For the first time ever since their inception in 1980, the new government dietary guidelines, which are updated every five years, advise Americans to limit their sugar intake.
The guidelines are tremendously important because they shape everything from school lunches to food labels, the WIC (Women Infants Children) program, food stamps, even the manner in which dieticians advise clients and doctors counsel patients.
The overconsumption of sugar has been linked to heart disease and obesity, and by extension, the many obesity-related diseases such as Type-2 diabetes and cancer. Today more than one-third of Americans are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This newest set of guidelines encourages people to limit their sugar intake to no more than 10 percent of their total daily calories. The guidelines are based on a diet of 2,000 calories a day. Therefore, according to that standard, the average American should consume no more than 12 teaspoons of sugar a day.
Research shows most people consume twice that much. So for most Americans, in order to comply with the new guidelines, they will need to cut way back on sugar.
Perhaps the best place to start is by giving-up soda. Research indicates nearly half of our nation’s total sugar consumption comes from soda. Just one 12-ounce can of soda contains about 9 teaspoons of sugar. That’s almost an entire day’s recommended sugar intake. Other beverages such as bottled teas and coffees, sports drinks and fruit juices often contain high amounts of sugar, as well.
It’s not just beverages that pose a sugar problem. It is added to thousands of processed foods, including ones that appear healthy, such as yogurt, bread, pasta sauce and salad dressing, often in the form of high fructose corn syrup.
In another departure from past dietary guidelines, the new ones do not contain any restrictions on foods containing dietary cholesterol, such as eggs. In the past, the guidelines recommended no more than two eggs a day due to cholesterol concerns. However, new evidence suggests dietary cholesterol does not raise blood cholesterol levels.
The guidelines were written by members of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as representatives from the Agriculture Department. In general, they advise Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables, more seafood and whole grains.
The guidelines also gave a nod to coffee, noting that up to five cups of java is not only safe, but could actually be healthy, citing evidence that it could reduce the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and possibly even Parkinson’s disease.
Regarding red meat and processed meats, the new guidelines do not endorse the recommendations of an advisory committee, which called for a limit on both food groups. The World Health Organization recently said red meat was "probably carcinogenic."
Instead, the new guidelines take a softer approach, recommending consuming no more than 26 ounces of protein a week from animal sources, pointing out that most teen boys and adult men exceed that amount. They also recommend consuming alternate sources such as nuts, seeds, and seafood.
When it comes to salt, the guidelines say a healthy diet is one with less than 2,300 milligrams a day, which is about one teaspoon of table salt. People who prepare food at home from scratch, will generally fall within this level. However, the problem arises when consuming processed food and restaurant food which typically have exponentially higher sodium levels. he CDC says nine out of 10 Americans consume too much salt.
The new guidelines recommend eating two and a half cups of vegetables a day, which is unchanged from the previous guidelines.
Also unchanged from the 2010 guidelines is to limit the amount of saturated fat to 10 ercent f overall calorie consumption. This time around, however, the guidelines give a nod to Omega-3 fats like fish oil, saying 5 teaspoons of oil per day is an acceptable level.