A new report by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC), which convenes every five years, and advises the federal government on the official Dietary Guidelines, calls for some changes to the American diet.
The purpose of the Advisory Report is to inform the government on the scientific evidence related to diet and nutrition. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) jointly write the Dietary Guidelines, which are due out by the end of 2020.
According to the report (which is over 800 pages), more than 70 percent of Americans are overweight, 6 in 10 Americans have a chronic health condition such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer, and 4 in 10 Americans have 2 or more chronic conditions. Various factors contribute to the prevalence of these chronic diseases, namely, an unhealthy diet and a lack of exercise.
The report states that “the typical diet Americans consume result in over consumption of energy (calories), saturated fats, sodium, added sugars, and for some consumers, alcoholic beverages. Intakes of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are lower than current recommendations.”
Overall, the key messages are similar to the previous Dietary Guidelines. Here are some of the key takeaways and some notable differences from the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines.
Eat more fruits, veggies, legumes and whole grains.
The report, like the previous Dietary Guidelines, suggests eating more vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low- or nonfat dairy, lean meat and poultry, seafood, nuts, and unsaturated vegetable oils. Dietary patterns rich in these foods are associated with positive health outcomes. The report supports eating a diet rich in plant-based foods.
Eat less red and processed meat.
The report suggests limiting red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, and refined grains. Eating more of these foods is associated with negative health outcomes. Like the previous 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, the report advises us to eat less saturated fat and replace it with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats. That means, swap your butter for olive oil. Saturated fat intake should be limited to less than of 10 percent of total calories for adults and children ages 2 years and older.
Limit added sugar.
The DGAC report advises restricting added sugar to no more than 6% of total calories. The previous guidelines advise Americans to limit calories from added sugar to 10% of total calories.
Added sugars make up on average 13 percent of our daily energy intake coming primarily from several foods. The advisory committee report states: “Nearly 70 percent of added sugars intake comes from 5 food categories: sweetened beverages (SSB), desserts and sweet snacks, coffee and tea (with their additions), candy and sugars, and breakfast cereals and bars. Evidence suggests that adverse effects of added sugars, particularly from SSB, may contribute to unhealthy weight gain and obesity-related health outcomes.”
The sugars in fruit and dairy are what I call “nutritious simple carbohydrates” and do not count as added sugar. So, fruit lovers, you don’t need to worry about the sugar from your berries or melon.
Drink no more than one alcoholic beverage daily.
Previous versions of the Dietary Guidelines recommended that women limit themselves to one drink a day and men limit themselves to two drinks per day. A drink is defined as a 12-ounce bottle of beer, a five-ounce glass of wine, or a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor. The new report lowers the recommendation for men to drink no more than one alcoholic beverage per day. The recommendation for women stays the same. Sorry folks but drinking less alcohol is better for good health than more drinking more alcohol.
Infants should eat eggs and peanuts and skip all added sugar.
For the first time, the DGAC report offers nutrition guidance and feeding advice for babies under two years old. Among its guidance for infants, the committee found that introducing eggs, peanuts, and other foods that cause sensitivities in the first year of life may reduce the risk of food allergies to these foods. Also, feeding children under 2 years old a variety of “adult foods” may have a positive influence on their habits and tastes later in life. In addition, in the first 24 months of life, infants should avoid all added sugar. That means skipping fruit punch and other sugar-sweetened foods.
I weighed in, along with others, for Food Navigator USA on the new report. Here’s what I said: “I think overall, they are well done. I was most impressed with the added sugar guideline to reduce it to 6 percent of total calories (from previous guidelines which was 10 percent.) There are NO benefits to added sugar at all so less is best. And added sugar tends to be found in processed foods with little nutritional benefits… And limiting alcohol to 1 drink a day for men (down from 2 drinks.) As I say, no one got heart disease from a deficiency of alcohol so, again, less is probably best. And now we have guidelines for infants under 2 years old so new moms can get guidance.”
This post is adapted from an article I contributed for Smart LifeBites “New dietary guidelines change thinking on food allergies, sugar intake.”
Eat mindfully for better health