The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are published every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and provide valuable information on how people can live healthier lives and prevent diet-related diseases such as diabetes.
Included in them are how much sugar Americans should consume, food items that should be avoided, how much of a certain macronutrient you should be eating, and more. All of the suggestions are based off years of scientific research, and have been vetted by experts in the nutrition field.
It’s important that Americans listen to these suggestions; Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity are all on the rise in this country, and the tips provided in the guidelines have been shown to reduce all of those. One who listens to these guidelines is more likely to live a longer, healthier life than someone who ignores the scientific consensus presented in them.
A group of nutrition and dietetics experts are selected to review the latest scientific data and determine if any changes need to be made to the guidelines before they’re published.
In mid-July, the committee’s report was released on the proposed 2020-25 guidelines with several recommendations made. They tackled everything from the nutrition of infants to the amount of drinks you should have in a day.
This group of scientists made their recommendations to the government and no one knows what will actually make it into the 2020-2025 dietary guidelines. We will need to wait just a few more months to see.
<p class='slide-count'>1 of 5</p><img width="1109" height="614" src="/uploadfile/2024/1117/20241117085520330.jpg"><p class="photo-credit">Lopolo</p>Breastfeeding
Since 1980, when the first dietary guidelines were released, experts only discussed the nutrition of children ages 2 and over. The Agricultural Act of 2014 required the 2020-25 guidelines to address the health of infants from birth to 24 months.
The committee experts recommended that infants should be breastfed for at least six months, which has been shown to help reduce the risk of several chronic diseases.
Additionally, infants should be introduced to high-allergen foods such as eggs and peanuts as early as 4-6 months old, as this has been shown to help prevent allergies.
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Added Sugars
Current recommendations for added sugar are set at no more than 10% of total calories (equivalent to 50 grams of added sugar or 12.5 teaspoons of sugar). Reducing added sugar can help reduce the risk of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
However, the committee found that 63% of Americans take consume an average of 16.2 teaspoons of sugar per day — way more than the recommended amount. As such, the committee recommended the cap for added sugar be reduced to no more than 6% of total calories (equivalent to 30 grams of added sugar or 7.5 teaspoons of sugar).
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Alcohol
Excessive alcohol consumption is one of the various factors contributing to the prevalence of chronic disease. Right now, the recommended limit is two drinks per day for men and one for women.
The committee recommended the guidelines for men and women be the same — meaning everyone should limit their alcohol intake to one drink per day.
One drink is defined as 12 fluid ounces of beer, 5 fluid ounces of wine, or 1½ fluid ounces of 80-proof liquor (like rum or vodka). And there’s no accruing your weekly drinks to have 7 or 14 drinks on a Saturday night.
Taylor C. Wallace, PhD CFS, FACN, CEO at Think Healthy Group and a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University, disagrees with this recommendation. “We need a large randomized clinical trial to define moderate drinking,” explains Wallace. “Scientists have continuously altered guidelines based on the same observational data crunched different ways for over a decade. Observational studies just don’t work for determining whether 1 drink or 2 drinks is safe.”
Wallace recommends scientists do their homework before giving pseudoscientific answers based on theoretical models verses what people really consume.
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Replace Saturated Fats with Unsaturated Fats
The committee agrees with the current recommendation that no more than 10 percent of total calories should come from saturated fat. Studies consistently support the notion that diets higher in saturated fat increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and death.
According to Wallace, “consistent evidence from clinical trials shows higher saturated fat intake from animal or plant-derived sources increases both total cholesterol and LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol.” Plant-derived sources of saturated fat include tropical oils like coconut oil.
Replacing sources of saturated fat with polyunsaturated fats can help decrease total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in both kids and adults. That’s why Wallace recommends making that change at a young age, since that is when plaque begins to accumulate in the blood vessels.
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Frequency of Meals
The committee report brought up how often you should eat. Current guidelines talk about types of foods and how much to eat, but the committee points out that how frequently you eat is also important. Research shows that 64% of the American population report eating three meals per day, verses 28% of Americans who eat only two meals per day. Compared to those who ate two meals per day, those who ate three meals per day had a better quality diet.
The committee also points out that 93% of Americans snack 2 to 3 times per day. Late night snacks tend to be high in added sugar, sodium and saturated fats — all of which should be eaten in moderation.
The committee concluded that there’s not enough evidence to determine the healthiest number of meals and snacks per day. They also recommended that there are various ways an individual can meet their nutrient needs.
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