New Scoring System Links Beverage Intake To Health

U.S. researchers have developed a way to assess beverage intake and correlate it to health status. The Healthy Beverage Index (HBI), based on dietary data from 16,000 adults, takes into account 10 factors, such as total energy from beverages and total fluid requirements. It also recommends limits for subgroups, such as low-fat milk, fruit juice, and alcohol. Some components of the HBI are weighted more heavily because they contribute to good health. Water, for example, should constitute at least 20 percent of total fluid intake. The data were correlated with risk factors such as obesity/overweight, hypertension, high fasting insulin, etc. The sample population was assigned scores ranging from 0 to 100. The higher the score, the better the adherence to beverage guidelines and a healthier beverage intake pattern in both men and women. The average HBI score was 63±16.