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A health claim is a statement that links one or more dietary components to reduced risk of disease ' such as a claim that calcium helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis. A Health claim must be supported by scientifically valid evidence for it to be approved for use on a food label. In addition, there are specific criteria for use of claims. For example, a high-fiber food that is also high in fat is not eligible for a health claim. So far, the FDA has approve the following health claims:

1. Calcium and osteoporosis: Adequate calcium may reduce the risk of osteoporosis

2. Sodium and hypertension: Low-sodium diets may help lower blood pressure

3. Dietary fat and cancer: High-fat diets increase risk for some types of cancer

4. Dietary saturated fat and cholesterol and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD): Diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol increase risk for heart disease.

5. Fiber-containing grain products, fruits and vegetables and cancer: Diets low in fat and rich in high-fiber foods may reduce the risk of certain cancers.

6. Fruits, Vegetables, and grain products that contain fiber, particular pectins, gums and mucilages, and risk of CHD: Diets low in at and rich in these types of fiber may reduce risk of heart disease.

7. Fruits and vegetables and cancer: Diets low in fat and rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of certain cancers.

8. Folate and neural tube defects: Adequate folate intake prior to and early in pregnancy may reduce the risk of neural tube defects (a birth defect)

9. Dietary sugar alcohols and dental caries (cavities): Foods sweetened with sugar alcohols do not promote tooth decay

10. Dietary fiber, such as that found in whole oats and psyllium seed husk and CHD: Diets low in fat and rich in these types of fiber can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

11. Soy Protein and CHD: Foods rich in soy protein as part of a low-fat diet may help reduce the risk of heart disease

12. Whole-grain foods and CHD or cancer: Diet high in whole-grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancer.

13. Plant sterol/stanol esters and CHD: Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that contain significant amount of these additives may reduce the risk of heart disease.

14. Potassium a high blood pressure/stroke: Diets that contain good source of potassium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.