A few years ago the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) loosened restrictions on how much scientific proof is required before possible health benefits appear on food labels. For example, the FDA now allows sellers of certain nuts to claim that "scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of some nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease." Sellers of seafood that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids will be able to claim that their products prevent heart attacks, and so forth, so we will probably see a proliferation of these statements on food labels in the years ahead.

A manufacturer cannot claim that a product prevents heart attacks just because it contains nuts. For example, putting nuts in ice cream will not allow a manufacturer to claim that ice cream with nuts prevents heart attacks. The claims are supposed to help you understand that the specific food only helps to prevent heart attacks when a person does not take in too many calories, does not eat too much saturated and partially hydrogenated fats, and does eat lots of vegetables and other foods derived from plants. You cannot say that eating nuts prevents heart attacks, but you can say that eating nuts as part of a healthful diet helps to prevent heart attacks. When you see health claims on a food label, weigh them with your own common sense.