New dietary guidelines limit added sugar, saturated fats
Secretary Burwell said, “The Dietary Guidelines provide science-based recommendations on food and nutrition so people can make decisions that may help keep their weight under control and prevent chronic conditions”. While the core tenants of a healthy diet (lots of vegetables, fruits and lean meats) have not changed, guidelines for how much added sugar, cholesterol, sodium and saturated fats have evolved through the years. The newest guidance comes down hard on sugar that’s added to food and drinks but says lean meat is a healthy protein and more eggs may be OK, despite years of advice to the contrary.
By removing dietary cholesterol as a “nutrient of concern for overconsumption”, the authors of the new guidelines bowed to research findings suggesting that eating foods rich in the fatty substance contributes only marginally to levels of cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream.
The dietary guidelines recommends to consume just enough amounts of lean meat, but strongly recommends against piling up on added sugars. For the first time, the guidelines out Thursday put a limit on how much sugar we should eat. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that up to half the daily fruit intake may come from 100% juice. Other big changes in the guidelines, what our great grandparents knew and then bad science and politics torpedoed for a while…eggs are good for you.
Dietary guidelines have been released, by the US government, every five years since 1980. Teen-aged boys and men should “reduce their overall intake of protein foods” such as meat.
Overcoming a massive effort from the food industry lobby, the new guidelines also recommend that most Americans only intake 2,300 mg of salt a day or less.
Sodium in take should be limited to less than 2,300 milligrams per day, particularly for children aged 14 years old and above.
They also made no mention of the advisory committees recommendation that Americans seek a more environmentally friendly and sustainable diet that is higher in plant-based foods and lower in calories and animal-based foods.. The new guidelines said a typical adult should have no more than 12 teaspoons of sugar per day. According to the report, those make up about 13 percent of daily calories in the average American diet.
Christie M Farriella/for New York Daily News New federal guidelines set the stage for healthier school lunches, like this lineup at The Queens College School for Math, Science and Technology in Flushing, Queens.
“By omitting specific diet recommendations, such as eating less red and processed meat, these guidelines miss a critical and significant opportunity to reduce suffering and death from cancer”, Wender said.
The guidelines were written by members of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as representatives from the Agriculture Department. Other beverages such as bottled teas and coffees, sports drinks and fruit juices often contain high amounts of sugar, as well.