spud enews 11
May 2013
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APRE mark
Greetings!

It was good to see so many of you on April 19 at the APRE ASN Satellite Symposium: White Vegetables: Addressing the Nutrition Gap, despite a challenging situation in Boston that day! We received many positive comments about the session presentations. In the coming weeks, the American Society for Nutrition will post the entire four-hour session on its website. We'll let you know when that is available.  

I also enjoyed meeting with many of you who stopped by at the Experimental Biology 2013 poster session to talk with me about  the results of APRE's latest data analysis, "White Potato Consumption is Positively Associated with Potassium Intake." Check out the news brief and link below for more detailed information.

As always, we welcome your feedback. Please feel free to send your comments and suggestions to APRE at [email protected].
 
Maureen Storey, PhD
APRE President and CEO
Symposium Update

White Vegetables Offer Key Nutrients, Say ASN Satellite Symposium Experts   
white vegetable collage 1

 

When it comes to nutrient content, don't judge a veggie by its color alone, said a panel of leading food and nutrition scientists at an American Society for Nutrition (ASN) pre-annual meeting session on April 19. Vegetables that are white in color are often overlooked as significant sources of key nutrients recommended in dietary guidelines, such as potassium and dietary fiber, two nutrients that we don't get enough of but that are critical to good health.

 

The half-day ASN Satellite Symposium: White Vegetables: Addressing the Nutrition Gaps was held from 1-5 pm at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in conjunction with the ASN's 77th Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting and Experimental Biology 2013. The symposium was sponsored by the Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE).
   
Johanna Dwyer
Dr. Johanna Dwyer
Tufts University professor and symposium co-chair Johanna Dwyer, DSc, RD, noted that while there is a promising baseline of nutrition research about the metabolic response and health benefits of white vegetables in a well-balanced diet, more research is needed.

 

"We eat a lot of white vegetables; they add variety, texture and nutrients and they fit in many places on the plate, but we need to know more," said Dwyer. "As the speakers at this symposium outlined today, white vegetables are classified and placed in many different groupings. As a result, there are some data gaps with regard to how we look at the whole group of white vegetables and the contributions they make to total intakes of nutrients and positive health outcomes."   

 

The symposium featured seven leading food and nutrition scientists who presented emerging research and product innovations that explore the nutritional impact of white vegetables, especially the potato, in a healthy, well-balanced diet. A synopsis of the talks can be found in the following press release, and a full video of the four-hour symposium will be available for viewing on ASN's website in the coming weeks.

 

Several of the presentations are based on papers slated to be published in a May 2013 supplement to the peer-reviewed journal, Advances in Nutrition.

   

Potato Nutrition Science
M Storey EB 2013 Poster Presentation 
Dr. Maureen Storey (right) describes APRE's latest data analyses at Experimental Biology 2013 in Boston.

New APRE Data Show That White Potatoes Increase Intake of Potassium     

 

APRE President and CEO Maureen Storey, PhD, presented new data to attendees of Experimental Biology 2013 on April 23 in Boston. The poster, "White Potatoes are Positively Associated with Potassium Intake," presents findings from an analysis of the USDA National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2010. The findings showed that white potato consumers had significantly greater intake of potassium, a key nutrient that counterbalances sodium and helps maintain healthy blood pressure. The data showed that for every kilocalorie of potato consumed, adults took in almost 2 mg of potassium.

 

Potassium is considered a shortfall nutrient of public health concern because 97% of Americans do not have an adequate intake of potassium. Storey noted, "Very few Americans get enough potassium, which is a key nutrient that helps control blood pressure. Our study shows that the white potato is a particularly nutrient-rich vegetable that significantly increases potassium intake among adults, teens and children."

 

The poster also displayed graphs comparing the potassium and dietary fiber content of commonly consumed fruits and vegetables, including French fried, baked, and oven-heated par-fried potatoes.

 

The APRE data analysis, co-authored by Storey and Patricia Anderson, MPP, an independent consultant, will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

   

Partner Power

USDA MyPlate Highlights Why Vegetables are an Important Part of a Healthy Diet     
vegetables
USDA's MyPlate website features several resource pages about the health benefits of eating vegetables. According to the website, people who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of the body. Take a moment to visit the online section to get the scoop!
USDA MyPlate National Partner logo
APRE is a National Strategic Partner of the USDA's MyPlate campaign. Partnering organizations have a health mandate consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy & Promotion. As a partner, APRE promotes Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate messaging, such as "Enjoy your food, just eat less."

 

Resources & Downloads

Video Link: French Fried Potatoes and Kids 

  schoolhouse

The latest data from the CDC show that Americans consume only modest amounts of white potatoes. In this APRE video, registered dietitian Bethany Thayer discusses white potato and French fried potato consumption by children at school. Visit APRE's Media Center to view more of these brief educational films.
 
french fried potatoes with vegetables Graphing the Goodness

Take a look at the chart below and see for yourself the nutrient density of potassium in the white potato in many forms. 

To download a PDF file of this graph, click here. For other resources, please visit APRE's Science Resources page online.
nutrient density potassium potatoes
The Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE) is a not-for-profit organization 100%
dedicated to expanding and translating scientific research into evidence-based policy and education initiatives that recognize the role of all forms of the potato-a nutritious vegetable-in promoting health for all age groups. APRE is actively building the science foundation concerning the nutritional benefits of the white potato; creating partnerships with critical health professional organizations in the United States and Canada; and providing dietitians and health professionals with the latest scientific research and information on potato nutrition, consumption, and affordability.
For more, visit www.apre.org