8 The nutrition handbook for food processors 2.2 Dietary components and health The availability of food in Europe has never been as good as in recent decades Affluent though European countries are, sub-groups of populations experience he deficiency of minerals and micronutrients that play a vital role in health and development(Serra-Majem, 2001). A significant proportion of European infants and children are today experiencing a low dietary intake of iodine and iron (Trichopoulou and Lagiou, 1997a; WHO, 1998). The iodine deficiency leads to several disorders collectively referred to as lodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) with goitre(hyperplasia of thyroid cells), cretinism(mental deficiency) and severe brain damage being the most common. It is estimated that IDD may affect approximately 16%o of the European population. Furthermore, inadequate levels of folate have been implicated with a rise in the blood homocysteine levels, leading possibly to increased risk of cardiovascular disease(CVD).European policies address such deficiencies either by recommending the consumption of foods rich in the implicated micronutrients or with supplementation policies(e.g. iodised salt, flour supplemented with folic acid) The general increase, however, in the quantity and variety of food available has mostly been accompanied by the emergence of degenerative conditions such as CVD, various types of cancer, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, obesity osteoporosis and hypertension. Documenting and monitoring dietary patterns has therefore become a priority in the formulation of dietary recommendations and the planning of national food, nutrition and agricultural policies (Societe francaise de Sante Publique. Health and Human Nutrition, 2000) However, there are questions that emerge early in the formulation of a nutri tion and food policy: these concern the nature of the best diet and the objectives of an ideal diet. With respect to chronic nutrition-related conditions, most of our existing knowledge relies on evidence accumulated mainly in relation to the two most common categories of disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer with respect to CVD, there is strong evidence that the intake of vegetables, pulses reduces the risk, although there is no agreement to what extent the apparent protection is conveyed by fibre, homocysteine-reducing folic acid, antioxidant compounds in vegetables and fruits, the high quantities of olive oil that usually accompany high intake of vegetables and legumes, or the comple mentary reduced consumption of red meat and lipids of animal origin(Willett, 1994,1998) The mainstream view on the effects of macronutrients on CVD is that dietary ipids high in saturated fatty acids and especially trans-fatty acids increase the risk. On the contrary, polyunsaturated fatty acids and some long chain n-3 fatty acids have beneficial effects. Monounsaturated lipids, overwhelmingly present in olive oil, also act beneficially by reducing the disadvantageous low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and increasing the protective high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)(Mattson and Grundy, 1985; Mensink and Katan, 1987). Complex carbohydrates do not adversely affect the risk for CV nd their effect on HDL-C is less favourable than that of monounsaturated lipid2.2 Dietary components and health The availability of food in Europe has never been as good as in recent decades. Affluent though European countries are, sub-groups of populations experience the deficiency of minerals and micronutrients that play a vital role in health and development (Serra-Majem, 2001). A significant proportion of European infants and children are today experiencing a low dietary intake of iodine and iron (Trichopoulou and Lagiou, 1997a; WHO, 1998). The iodine deficiency leads to several disorders collectively referred to as Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD), with goitre (hyperplasia of thyroid cells), cretinism (mental deficiency) and severe brain damage being the most common. It is estimated that IDD may affect approximately 16% of the European population. Furthermore, inadequate levels of folate have been implicated with a rise in the blood homocysteine levels, leading possibly to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). European policies address such deficiencies either by recommending the consumption of foods rich in the implicated micronutrients or with supplementation policies (e.g. iodised salt, flour supplemented with folic acid). The general increase, however, in the quantity and variety of food available has mostly been accompanied by the emergence of degenerative conditions such as CVD, various types of cancer, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, obesity, osteoporosis and hypertension. Documenting and monitoring dietary patterns has therefore become a priority in the formulation of dietary recommendations and the planning of national food, nutrition and agricultural policies (Société Française de Santé Publique. Health and Human Nutrition, 2000). However, there are questions that emerge early in the formulation of a nutri￾tion and food policy: these concern the nature of the best diet and the objectives of an ideal diet. With respect to chronic nutrition-related conditions, most of our existing knowledge relies on evidence accumulated mainly in relation to the two most common categories of disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer. With respect to CVD, there is strong evidence that the intake of vegetables, fruits and pulses reduces the risk, although there is no agreement to what extent the apparent protection is conveyed by fibre, homocysteine-reducing folic acid, antioxidant compounds in vegetables and fruits, the high quantities of olive oil that usually accompany high intake of vegetables and legumes, or the comple￾mentary reduced consumption of red meat and lipids of animal origin (Willett, 1994,1998). The mainstream view on the effects of macronutrients on CVD is that dietary lipids high in saturated fatty acids and especially trans-fatty acids increase the risk. On the contrary, polyunsaturated fatty acids and some long chain n-3 fatty acids have beneficial effects. Monounsaturated lipids, overwhelmingly present in olive oil, also act beneficially by reducing the disadvantageous low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and increasing the protective high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (Mattson and Grundy, 1985; Mensink and Katan, 1987). Complex carbohydrates do not adversely affect the risk for CVD and their effect on HDL-C is less favourable than that of monounsaturated lipids 8 The nutrition handbook for food processors