Comparison of nutrient intakes of selected populations in the United States and Israel: the lipid research clinics prevalence study

Nutrient intakes of 2,772 US and 2,680 Jerusalem participants of the Lipid Research Clinics Program were assessed by 24-h dietary recall in men aged 15–19 and 40–59 yr and women aged 15–19 and 35–59 yr. Energy intake was higher in the US than in Jerusalem. In Jerusalem intake of total fat ranged between 32.2–33.7% of kcal, of saturated fatty acids (SFA) between 9.8–10.9%, of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PFA) between 7.9–8.6%, of carbohydrates between 50.5–53.9%, and of starch between 24.0–30.5%. The P:S ratio ranged between 0.80 and 1.01. The corresponding ranges for the US were 38.8–40.8% for fat, 14.3–15.9% for SFA, 5.9–6.8% for PFA, 38.9–46.2% for carbohydrates, 17.0–17.9% for starch, and 0.40–0.53 for the P:S ratio. Intake of cholesterol (mg/1000 kcal) was higher in Jerusalem than in the US. These data address the feasibility of reducing fat in diets of free-living, Western populations.