Intakes of Fats, Cholesterol, Fiber and Micronutrients as Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in Jordan

The cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in Jordan and many other countries. The etiology of CVD is multifactorial. Dietary factors play significant roles in the initiation, prevention and treatment of CVD diseases. The aim of this study is to estimate the daily intake of nutrients associated with developing CVD among Jordanians, based on the Department of Statistics household budget survey “JHEIS 2010”, and to detect any changes in these intakes in comparison with the previous JHEIS survey. The data of the JHEIS 2010 were analyzed for the purpose of estimating the quantity of nutrient intakes in the different governorates of the country. The results showed that energy intake in the whole country (the Kingdom) was 3325 kcal/day. The daily intakes (as % of energy) of total, saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, trans, omega-3 and omega-6 fats were 26.6, 6.5, 8.5, 8, 0.2, 0.21 and 2.2%, respectively. The daily fiber intake was 7.2 g/1000 kcal. The daily intakes (mg/day) of cholesterol, sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium were 303, 6206, 3030, 627 and 305, respectively. There was a variation in the intakes of these nutrients and energy among governorates. It is concluded that the Jordanian estimated daily intakes of total fat, saturated, polyunsaturated and trans fats were within the recommendations expressed as percent of energy intake, in contrary to the intakes of monounsaturated, omega-3 and omega-6 fats and dietary fibers, which were lower than those of the recommendations. In addition, the daily intakes of potassium, calcium and magnesium were low and those of energy and sodium intakes were very high as compared with the recommendations.