach 5 a day
and half fail to reach 3 a day? Much of the research
on so-called “superfoods” (see Chapter 15) seems to
offer little prospect of improving population health
and is primarily aimed at marketing specific foods,
often new or expensive foods, to affluent, health-
conscious people whose diets are already much bet-
ter than those of the bulk of the population.
In other parts of this book, there are examples
of research areas that will probably lead into blind
alleys, soak up research effort and resources and
contribute to the deluge of unproductive research
papers without advancing nutritional understand-
ing. Huge amounts of research effort have been
devoted to testing the possible disease-preventing or
therapeutic value of oily fish or fish oil supplements.
Despite many thousands of research studies since
the 1970s, there is no substantial evidence that oily
fish or fish oil supplements are specifically beneficial
in the treatment or prevention of any disease. It has
even been suggested that the original trigger for this
research, the low rates of heart disease in Eskimos,
may have been based upon faulty data (see full dis-
cussion in Chapters 12 and 13).
Evidence that Brassica vegetables, like broc-
coli, might have specific beneficial effects in the
prevention or perhaps even the treatment of some
cancers has been sought in thousands of papers,
yet the National Cancer Institute concluded in 2012
that there is no consistent evidence that eating
Brassica vegetables reduces the risk of cancer (see
Chapter 14).
Much research has been devoted to investigat-
ing the cardio-protective effects of drinking alcohol
and red wine in particular. Some components of red
wine, especially resveratrol, have been promoted
as potential panaceas for a range of human ills.
This research is underpinned by scores of studies
which have reported that when alcohol intake is
plotted against mortality in cohort studies then a
so-called J-curve is often produced, which signifies
that mortality, specifically cardiovascular mortality,
falls at low doses but rises as the dose rises. It is
now argued that this J-curve is an artefact caused
by errors in the correction for other confounding
factors and the presence of many ex-drinkers and
people with ill-health in the no drinking group (see
Chapter 6).
There are a number of examples of largely unpro-
ductive major research areas, including those men-
tioned previously in the chapter, discussed in other
chapters of this book. In the last few pages of this
chapter there is a case study of how a weak obser-
vational link can spawn a large body of unproduc-
tive research output that was never likely to produce
any finding that would be able to contribute to useful
dietary advice.
YOGHURT AND OVARIAN
CANCER? A CASE STUDY OF
UNPRODUCTIVE RESEARCH
This case study is a summarised version of an article
posted on my blog (Webb, 14 July 2016) and this full
article has links to the sources cited).
Cramer et al. (1989) published a paper in The
Lancet which was widely interpreted as suggesting
that high consumption of certain dairy products,
notably yoghurt, might increase the risk of ovarian
cancer. A UPI press release commenting upon this
paper starts with the statement:
“A new study suggests that eating large amounts
of dairy products, especially yogurt and cottage
cheese may increase the risk of developing
ovarian cancer…”.
The lead author is quoted as saying that he
“Stressed the findings need to be confirmed
before recommending women eat less dairy
products”.
50. 15
Yoghurt and ovarian cancer? A case study of unproductive research
But
“The findings were cause for concern, especially
for women who eat a lot of yogurt”.
This research was reported in the popular press at
the time e.g. the following headline appeared in the
New York Times in July 1989: “Research Links Diet
and Infertility Factors to Ovarian Cancer”.
Cramer and his colleagues were testing the
hypothesis that high galactose consumption (from
lactose in milk) could promote the development of
ovarian cancer. This hypothesis was based upon
observations that suggested that high galactose con-
centrations might be toxic to the ovarian tissue. For
example, women with the rare, hereditary disease
galactosemia have impaired ovarian function, fertil-
ity problems and premature menopause. This con-
dition is characterised by an inability to metabolise
galactose and high blood galactose levels.
Cramer et al. attempted to compare the consump-
tion of dairy products and lactose/galactose in 240
white Boston women recently diagnosed with ovar-
ian cancer and a similar number of healthy, white
women matched for age and residential district, i.e.
a retrospective case-control study (see Chapter 4).
They attempted to make a relatively crude estimate of
the lactose intakes of the two groups and also a crude
categorisation of their consumption of 11 different
dairy products. They found no difference between
the lactose consumption of the two groups. In about
half the subjects, they also measured the activity
of an enzyme that metabolises galactose and when
they calculated the ratio of galactose concentration
to enzyme activity they found a significantly higher
ratio in the cancer cases. When they compared the
intake of several dairy products in the two groups
they found statistical differences for yoghurt and for
cottage cheese; cases were 1.7 times more likely to
eat yoghurt at least once a month and 1.4 times more
likely to eat cottage cheese monthly.
There are many flaws in this study that under-
mine any conclusion that galactose or any dairy
foods cause ovarian cancer.
• The dietary classification is necessarily crude
and although the aim was to assess diet before
diagnosis, it is still quite possible that the
recorded intakes were affected by early stages
of the disease or the diagnosis. It is notoriously
difficult to get a valid and reliable assessment
of even the current diets of free-living people.
• The two groups were not well matched. The
cases were more likely to be Jewish, college
educated, never married, never had a child and
never used oral contraception.
