Sodium and sugar were added to the watch list. Cholesterol's impact on the diet was downgraded. And dairy held its position with a recommended three servings or the equivalent of three cups per day.
Those were among the take-home messages in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans released jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) on January 7.
One of the core reasons dairy food held its position of three servings per day, and even its own category for that matter, is the woeful bone health amongst Americans. (The five main categories are fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins and dairy.)
In the latest suggestions for American eating, scientists noted that 15 percent of women suffer from osteoporosis . . . brittle and fragile bones due to an inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D. Once in motion, the condition is very difficult to reverse. While the 15 percent figure may not be that alarming, the fact that 51 percent of American women are categorized as having "low bone mass" should raise everyone's eyebrows.
This situation is less profound in men, with 4 percent having osteoporosis and 35 percent suffering from low bone mass.
Low-fat still touted
The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans states healthy eating patterns include fat-free and low-fat (1 percent) dairy, such as milk, yogurt, cheese . . . and fortified soy beverages. They note that soy beverages must be fortified with vitamins A and D, along with calcium, to be considered in this category. The committee did point out that almond, rice, coconut and hemp "milks" may contain calcium, but are not included as part of the dairy group because their overall nutritional content is not similar.
Some fats began their resurgence as healthy fats and were differentiated from unhealthy cousins. That means foods rich in saturated fats, think butter, got a boost in recommendations, while those full of unsaturated fats were sent to the outhouse.
Sugar and sodium were also added to the "Limit" group in the new food document. Americans simply eat too much.
Sugar: Americans eat up to 22 teaspoons a day. To meet the new target, citizens need to cut intake by more than half to 10 teaspoons a day. Diseases of concern include obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. What does that mean? Consuming one 16-ounce soda puts you at the sugar limit. That 16-ounce, sugar-sweetened soda would provide roughly 10 percent of the daily calories for an adult.
Salt: The target is 2,300 milligrams, and on average, Americans consume 3,440 milligrams of salt.
After being vilified for years, cholesterol came out a winner as the guidelines dropped a long-standing recommendation to limit cholesterol from foods to 300 milligrams a day. While a win for eggs, dairy and meat, one must remember to eat a balanced diet and all foods in moderation.
(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2016
January 11, 2016
