Dear Nutrition Professional:

Welcome to the spring-summer 2008 issue of Nutrition Update, which explores current science on antioxidants and health, highlighting a few key dietary examples and discussing their potential role in promoting health. This is a topic of interest for nutrition and health professionals who counsel individuals striving to eat a healthful diet.

This edition's Article for Professionals, now online, provides an overview of current understanding about antioxidants as healthful components in food, to help nutrition and health professionals guide consumers in making informed decisions about healthful eating. Further, it highlights how understanding of antioxidants is reflected in current dietary recommendations from some government agencies and health organizations. A Nutrition in Practice response discusses the emerging scientific evidence regarding coffee consumption and potential health benefits.

In upcoming months, look for three reproducible fact sheets. The first provides a consumer-friendly primer on antioxidants; the second offers an update on whole grains; and the third suggests strategies for fitting recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables into daily food choices. We hope you will find this information useful in your practice, as you help your clients and patients develop eating plans that meet their personal health and nutrition goals.

Sincerely,

Sandra J. Morreale, MBA, RD, FADA Editor	Cecelia V. Maher, MS, RD, FADA Contributing Editor

Jacqueline R. Berning, PhD, RD is Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, where she teaches nutrition in the Biology Department. Prior to joining the University full time, Dr. Berning was the Nutrition Coordinator for United States Swimming, planning menus, teaching nutrition and developing sports nutrition materials for the National and Olympic teams. Dr. Berning is a nutrition consultant to a number of professional sports teams including the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Indians and Colorado Rockies.

Elaine B. Feldman, MD is Professor Emeritus of Medicine, Physiology and Endocrinology at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. She retired from the Medical College as Chief of the Section of Nutrition in the Department of Medicine. Dr. Feldman has authored approximately 180 scientific articles, book chapters and books and is a Fellow of the American Society of Nutritional Sciences.

John P. Foreyt, PhD is Director of the DeBakey Heart Center's Behavioral Medicine Research Center and Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Foreyt has served as a member of several task forces and advisory committees, including the National Institutes of Health's National Task Force on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity, and has published extensively in the areas of diet modification, cardiovascular risk reduction, eating disorders and obesity.

Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD is distinguished Professor of Nutrition in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Kris-Etherton is nationally and internationally recognized for her clinical nutrition research in the area of cardiovascular disease. She has published more than 130 articles in leading scientific journals. Dr. Kris-Etherton was a member of the National Academies Panel that authored the DRI Report on Macronutrients and Energy.

Nancy S. Wellman, PhD, RD, FADA is Professor of Dietetics and Nutrition at Florida International University, the public research university in Miami. Dr. Wellman directs the National Resource Center on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Aging at Florida International University. She is past president of the American Dietetic Association and chaired the national Nutrition Screening Initiative over its 15-year history. Dr. Wellman currently co-chairs the American Society for Nutrition Public Information Committee.