• There was no difference between the two
groups in the primary endpoint, and only
when multiple analyses were made and a
further 12 endpoints compared did they find
statistically significant differences. Multiple
analysis increases the likelihood of significant
differences occurring by chance. Were intakes
of any of the other 116 foods in the dietary
questionnaire different between the two
groups?
• The study was necessarily small and
underpowered and small studies are again
likely to generate false significant effects; the
enzyme level was only measured in half the
sample. Good, large studies tend to produce
effects that are clustered closely around the
“true” effect, but as studies get smaller the
variability increases, with a greater likelihood
of generating some statistically significant
results by chance.
• The enzyme activity was measured in the cases
after diagnosis and treatment. The disease or
treatment may have affected enzyme activity
or perhaps low enzyme activity is a marker for
those who are susceptible to the disease.
• The effect size is small and given the crudeness
of the methodology and, given the problems
with subject matching, is well within the range
of the potential biases in the study.
The authors of the study had a reasonable basis for
making their original hypothesis and many of the
problems with the study are inherent in a study of
this type. If they had found substantial, several-fold
differences between the two groups and especially
a substantial difference in the primary endpoint,
then this might well have suggested this was an area
worthy of investing further resources for investiga-
tion using more robust and varied methodologies.
Despite the study’s many serious weaknesses, the
51. 16
Changing priorities in nutrition
authors and the press coverage emphasised the weak
positive relationships, particularly the small appar-
ent increase in relative risk associated with eating
yoghurt or cottage cheese once a month. The results
failed to support the primary hypothesis of higher
galactose consumption in women prior to developing
ovarian cancer. One could well imagine that a differ-
ent set of authors might have presented the results
of this same study in a different way. For example,
authors with affiliation to the dairy industry might
have concluded that it provides no evidence to sup-
port the suggestion that high galactose intake causes
ovarian cancer. Even if they reported the apparently
positive data relating to yoghurt and cottage cheese
they might have framed it much more conserva-
tively, e.g. we cannot totally rule out the possibility that
some dairy foods are very slightly increased in the case
group, but this is highly likely to be a chance observation
resulting from the crudeness of the methodology and the
multiple testing. They might have noted the reduced
activity of the transferase enzyme as a possible direct
or indirect effect of the cancer or treatment. Given
the very pronounced historical bias against the pub-
lication of negative results, I wonder how the referees
and the editorial board of The Lancet back in 1989
would have responded to this paper if it had been
couched in these negative terms. Authors have gen-
erally felt the need to emphasise positive findings in
order to get their papers accepted in top journals.
In the three decades since publication, Cramer’s
hypothesis has spawned dozens of studies of differ-
ent types:
• More case-control studies.
• Many cohort studies where dairy food and
lactose are recorded in large groups of women
and related to the subsequent development of
ovarian cancer in a few of them.
• Studies in which the effects of high galactose
intake is studied in animals.
• Laboratory studies looking at the effect of
exposure of ovarian cells to high galactose
concentrations.
There have also been a number of attempts at
aggregating the epidemiological studies (see meta-
analysis in Chapter 5) to try and get a consensus
of their findings. The most recently published of
these meta-analyses that I have found was Liu et al.
(2015). They used the results from no fewer than 19
cohort studies and found no statistically significant
link between the intake of either lactose or individ-
ual dairy foods like milk, cheese or yoghurt and the
risk of ovarian cancer. Other meta-analyses have
produced some just significantly positive results,
although none of the large individual cohort studies
that they amalgamate produces significant results.
For example, Genkinger et al. (2006) reported the
results obtained by pooling the results of 12 cohort
studies involving a total of more than 550,000
women. They reported that women who ate 30 g/
day of lactose had marginally higher (19%) risk of
ovarian cancer than those who consumed less than
10 g/day (500 ml of milk has about 20 g lactose).
This difference was just statistically significant but
well within the range of being due to potential bias.
Five of the individual studies found that relative risk
was increased in the lower lactose consumers but
seven found that it was greater in the high lactose
consumers, although in not one of the 12 individual
studies was this difference statistically significant
despite each involving tens of thousands of women.
They found no associations with particular dairy
foods like milk, cheese or yoghurt and ovarian can-
cer. The consensus of evidence suggests that there
is not likely to be a link between the consumption
of yoghurt, other dairy foods or galactose and the
risk of developing ovarian cancer. If there is any
causal link then it is so tiny an influence that it is
at or below the limits of detection by the methods
currently available to nutritional scientists. Given
this conclusion, there seems no realistic possibil-
ity, either now or after many more similar studies,
that any valid and unbiased recommendation could
be made to women to alter their consumption of
dairy foods in order to alter their risk of develop-
ing ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is a relatively
uncommon condition whose frequency increases
with age and around 1 in 70 women will develop
the condition during their lifetime. For example in
one large Dutch study with older (postmenopausal)
women about 40 women per 10,000 developed the
condition over the 11.3 years of follow-up. Current
epidemiological methods cannot definitively detect
small increases in this risk (say 20%) and confi-
dently attribute it to an association with a specific
dietary factor.
52. 17
Key reference
Despite the weakness of the evidence it contains,
this paper by Cramer and his colleagues has helped
to spawn hundreds of other papers over almost 3
decades without really advancing our understand-
ing of the causes of ovarian cancer or our ability to
make valid dietary recommendations to reduce it.
