Frequently Asked Questions

As part of Nutrition Australia's commitment to providing up-to-date information from a sound scientific basis, Nutrition Australia brings you the answers to the most frequently asked questions on nutrition.

These Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) are complied by leading nutrition professionals who regularly contribute to a nutrition email discussion group, Nut-Net, under the co-ordination of Chris Forbes-Ewan, Senior Nutritionist*.

The Nutritionists Network ('Nut-Net') is an e-mail discussion group, based in Australia, with several hundred professional nutritionists/dietitians as subscribers.

Nut-Net FAQs are written to provide independent practical advice and information on specific topics to the general population on the relationships between food, nutrition, lifestyle and health. 

The FAQs provide a consensus (or if that is not achievable, a majority) opinion on important dietary influences on health and wellbeing, covering dietary patterns, activity levels, foods, and food ingredients, but not particular branded products.

• Healthy Eating and Disease Prevention
• Weight Loss and Exercise
• General Nutrition
• Food: What's in it?
• Sports Nutrition
• Vegetarians
• Activity and Weight Control
  

Healthy Eating and Disease Prevention 

• FAQ on Genetic Haemochromatosis
• Summary FAQ on Salt
• Detailed FAQ on Salt
• Metabolic Syndrome FAQ (also known as 'Syndrome X')
• Summary FAQ on Diabetes
• Detailed FAQ on Diabetes
• FAQ on cholesterol and heart health
• Summary FAQ on the latest on cholesterol.
• Summary FAQ on Sugar
• I can remember a time when some people were calling sugar 'pure, white and deadly', yet there seems to be little fuss about sugar now. Just what is the current position on the relationship between sugar and health generally?
• I have heard that drinking red wine lowers the risk of heart disease.  Is this correct?
• How does high fibre food assist in digestion and what are the benefits of a high fibre diet?
• Is it true that avoiding tomatoes and oranges is good for arthritis?
• I have heard that drinking tea is good for you and that it can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Is this true?

Weight Loss and Exercise

• A lot of publicity has been given to a wide variety of diets lately. Some of these advocate high protein intake, some stress carbohydrate, while others make no reference to carbohydrate or protein.  What are these diets supposed to achieve, and what, if any, is the scientific evidence supporting them? 
• What types of activities and activity levels are appropriate for general health and wellbeing?
• Questions about overweight/ obesity and the role of activity in weight maintenance and weight loss. Summary FAQ.
• Why is it that despite being active on a daily basis and having a low food intake, I have great trouble losing unwanted weight?
• Activity for Physical Fitness contains questions and answers to address the types and intensities of training recommended for general physical fitness. Read a summary of the Activity for Physical Fitness FAQ
• Physical Activity for General Health (summary) 
• How many kilojoules (kJ) of energy are equivalent to 1 kg of body weight, i.e. without taking in extra nutrition, how many kJ would I need to use to lose 1 kg of body weight?
• Will consuming drinks with meals make you fat?
• I have heard that in order to maintain or even lose weight it is preferable to eat five or more smaller meals per day as opposed to the traditional approach of eating three square meals. Is this likely to be correct?
• I have heard that, no matter how much food I eat, it is difficult to put on weight if I eat a very low-fat diet. Is this correct?
• Book Critique, Gillian McKeith's, - "You are what you eat"

General Nutrition

• FAQ on nuts - summary and full version.
• The need for iodine in our diet(click here for summary on iodine)
• What fluids do I drink for optimal hydration status (Summary FAQ)? Click here for the Detailed FAQ.
• Is it true that you should not eat anything except fruit before midday?
• Does it matter if you drink with a meal? I've heard that this will 'dilute the digestive juices' and interfere with digestion of the food eaten at that meal.
• I have read somewhere recently about a 'Paleolithic diet'.  What exactly is the 'Paleolithic diet'?
• How can my diet help to minimise the effects of pre-menstrual syndrome?
• Is it true that you should not eat protein and carbohydrate foods at the same time?
• How much protein (in grams) should I eat per day? Are some proteins better than others (animal vs plant sources)?
• I have seen 'whey protein' advertised in health food stores as the source of food protein with the highest nutritional value. Is this correct, and, if so, should I be eating it to ensure that I get enough protein? 
• Functional Foods FAQ 
• This FAQ will address one of the most important issues facing humanity today: can we achieve sustainable development of the food supply?
• Book Critique, Gillian McKeith's, - "You are what you eat"

Food: What's in it? 

• GM Foods and Human Nutrition FAQ
• Is there any truth to the rumour that some of the food additives in processed foods in Australia are harmful?
• I've heard that some milk fats are required in order to absorb the calcium in milk. Is this correct?
• What is 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome' and what causes it?
• What are the differences between fats and oils and what do the terms 'saturated', 'monounsaturated' and 'polyunsaturated' mean?
• How nutritious are commercially-frozen vegetables compared to fresh vegetables?
• What are omega-3 fats and what is the science behind the claims relating to foods high in omega-3 fats?
• Is it true that you can't get all the vitamins and minerals you need from a normal diet?
• What are Organic Foods (detailed FAQ)?
  View summary FAQ on Organic Foods
• Issues relating to high caffeine in energy drinks.

Sports Nutrition

• Is there a cheap and effective sports drink I can mix myself? During exercise when should I start drinking and how much should I drink?
• I have heard of a 'Glycemic Index' in relation to food.  What does this mean and what is its nutritional significance?
  

Vegetarians

• FAQ for Vegetarians

*Statements and opinions presented in the Frequently Asked Questions do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of Nutrition Australia, nor does Nutrition Australia accept responsibility for the accuracy of such statement and opinion.

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