Source: MEATINGPLACE, 7/3/15

The existing limit on total fat consumption should be removed from the 2015 Dietary Guideline for Americans, according to an article by researchers from Tufts University and Boston Children’s Hospital published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).  

The recommendation to eliminate the limit on total fat consumption is contained in a recently released report from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and is based on accumulated new scientific evidence, said the authors of the JAMA Viewpoint article.

USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services will review the advisory committee’s report in the coming months before finalizing the Dietary Guidelines.

In 1980, the Dietary Guidelines recommended limiting total fat to 30 percent of calories with the aim of lowering saturated fat and cholesterol to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. The recommendation was revised in 2005 to a range of 20 to 35 percent of calories.

The new advisory committee report concluded that reducing total fat does not lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and that the emphasis instead should be placed on healthful diet patterns that include more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, legumes and dairy products and less meats, sugar-sweetened food and drinks, and refined grains.

“A restructuring of national nutritional policy is warranted to move away from total fat reduction and toward healthy food choices, including those higher in healthful fats,” concluded Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of Tufts and Dr. David Ludwig of Boston Children’s Hospital.

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