Many more studies will probably be published in the
future without any real prospect of changing that
conclusion.
KEY REFERENCE
1. Webb (14 July 2016) Webb, GP Health claims
and scares I. Does eating yogurt really cause
ovarian cancer? Dr Geoff Wordpress blog
article https://drgeoffnutrition.wordpress.
com/2016/07/14/health-claims-and-scares-
i-does-eating-yogurt-really-cause-ovarian-
cancer/
54. 19
2
Food selection
INTRODUCTION AND AIMS OF
THE CHAPTER
Most of this book focuses upon food as a source of
energy and nutrients, questions such as:
• Which nutrients are essential and why?
• How much of these nutrients do people need at
various times of their lives?
• How does changing the balance of nutrients
eaten affect long-term health?
This chapter is in a small way, an antidote to the
necessary scientific reductionism of much of the
rest of the book. The general aim of the chapter is to
remind readers that “people eat food and not nutri-
ents” and that nutrient content has only relatively
recently become a significant factor in the making
of food choices. Only in the latter part of the twen-
tieth century did our knowledge of nutrient needs
and the chemical composition of food become suffi-
cient to allow them to be major influences upon food
selection.
A host of seasonal, geographical, social and eco-
nomic factors determine the availability of different
foods to any individual or group, whilst cultural and
preference factors affect its acceptability. Some of
these influences are listed in Table 2.1.
If health promotion involves efforts to change
people’s food choices, some understanding of
the non-nutritional uses of food, and of the way
non-nutritional factors interact to influence food
choices, is essential. It is pointless devising an
excellent diet plan or drawing up detailed dietary
guidelines unless they are actually implemented.
Diets or dietary recommendations that may seem
ideal from a reductionist biological viewpoint may
have little impact upon actual food choices. Some
people may have very limited freedom to make food
choices e.g. those living in institutions where all of
Introduction and aims of the chapter 19
The biological model of food 20
Dietary and cultural prejudice 21
Food classification systems 22
Non-nutritional uses of food 27
The hierarchy of human needs 28
A model of food selection – “The
hierarchy of availabilities model” 30
Physical availability 32
Economic availability 32
Cultural availability 37
“Gatekeeper” limitations on availability 43
A social–ecological model for food
and activity decisions 45
Key references 46
56. South Mountain Mountain Dundas John Morrow
* South Quebec Lévis Lévis Mrs. Anne Wensley
South Roxton Roxton Shefford A. Sanborn
South Zorra Zorra, East Oxford, N. R. Thomas Cross
* Sparta Yarmouth Elgin, S. R. John A. Eakins
Speedie Sydenham Grey Wm. Speedie
Speedside Eramosa Wellington, S. R. James Loughrin
Spencer Cove Quebec Denis Maguire
Spencerville Edwardsburgh Grenville, S. R. W. B. Imrie
Spring Arbour Walsingham Norfolk J. W. Hazen
Springbank E. Williams Middlesex, W. R. W. Wells
Springfield Dorchester,
South
Elgin, E. R. W. H. Graves
Springford Norwich Oxford, S. R. John Wood
Springville North
Monaghan
Peterboro’ A. Goodfellow
Staffa Hibbert Perth R. F. Rundle
Stafford Stafford Renfrew Robert Childerhose
Stamford Stamford Welland Ellen Wilson
* † Stanbridge, East Stanbridge Missisquoi E. J. Briggs
Standon Standon Dorchester John Nicholson
* † Stanfold Stanfold Arthabaska James Huston
Stanhope Barford Stanstead Alexander Murray
Stanley’s Mills Chinguacousy Peel C. Burrell
* † Stanstead Stanstead Stanstead B. F. Hubbard
Starnesboro’ St. Antoine
Abbé
Chateauguay
* Stayner Nottawasaga Simcoe, N. R. John McKeggie
Stella Amherst Island Addington William Perceval
Stevensville Bertie Welland Benjamin House
* Stirling Rawdon Hastings, N. R. William Judd
Stirton Peel Wellington, N. R. John Luxson
Stittsville Goulburn Carleton J. S. Argue
Stoco Hungerford Hastings, N. R. Francis Murphy
Stonefield Chatham Argenteuil Owen Owens
Stoneham Quebec B. Pattison
* Stoney Creek Saltfleet Wentworth, S. R. Alva G. Jones
Stoney Point Tilbury, West Essex H. Desjardins
57. Stornoway Winslow Compton Colin Noble
† Stottville St. Johns William Burland
* Stouffville Whitchurch York, N. R. Edwd. Wheler
* Strabane Flamboro’,
West
Wentworth, N. R. Matthew Peebles
* Straffordville Bayham Elgin, E. R. D. C. Swayne
Strangford York York, E. R. Isaac Blain
* Stratford South
Easthope
Perth L. T. O’Loane
Strathallan East Zorra Oxford, N. R. John Lappin
Strathburn Mosa Middlesex, W. R. Hugh McRae
* Strathroy Caradoc Middlesex, W. R.
