Ask the nutritionist

Ask The Nutritionist

Ever wanted advice about which meats have the lowest fat content? Or to know why red meat is naturally low in salt? If so, try our new dedicated advisory service 'Ask the Nutritionist'.

Juliette Kellow, studied at Leeds Metropolitan University and qualified as a registered dietitian in 1991. She is the former Editor of Top Santé, the UK’s best-selling health and beauty magazine. She writes regular features for Top Santé, Closer, Delicious, New Woman, The Mirror, Sunday People and More. She’s also the consultant dietitian for an online slimming club called Weight Loss Resources and frequently appears on programmes including GMTV, Richard and Judy, Lorraine Kelly and BBC News 24.

Juliette says: “People feel bombarded with health information these days. So often they are not sure what information is correct and what is not – especially when it comes to a universally popular food like red meat.”

“There are so many choices to be made during the weekly shop, I hope that my advice will put people’s minds at rest and reassure consumers and health care professionals that they can make the right nutritional choices for both their families and their patients.”


To ask your question, please email askthenutritionists@goodrelations.co.uk


Please note - your question will be answered as soon as possible and posted on this website.

Juliette cannot enter into personal correspondence. Her replies cannot apply to individual cases and should be taken in a general context. Contact your GP with any health problems.



Questions and Answers


How can I make sure I am getting enough iron?


Iron is a mineral that’s needed in very small amounts, but is nevertheless essential for our wellbeing. It’s needed to make red blood cells and is a vital component of haemoglobin, which gives blood its red colour and transports oxygen around the body to the cells. When dietary iron intakes are low, less haemoglobin is made so there’s less capacity for carrying oxygen to the cells. This means our cells don’t work as effectively, resulting in a condition called iron deficiency anaemia. Typical symptoms include extreme tiredness, fatigue, breathlessness on light exertion, dizzy spells and an unnaturally pale complexion.


Currently, around 40 percent of women aged 19 to 34 years in the UK have iron intakes below the minimum amount needed to stay healthy and so are at risk of iron deficiency anaemia. Teenage girls and pre-menopausal women are at particular risk as they have higher nutritional needs for iron than men and post-menopausal women due to losses during menstruation. Fortunately, this condition can easily be prevented in most people through eating a healthy, balanced diet that contains plenty of iron-rich foods.


Red meat is one of the best sources of iron – in fact, almost a fifth of the iron in our diets in the UK comes from meat and meat products. Other good sources include oil-rich fish, eggs, bread, green leafy vegetables, beans, peas, lentils, dried fruit and fortified breakfast cereals.


What are the best ways to increase iron absorption?


The iron in animal foods such as red meat is more easily absorbed and used by the body than the iron in plant foods such as vegetables and bread. However, vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron from food, particularly from cereals, fruit and veg, so eat vitamin C-rich foods and iron-rich foods together. For example, have a glass of orange juice with a bowl of breakfast cereal to boost the absorption of iron from the cereal. Or add a vitamin C-rich tomato to an egg sandwich. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits and their juices, berries, blackcurrants, kiwi fruit, tomatoes, peppers and green leafy veg.


In contrast, the absorption of iron is reduced by naturally occurring compounds found in tea and coffee. This means it’s better to wait around half an hour after eating before drinking tea and coffee. Phytates in unrefined cereals such as raw bran can also hinder the absorption of iron so it is best to avoid sprinkling raw bran onto breakfast cereals. And although spinach contains some iron, it also contains a substance that makes it harder for the body to absorb the iron from it.


How much fat do I need?


Some fat is necessary for good health and provides essential fats that can’t be made in the body and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. However, health experts agree that to stay healthy, it’s important to avoid having too much fat as regular high intakes may increase the risk of coronary heart disease and contribute to excessive weight gain.


For good health, around one third of our calories should come from fat, around half should come from carbohydrates found in foods like pasta, potatoes, bread, rice and breakfast cereals, and the remainder should come from protein found in foods such as lean beef, fish, eggs and beans. This means women should have about 70g of fat each day and men about 95g of fat a day.


But as well as eating less fat overall, it’s also important to eat the right types of fat for good health. There are three main types of fat in food – saturates, monounsaturates and polyunsaturates. In particular, saturated fats are most likely to increase the risk of coronary heart disease, so health experts recommend that no more than 10 percent of our calories come from these. This means women should have about 20g of saturated fat, and men about 30g of saturated fat.

What’s the difference between saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats?

Most foods contain a mixture of three main types of fats – saturates, polyunsaturates and monounsaturates – but are usually categorised according to the type of fat found in the largest amount.

• Saturated fats

These types of fats are generally found in animal products such as cream, lard, butter, full-fat milk, cheese and meat, although ghee, coconut oil and palm oil also contain significant amounts. Saturated fats tend to be mostly solid at room temperature. These types of fats are linked to increasing levels of LDL (low density lipoprotein cholesterol) or ‘bad’ cholesterol in the blood, so health experts recommend eating fewer foods that contain high amounts of them.


