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Application of the Evidence Review Cycle Model to Review Food and Health Evidence to Inform Canadian Dietary Guidance Decision‐Making
Author(s) -
Lowell Hélène,
Ellis Ann,
Colapinto Cynthia K
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.409.8
Subject(s) - medicine , scientific evidence , environmental health , disease , saturated fat , population , added sugar , consumption (sociology) , gerontology , obesity , pathology , social science , philosophy , epistemology , cholesterol , sociology
Canada's population‐level dietary guidance policies and education tools are used by health professionals, policy makers and academics to support nutrition policies, programs and research. While Health Canada has always reviewed the evidence base, the growing volume of nutrition related research stimulated Health Canada to develop the Evidence Review Cycle (ERC) for dietary guidance, a model that formalizes the evidence review process. A Health Canada review of reports on food topics in relation to nutrition‐related chronic diseases and conditions will be described to illustrate the implementation of the ERC model in Canada to support decision‐making for dietary guidance policy. Reports published between 2006 and July 2015 by leading scientific organizations or Federal agencies, as well as health claims assessments from Health Canada, were reviewed. Reports were included if the organization involved an expert committee, systematically reviewed evidence and an evidence grade supported the conclusions. Excluded conclusions were specific to populations less than 2 years of age or pregnant, were not original to the report or were commissioned by industry. A total of 693 conclusions were retained from 28 reports and 58 of these conclusions were graded as convincing (strong), which included those related to sodium and increased risk of high blood pressure, trans fatty acids and increased risk for cardiovascular disease, and dietary patterns—characterized by higher consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low‐fat dairy, and seafood, and lower consumption of red and processed meats, and lower intakes of refined grains, and sugar‐sweetened foods and beverages—and positive cardiovascular disease outcomes. Convincing evidence was also found on the relationships for isocaloric replacement of saturated fatty acids and cardiovascular disease outcomes, red and processed meat and colorectal cancer, and soy protein and lowered blood cholesterol. Food and health relationships are one important input in the broad range of considerations that assist Health Canada in developing population‐level dietary guidance. Guidance is also informed by evidence on stakeholder and Canadians use dietary guidance and by national‐level data on what Canadians are eating.