* Streetsville Toronto Peel James E. Rutledge
Stretton Reach Ontario, N. R. R. Stretton
Stromness Sherbrooke Haldimand John Macdonald
* † Stukeley Stukeley Shefford L. H. Brooks
Sullivan Holland Grey William Buchanan
Summerstown Charlottenburg Glengary David Summers
Summerville Toronto Peel William Bemrose
Sunbury Storrington Frontenac John McBride
Sunnidale Sunnidale Simcoe, N. R. Alexander Gillespie
Sutherland’s Corners Euphemia Lambton James Walker
* † Sutton Sutton Brome G. C. Dyer
Sweaburg West Oxford Oxford, S. R. James H. Hill
* Sweetsburgh Dunham Missisquoi G. H. Sweet
Switzerville Ernestown Addington Calvin W. Miller
Sydenham Place Kingsey Drummond Joseph Millington
* Sylvan Williams, West Middlesex, W. R. Robert Burns
Tadousac Saguenay Joseph Radford
Talbotville Royal Southwold Elgin, W. R. John Stacey
* Tamworth Sheffield Addington W. R. Aylsworth
Tannery West Montreal Hochelaga A. Desève
Tapleytown Saltfleet Wentworth, S. R. J. Springstead
Tara Arran Bruce John Tobey
Tatlock Darling Lanark, S. R. James Guthrie, Sr.
Tavistock South
Easthope
Perth George Matheson
58. Tecumseth Tecumseth Simcoe, S. R. A. N. Hipwell
Teeswater Culross Bruce M. Hadwen
Teeterville Windham Norfolk Thos. Edgeworth
Telfer London Middlesex, E. R. Adam Telfer
† Templeton Templeton Ottawa James Hagan
Tempo Westminster Middlesex, E. R. A. Remey
Tennyson Drummond Lanark, S. R. D. McGregor
* † Terrebonne Terrebonne Terrebonne John McKenzie
Tessierville Matane Rimouski J. E. Genereux
Teston Vaughn York, W. R. George Wilson
Teviotdale Minto Wellington, N. R. M. G. Miller
Thamesford Nissouri, East Oxford, N. R. N. C. McCarty
* Thamesville Camden Kent J. C. Collier
Thanet Wollaston Hastings, N. R. B. McKillican
Thistletown Etobicoke York, W. R. Richard Johnston
Thomasburg Hungerford Hastings, N. R. W. W. Jones
Thompsonville Tecumseth Simcoe, S. R. J. T. Schmietendorf
Thornbury Collingwood Grey Isaac N. Hurd
Thorndale Nissouri, West Middlesex, E. R. Thomas Harrison
Thorne Thorne Pontiac Joseph Hill
* Thornhill Vaughan York, W. R. Josiah Purkiss
Thornton Innisfil Simcoe, S. R. John Henry
* Thorold Thorold Welland Jacob Keefer
Thorold Station Grantham Lincoln S. M. Stephens
* Three Rivers Three Rivers T’n of Three Rivers C. K. Ogden
Thurlow Thurlow Hastings, S. R. William T. Casey
* † Thurso Lochaber Ottawa G. W. Cameron
* Tilbury East Tilbury, East Kent James Smith
Tiverton Bruce Bruce N. McInnes
Toledo Kitley Leeds, N. R. Mrs. C. A. McLean
Topping North Easthope Perth S. Crozier
Torbolton Torbolton Carleton H. Younghusband
Tormore Albion Peel William Graham
* Toronto York City of Toronto Joseph Lesslie
Totnes Ellice Perth G. H. Dennstedt
Tottenham Tecumseth Simcoe, S. R.
Townsend Centre Townsend Norfolk Hiram Slaght
59. Trafalgar Trafalgar Halton James Appelbe
Treadwell Plantagenet Prescott Humphrey Hughes
Trecastle Maryboro’ Perth D. Scroggie
Tremblay Tremblay Chicoutimi Marcel Côté
Trenholm Kingsey Drummond Simon Stevens
* Trenton Murray Hastings, S. R. James Cumming
† Trois Pistoles Trois Pistoles Témiscouata T. P. Pelletier
Trois Saumons St. Jean Port
Joli
L’Islet G. C. Caron
Trout River Godmanchester Huntingdon James Marshall
Trowbridge Elma Perth G. Code
Troy Beverley Wentworth, N. R.
Trudell Tilbury, West Essex Henry Richardson
Tuam Tecumseth Simcoe, S. R. P. H. Derham
* Tullamore Toronto Gore Peel J. Mulligan
Tuscarora Onondaga Brant, E. R.