• Polyunsaturated fats

These types of fats tend to be found in oil-rich fish and plant foods such as seeds, nuts, vegetable oils like sunflower, sesame and corn oils, and sunflower and soya margarines. Polyunsaturated fats can be divided into two groups – omega-3 polyunsaturates and omega-6 polyunsaturates. Our bodies can make omega-3 fats from plant foods. However, the best ‘ready made’ sources of omega-3 fats are oil-rich fish like salmon, mackerel, trout and fresh tuna. Most polyunsaturates tend to be liquid at room temperature and may help to lower LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol.


• Monounsaturated fats

These types of fats are found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado and meat, for example, lean beef. Monounsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature and heath experts agree that they are the healthiest types of fat as they help to lower LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol, whilst maintaining levels of HDL (high density lipoprotein cholesterol) or ‘good’ cholesterol.


How do I reduce the fat in my diet?

There are many simple ways to reduce the amount of fat in your diet. Try some of these tips…

• Grill, dry fry, poach, steam, boil or microwave food rather than frying it
• If you sometimes cook with oil, use a non-stick pan so that you won’t need as much – and always measure it with a spoon rather than pouring it freely from the bottle. Alternatively, use a spray oil
• Eat fewer high-fat foods such as biscuits, cakes, crisps, pastries and chocolate
• Roast meat on a rack so that any fat it contains drips into the tray below – then drain and discard the fat from the pan before using the meat juices to make gravy or sauces
• Use fat-free or low-fat dressings on salad rather than French dressing or mayonnaise
• Skim fat from the surface of casseroles and stews.
• Eat fewer fatty meat products such as sausages, burgers, pepperoni, salami, pies and pastry products.
• Choose lean cuts of meat and skinless chicken, and cut off any visible fat before cooking
• Use less butter or margarine or swap it for a low-fat spread – but still spread it thinly
• Opt for reduced-fat dairy products such as semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, reduced-fat cheese and fat-free yogurt
• Serve puddings with low-fat yogurt or fromage frais instead of cream or ice cream
• Choose jacket, mashed or boiled potatoes instead of chips
• Don’t add cream to sauces, soups or coffee
• Use food labels to help you limit the amount of products you buy that are high in fat. According to the Food Standards Agency, high-fat foods contain 20g of fat or more per 100g.

Vitamins

I run an exercise class for people with chronic respiratory diseases. I have been asked what would be the safe amount of vitamin A they can eat a day or week?


Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it can be stored in the body. It’s needed for growth, reproduction and development and helps to keep our skin, hair and eyes healthy. It also helps to strengthen our immune system so we’re less likely to pick up infections. Plus, vitamin A is important for healthy mucus membranes, found in the respiratory tract, for example. And if that’s not enough, beta-carotene (which the body uses to make vitamin A) is a powerful antioxidant and so may help to protect against cell damage by mopping up an excess of potentially harmful molecules called free radicals.

Vitamin A is available to the body in two forms: retinol and beta-carotene. Retinol is found in liver, liver products such as pâté, whole milk, cheese, butter, egg yolk, oily fish and margarine. Beta-carotene is found in dark green vegetables like spinach and watercress, and yellow, orange and red fruits like carrots, tomatoes, dried apricots, sweet potatoes, red peppers and mangoes. The Department of Health recommends that adult women should have 0.6mg of vitamin A daily, and men 0.7mg a day. As a general guideline, most people should be able to get all the vitamin A they need by eating a balanced diet.


There’s currently insufficient evidence to suggest that increasing intakes of vitamin A by taking supplements will improve lung function, although sufferers should always follow the advice of their GP, doctor or dietitian. In contrast, some evidence suggests that supplements may actually do more harm than good. In a well-known American study – the Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET) – supplements of beta-carotene were actually found to increase the risk of lung cancer, particularly amongst smokers and those who had been exposed to asbestos. However, there’s no evidence to suggest that the beta-carotene we get from fruit and vegetables causes any harm and so most people should aim to have five servings of fruit and veg every day.


Meanwhile, research has shown that having an average of 1.5mg of vitamin A each day over many years – more than twice the recommended amount for adults – may affect the bones, increasing the risk of fractures. As a result, the Food Standards Agency recommends that postmenopausal women and older men – both of whom are at a greater risk of the bone-thinning disease, osteoporosis – should avoid having more than 1.5mg of vitamin A each day as it’s such a rich source of this nutrient. This means not eating liver or liver products more than once a week and making sure any supplements taken contain less than 1.5mg of vitamin A daily (or avoiding them completely if you eat liver each week).


The Food Standards Agency also recommends that pregnant women or women planning a pregnancy should avoid liver, liver products and supplements containing vitamin A as large doses of this nutrient have been linked to birth defects.


However, it’s important to follow the advice of your GP, doctor or dietitian.