ABSTRACT
The National Research Council report of 1989 offered a comprehensive set of dietary recommendations and goals, and whilst there have been several sets of guidelines offered since then, these represent a very concise set of targets that would still be regarded as consistent with current more complex and lengthy advice. Some reports on diet and health frame their advice in the form of simple qualitative or semi-quantitative recommendations that are easy to understand by the general public “eat five portions of fruits and vegetables each day” and “reduce consumption of fatty foods especially those rich in saturated fat”. Consumers in Britain, America and elsewhere are encouraged to eat a variety of foods each day. A reduced consumption of free sugars should lead to improved dental health as well as many benefits upon weight control. Both dental decay and gum disease are strongly linked to high sugar consumption, especially frequent consumption of sugary snacks and drinks between main meals.