Tweed Hungerford Hastings, N. R. Richard Marshall
Tweedside Saltfleet Wentworth, S. R. Gilbert Johnson
Tyrconnell Dunwich Elgin, W. R. Peter Cameron
Tyrone Darlington Durham, W. R. John T. Welch
Udora Scott Ontario, N. R. S. Umphrey
Uffington Draper Victoria A. Thompson
Ulster Wawanosh Huron George McKay
Ulverton Durham Drummond James Miller
Umfraville Dungannon Hastings, N. R. D. Kavanagh
Underwood Bruce Bruce J. H. Coulthard
Union Yarmouth Elgin, E. R. S. U. Willson
Unionville Markham York, E. R. George Eakin
Upnor Carden Victoria Thomas Tressidder
Utica Reach Ontario, N. R. Wm. McPherson
Utterson Stephenson Victoria James F. Hanes
* Uxbridge Uxbridge Ontario, N. R. George Wheler
Vaillancourt Dionne L’Islet W. F. Vaillancourt
Valcartier Valcartier Quebec Charles S. Wolff
Valcourt S. Ely Shefford Jos. Roussin
60. Valetta Tilbury, East Kent J. Richardson
† Valleyfield Beauharnois Beauharnois John Madden
Vandecar Oxford, East Oxford, S. R. Thomas H. Arnell
* Vankleek Hill Hawkesbury Prescott Duncan McDonell
† Varennes Varennes Verchères J. N. A.
Archambeault
Varna Stanley Huron Josiah B. Secord
† Vaudreuil Vaudreuil Vaudreuil F. Desalles Bastien
Veighton Cumberland Russell John McVeigh
Vellore Vaughan York, W. R. Henry Frank
Venice Noyan Iberville James Lewis
Vennachar Abinger Frontenac Charles McKenyon
Ventnor Edwardsburgh Grenville, S. R. John Gamble
Verchères Verchères Verchères Trefflé Lussier
Verdun Huron Bruce J. Colling
Vernon Osgoode Russel
Vernonville Haldimand Northumberl’d, W. R. Henry Terry
Verona Portland Frontenac Joseph Watson
Versailles St. Grégoire Iberville Isidore Marcoux
Vesta Brant and
Elderslie
Bruce Robert Cannon
Vicars Havelock Huntingdon James Bustard
Victoria Corners Reach Ontario, N. R. John Henderson
Victoria Square Markham York, E. R. James A. Oves
* Vienna Bayham Elgin, E. R. John P. Macdonald
Viger Viger Témiscouata Thomas Tremblay
Viger Mines Chester Arthabaska L. Labrèche
Village des Aulnaies St. Roch des
Aulnaies
L’Islet A. Dupuis
Village Richelieu St. Mathias Rouville G. Franchère
Villanova Townsend Norfolk John McLaren
Vincennes St. Luc Champlain P. Lacourcière
Vine Innisfil Simcoe, S. R. A. Jameson
Violet Ernestown Addington D. W. Perry
Virgil Niagara Lincoln James M. Bristol
* Vittoria Charlotteville Norfolk Simpson McCall
* Vroomanton Brock Ontario, N. R. S. Parrish
61. Wakefield Wakefield Ottawa James McLaren
* Walkerton Brant Bruce Malcolm McLean
Wallace Wallace Perth D. M. Williams
* Wallaceburg Chatham Kent Daniel Johnson
* Wallacetown Dunwich Elgin, W. R. John McKillop
Wallbridge Sidney Hastings, S. R. Stephen Miller
Walsh Charlotteville Norfolk Mrs. M. A. Owen
Walsingham Walsingham Norfolk Henry L. Kitchen
Walter’s Falls Holland Grey John Walter
Waltham Waltham Pontiac John Landon
Walton Grey Huron George Bigger
Wanstead Plympton Lambton John Dewar
Warden Shefford Shefford E. D. Martin
* Wardsville Mosa Middlesex, W. R. Henry R. Archer
* Warkworth Percy Northumberl’d, E. R. Israel Humphries
Warner Caistor Lincoln T. W. Smith
Warrington Nottawasaga Simcoe, N. R. George Randolph
Warsaw Dummer Peterboro’ Thomas Choat
† Warwick, L. C. Warwick Arthabaska L. T. Dorais
Warwick, U. C. Warwick Lambton James Menerey
Washington Blenheim Oxford, N. R. Daniel Wakefield
* Waterdown Flamboro’, East Wentworth, N. R. James B. Thompson
* Waterford Townsend Norfolk G. W. Park
* Waterloo, L. C. Shefford Shefford Jonathan Robinson
* Waterloo, U. C. Waterloo,
North
Waterloo, N. R. C. Kumpf
Waterloo, Kingston Kingston Frontenac Joseph Northmore
Waterville Compton Compton Charles Brooks
Watford Warwick Lambton James Merry
Watson’s Corners Dalhousie Lanark, N. R. James Purdon
Waverley Flos Simcoe, N. R. A. Kettle
Way’s Mills Barnston Stanstead E. S. Southmayd
Weedon Weedon Wolfe Siméon Fontaine
Welcome Hope Durham, E. R. Wm. Strike
* Welland Crowland Welland Thomas Burgar
Welland Port Gainsboro’ Lincoln Samuel Holmes
62. * Wellesley Wellesley Waterloo, N. R. John Zoeger
* Wellington Hillier Prince Edward Donald Campbell
* Wellington Square Nelson Halton Robert Menzies
Wellman’s Corners Rawdon Hastings, N. R. T. H. Clare
West Arran Arran Bruce John Biggar
