Nutrient density identifies the amount of beneficial
nutrients in a food product in proportion to e.g.
food energy, weight or amount of perceived detrimental nutrients. Terms such as
nutrient rich and
micronutrient dense refer to similar properties.
Currently there is no universal standard for the term nutrient density, nor an agreed unit with which to measure it.
Several different national and international standards have been developed and are in use (see Nutritional rating systems).
Definition and usage
According to the World Health Organization, nutrient profiling
classifies and/or ranks foods by their nutritional composition in order to promote human (and/or animal) health and to prevent disease.
[ Nutrient Profiling, accessed 10/15/2014] Ranking by nutrient density is one such nutrient profiling strategy. Ordering foods by nutrient density is a statistical method of comparing foods by the proportion of nutrients in foods. Some such comparisons can be the
glycemic index and the overall nutritional quality index.
When the density is defined in proportion to energy contents, nutrient-dense foods such as , and are the opposite of energy density food (also called "empty calorie" food), such as alcohol and foods high in added sugar or processed cereals.[ Hunter, J. G., Cason, K. L., Nutrient Density, Clemson University, 2006(November), accessed 10/15/2014. Nutrient density is defined as "a measure of the nutrients provided per calorie of food, or the ratio of nutrients to calories (energy)."]
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reported in 2013 that:
Several indicators of nutrient quality have been summarized by the Academy.
The Nutrient Rich Food Index has been developed by a research coalition involving food and nutrition practitioners.
International standards
The Nutrient Profiling Scoring Calculator (NPSC) in
Australia and
New Zealand is a calculator for determining whether health claims can be made for a food by its reference to the Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion (NPSC). It is defined by the FSANZ Board, which operates under the FSANZ Act.
[ FSANZ Board, Nutrient Profiling Scoring Calculator, accessed 10/15/2014]
The United Kingdom Ofcom nutrient profiling model provides "a single score for any given food product, based on calculating the number of points for ‘negative’ nutrients which can be offset by points for ‘positive’ nutrients." A 2007 UK-commissioned review of nutrient profiling models commissioned by the UK Food Standards Agency identified over 40 different schemes.[ Rayner, M., Scarborough, P., Lobtein, P., The UK Ofcom Nutrient Profiling Model, October 2009, accessed 10/15/2014]
The World Health Organization reviews scientific and operational issues related to human nutrition, specifically when developing world populations are impacted.[
]
History
Timeline
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The Bionutrient Institute,
Criticism
The following aspects of nutrient density measures have been criticized.
Measuring in proportion to energy content
If nutrient density is measured in proportion to the food's energy content:
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By design, it premiers micronutrients over macronutrients, since most macronutrients contribute to food energy content (and thereby decrease the density measure).
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A food product with excellent micronutrient content may get a very low nutrient density, if it also has significant energy content, even if that energy is provided by healthy macronutrients like essential amino acids, unsaturated fats and slow carbohydrates.
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A food product with very low energy content may get a very high density, even if its actual micronutrient content is low.
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Focusing on low-energy food may create or trigger already existing eating disorders.
Using a single measure for multiple nutrients
No natural food product contains all essential nutrients and nutrient density will not tell you which ones are missing. So even a diet based on a lot of high-density products could still lack several essential nutrients.
Choice of nutrients included in the measure
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If all essential nutrient or micronutrients are included in the measure, it will remove focus from the nutrients that are most often lacking in people's diets.
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If a selection of nutrients is made (e.g. based on how often they are lacking in people's diets), the selection will not be relevant to everyone, because some people lack completely different nutrients.
See also
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Bioavailability
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Concentration, abundance of a constituent divided by total volume of mixture
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Diet
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Food composition
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Glycemic index
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List of micronutrients
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List of phytochemicals in food
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Macronutrients, chemical substances humans consume in largest quantities
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Nutrient
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Nutrition
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Nutritionism, reductionist theory that scientifically identified nutrients in foods determine value of individual foodstuffs in human diet, often leading to targeted supplementation rather than reliance on whole foods
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Overall nutritional quality index
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Mineralization (soil science)
External References
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Cason, K. L., Clemson University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. Nutrient Density (Consumer Judging—Junior/Senior). February 2005.
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Dooley, D. A. Island Scene Online. Nutrient Density: An Idea Whose Time Has Finally Come. (Hawaii Medical Service Association), July 27, 2005. http://www.islandscene.com/Article.aspx?id=2641, accessed 10/15/2014.
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University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension. Nutrient Density: Optimize Your Intake!