West Brome Brome Brome S. L. Hungerford
West Brook Kingston Frontenac Benjamin Clark
West Broughton Broughton Beauce J. St. Hilaire
Westbury Westbury Compton Allen Lothrop
West Essa Essa Simcoe, S. R. Thomas Drury
* † West Farnham Farnham Missisquoi L. G. Foisy
Westfield Wawanosh Huron H. Help
* West Flamboro’ Flamboro’ Wentworth, N. R. John Percy
West Huntingdon Huntingdon Hastings, N. R. Philip Luke
West Huntley Huntley Carleton Edward Horan
West Lake Hallowell Prince Edward Henry Lambert
West McGillivray McGillivray Huron William Fraser
Westmeath Westmeath Renfrew D. B. Warren
* Weston York York, W. R. Robert Johnston
West Osgoode Osgoode Russell John C. Bower
Westover Beverley Wentworth, N. R. B. McIntosh
Westport North Crosby Leeds, S. R. Walter Whalen
West Potton Potton Brome C. Gilman
West’s Corners Mornington Perth John Pierson
West Shefford Shefford Shefford John N. Mills
West Winchester Winchester Dundas William Bow
Westwood Asphodel Peterboro’ Revd. M. A. Farrar
West Woolwich Woolwich Waterloo, N. R. Peter Winger
Wexford Scarboro’ York, E. R. J. T. McBeath
Wheatland Wickham Drummond Edward McCabe
Wheatly Mersea Essex W. Buchanan
* Whitby Whitby Ontario, S. R. David Smith
Whitehurst Elizabethtown Town of Brockville John Bell
White Lake McNab Renfrew John Paris
White Rose Whitchurch York, N. R. Jared Lloyd
Whitevale Pickering Ontario, S. R. Donald McPhee
Whitfield Mulmur Simcoe, N. R. P. D. Henry
63. Whittington Amaranth Wellington, N. R. R. Bowsfield
Wick Brock Ontario, N. R. James Brebner
Wicklow Haldimand Northumberl’d, W. R. C. E. Ewing
Widder Bosanquet Lambton Adam Duffus
* Widder Station Bosanquet Lambton Thos. Kirkpatrick
Wilkesport Sombra Lambton William Kimball
Willetsholme Pittsburgh Frontenac
Williams Williams, East Middlesex, W. R. Colin McKenzie
Williamstown Charlottenburg Glengary Duncan McLennan
Williscroft Elderslie Bruce George Williscroft
Willowdale York York, W. R. Jacob Cumner
Willowgrove Oneida Haldimand John Doyle
Wilmur Loughboro’ Frontenac Marvin Holden
* Wilton Ernestown Addington Sydney Warner
Wimbledon Sandwich Essex John Jessop
Winchelsea Usborne Huron A. Smith
Winchester Winchester Dundas C. T. Casselman
Winchester Springs Williamsburg Dundas
Windham Centre Windham Norfolk James Robertson
* Windsor Sandwich, East Essex Alex. H. Wagner
Windsor Mills Windsor Richmond C. E. Wurtele
Winfield Peel Wellington, N. R. James Young
Wingham Turnberry Huron E. Foley
Winterbourne Woolwich Waterloo, N. R. Elizabeth Gordon
Wisbeach Warwick Lambton Joanna Bowes
Woburn Scarboro’ York, E. R. John Irving
Wolfe Island Wolfe Island Frontenac George Malone
Wolfstown Wolfstown Wolfe J. Pelletier
Wolverton Blenheim Oxford, N. R. James Currey
* Woodbridge Vaughan York, W. R. John F. Howell
Woodburn Binbrook Wentworth, S. R. William Ptolemy
Woodford Sydenham Grey John Hill
Woodham Blanshard Perth Walker Unwin
Woodlands Oznabruck Stormont R. H. Stewart
† Woodside Halifax Megantic Thomas Wood
Woodslee Maidstone Essex W. S. Lindsay
* Woodstock Blandford Oxford, N. R. Chas. DeBlaquière
64. Woodville Eldon Victoria John Morrison
Wooler Murray Northumberl’d, E. R. Reuben Scott
† Wotton Wotton Wolfe C. Ducharme
Wright Wright Ottawa Joshua Ellard
* Wroxeter Howick Huron Cyrus Carroll
Wyandott Maryboro’ Wellington, N. R. G. Thomlinson
Wyebridge Tiny Simcoe, N. R. James Plewes
* Wynford Nichol Wellington, N. R. John R. Wissler
* Wyoming Plympton Lambton John Anderson
* † Yamachiche Machiche St. Maurice Elie Lacerte
* † Yamaska Yamaska Yamaska E. G. Dugré
* Yarker Camden Addington J. A. Shibley
Yarmouth Centre Yarmouth Elgin, E. R. William Mann
* York Seneca Haldimand Charles L. Hudson
York Mills York York, E. R. John Hogg
York River Faraday Hastings, N. R. James Cleak
* Yorkville York York, E. R. James Dobson
Young’s Point Smith Peterboro’ John Young
Zephyr Scott Ontario, N. R. George W. Hunter
Zetland Turnberry Huron L. J. Brace
Zimmerman Nelson Halton Robert Miller
Zurich Hay Huron Louis Vauthier
65. [1] Late Ashfield.
[2] Late Caistor.
[3] Late Lippincott.
[4] Closed during winter.
[5] Late Bentinck.
[6] Open during summer only.
[7] Late Artemesia.
[8] Late Cavagnol.
[9] Late Proton.
[10] Late Irish Creek.
[11] Late Glenelg.
[12] Formerly Merton.
[13] Late St. Vincent.
[14] Late Newland.
[15] Formerly Tring.
66. List of Post Offices Closed between 1st January, 1865,
and 1st January, 1866, inclusive.
NAME OF POST OFFICE. COUNTY. REMARKS.
Allan Park Grey
Amulree Perth
Bois de L’Ail Lotbinière
Carlton, West York
Clareview Addington
Edgeworth Kent
Elphin Lanark
Ennis Lambton
Farmington Wellington
Fish Creek Perth
Foxboro’ Hastings
Fulton Lincoln
Homer Lincoln
Kintail Huron
L’Acadie Station St. Johns
Morrisdale Huron
Peterson Victoria
Rouge Hill Ontario
Ryckman’s Corners Wentworth
St. François de Sales Laval Established 1st April, 1865, and closed 1st January,
1866.
Strathglass Stormont
67. List of Changes in the Names of Post Offices, between
1st January, 1865, and 1st January, 1866, inclusive.
LATE NAME OF OFFICE. COUNTY. NEW NAME SELECTED.
Caistor Lincoln Attercliffe
Cavagnol Vaudreuil Hudson
East Frampton Dorchester Hemison
Isle du Pads Berthier Isle Dupas
Proton Grey Inistioge
St. Vincent Grey Meaford
Tring Beauce St. Victor de Tring
Bentinck Grey Durham
Lippincott York Brockton
Ashfield Huron Amberley
Newland York Mount Albert
South Potton Brome Mansonville-Potton
68. LIST OF
POST OFFICES IN CANADA,
ON 1st JANUARY 1866,
ARRANGED ACCORDING TO ELECTORAL COUNTIES.
Addington County.
Baldwin.
Bath.
Camden East.
Cawdor.
Centreville.
Colebrook.
Croydon.
Denbigh.
Desmond.
Emerald.
Enterprise.
Erinsville.
Flinton.
Glastonbury.
Kaladar.
Millhaven.
Morven.
Moscow.
Newburgh.
Odessa.
Overton.
Stella.
Switzerville.
Tamworth.
Violet.
Wilton.
Yarker.
Argenteuil County.
Avoca.
Bethune.
Britonville.
Brownsburg.
Carillon.
Cushing.
Dalesville.
Dunany.
Geneva.
Grenville.
69. Harrington East.
Lachute.
Lakefield.
Mille Isles.
Muddy Branch.
Pointe aux Chênes.
Rockland.
St. Andrews East.
Shrewsbury.
Stonefield.
Arthabaska County.
Arthabaska Station.
Blandford.
Bulstrode.
Chester.
Domaine de Gentilly.
East Arthabaska.
East Chester.
Maddington.
St. Christophe d’Arthab’ka.
St. Clothilde.
St. Patrick’s Hill.
Stanfold.
Viger Mines.
Warwick, East.
Bagot County.
Actonvale.
St. Dominique.
St. Ephrem d’Upton.
St. Hélène de Bagot.
St. Hugues.
St. Liboire.
St. Pie.
Ste. Rosalie.
St. Simon de Yamaska.
St. Théodore.
Beauce County.
Broughton.
Jersey, River Chaudière.
Kenebec Line.
La Beauce.
Lambton.
Marlow.
River Gilbert.
St. Ephrem de Tring.
St. Evariste de Forsyth.
70. St. François.
St. Frédéric.
St. George.
St. Joseph.
St. Victor de Tring.
West Broughton.
Beauharnois County.
Beauharnois.
Melocheville.
St. Etienne de Beauharnois
St. Louis de Gonzague.
St. Stanislas de Kostka.
St. Timothée.
Valleyfield.
Bellechasse County.
Armagh.
Beaumont.
Buckland.
St. Charles, River Boyer.
St. Gervais.
St. Lazare.
St. Michel.
St. Raphael.
St. Vallier.
Berthier County.
Berthier (en haut).
Isle Dupas.
Lanoraie.
Lavaltrie.
St. Barthélemi.
St. Cuthbert.
St. Gabriel de Brandon.
St. Norbert.
Bonaventure County.
Bonaventure (Sub.)
Carleton.
Cross Point.
Maria.
Matapédiac.
New Carlisle.
New Richmond.
Paspébaic.
Port Daniel.
Runneymede.
71. Shigawake.
Shoolbred.
Brant, East Riding.
Cainsville.
Glen Morris.
Harrisburg.
Paris.
Paris Station.
Rosebank.
St. George.
Tuscarora.
Brant, West Riding.
Brantford.
Burford.
Burtch.
Cathcart.
Falkland.
Harley.
Kelvin.
Mohawk.
Mount Vernon.
New Durham.
Newport.
Oakland.
Onondaga.
Scotland.
Brockville, Town.
Addison.
Brockville.
Greenbush.
Lyn.
Whitehurst.
Brome County.
Abercorn.
Adamsville.
Bolton Forest.
Brigham.
Brome.
Bromemere.
East Bolton.
East Farnham.
East Potton.
Farnham Centre.
Fulford.
72. Glensutton.
Iron Hill.
Knowlton.
Mansonville-Potton.
Nashwood.
North Sutton.
Owl’s Head.
South Bolton.
Sutton.
West Brome.
West Bolton.
Bruce County.
Arkwright.
Bervie.
Burgoyne.
Carlsruhe.
Carnegie.
Chepstow.
Colpoy’s Bay.
Dumblane.
Dunkeld.
Ellengowan.
Elmwood.
Elsinore.
Formosa.
Glammis.
Glenlyon.
Greenock.
Gresham.
Hepworth.
Inverhuron.
Invermay.
Kincardine.
Kinloss.
Kinlough.
Langside.
Lisburn.
Lovat.
Lucknow.
Lurgan.
Malta.
Normanton.
North Bruce.
Outram.
Paisley.
Pine River.
Pinkerton.
Reekie.
Ripley.
Riversdale.
Saugeen.
73. Scone.
Tara.
Teeswater.
Tiverton.
Underwood.
Verdun.
Vesta.
Walkerton.
West Arran.
Williscroft.
Carleton County.
Antrim.
Ashton.
Bell’s Corners.
Carp.
Diamond.
Fitzroy Harbor.
Hazledean.
Hubbell’s Falls.
Huntley.
Kars.
Kinburn.
Long Island Locks.
Malakoff.
Manotick.
Marathon.
March.
Merivale.
Munster.
North Gower.
Panmure.
Richmond, West.
South Gloucester.
South March.
Stittsville.
Torbolton.
West Huntley.
Chambly County.
Boucherville.
Chambly Basin.
Chambly Canton.
Longueuil.
St. Bruno.
St. Hubert.
St. Lambert, Montreal.
Champlain County.
74. Batiscan.
Batiscan Bridge.
Cap Magdeleine.
Champlain.
Ste. Anne de la Pérade.
St. Maurice.
St. Narcisse.
St. Prosper.
St. Stanislas.
St. Tite.
Vincennes.
Charlevoix County.
Isle aux Coudres (Sub.)
La Petite Rivière St. François (Sub.)
Les Eboulemens.
Murray Bay.
Port au Persil.
St. Agnès.
St. Fidèle.
St. Irénée.
St. Paul’s Bay.
Settrington.
Chateauguay County.
Allan’s Corners.
Chateauguay.
Chateauguay Basin.
Howick.
North Georgetown.
Norton Creek.
Ormstown.
Russeltown.
St. Jean Chrysostôme.
Ste. Martine.
Ste. Philomène.
St. Urbain.
Starnesboro’.
Chicoutimi County.
Bagotville.
Chicoutimi.
Grande Baie.
Labarre.
L’Anse au Foin.
L’Anse St. Jean.
Laterrière.
Roberval.
Tremblay.
75. Compton County.
Birchton.
Brookbury.
Bulwer.
Compton.
Cookshire.
East Clifton.
East Hereford.
Eaton.
Gould.
Hereford.
Johnville.
Lake Megantic.
Maple Leaf.
Martinville.
Moe’s River.
Robinson.
St. Malo.
St. Romaine.
St. Venant.
Sawyerville.
Stornoway.
Waterville.
Westbury.
Cornwall Town.
Cornwall.
Mille Roches.
St. Andrews, West.
Dorchester County.
Cranbourne.
Frampton.
Hemison.
St. Anselme.
St. Bernard.
Ste. Claire.
Ste. Hénédine.
St. Isidore.
St. Malachie.
Ste. Marguerite.
Standon.
Drummond County.
Drummondville, East.
French Village.
Headville.
Kingsey.
76. Kingsey Falls.
L’Avenir.
Leonard’s Hill.
Ruisseau des Chênes.
St. Guillaume d’Upton.
South Durham.
Sydenham Place.
Trenholm.
Ulverton.
Wheatland.
Dundas County.
Dixon’s Corners.
Dunbar.
East Williamsburgh.
Inkerman.
Iroquois.
Morewood.
Morrisburgh.
North Mountain.
North Williamsburgh.
Ormond.
South Mountain.
West Winchester.
Winchester.
Winchester Springs.
Durham, East Riding.
Baillieboro’.
Ballyduff.
Bethany.
Brunswick.
Burton.
Canton.
Cavan.
Elizabethville.
Franklin.
Janetville.
Lifford.
Millbrook.
Mount Pleasant.
Perrytown.
Port Hope.
Welcome.
Durham, West Riding.
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Cæsarea.
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77. Clarke.
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Hampton.
Haydon.
Kendal.
Kirby.
Leskard.
Newcastle.
Orono.
Port Granby.
Port Hoover.
Tyrone.
Elgin, East Riding.
Aylmer, West.
Bayham.
Belmont.
Dexter.
Eden.
Grovesend.
Luton.
Lyons.
Mapleton.
New Sarum.
Orwell.
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St. Thomas, West.
Salem.
Sparta.
Springfield.
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Vienna.
Yarmouth Centre.
Elgin, West Riding.
Aldboro’.
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Cowal.
Crinan.
Eagle.
Fingal.
Frome.
Iona.
Largie.
Port Talbot.
Rodney.
Talbotville Royal.
Tyrconnell.
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