Cholesterol in food not a concem, new report says

Story highlights Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee issues 2015 scientific report Cholesterol in food no longer considered a "nutrient of concern" and has little effect on blood cholesterol, report says Intake limits recommended on sodium, saturated fat and added sugars CNN — For more than a week, speculation has been running rampant. What’s stirring the pot now is one bullet, on one slide of thousands of slides, shown at one of seven public hearings held over the last two years to discuss the latest revisions to the guidelines: “Cholesterol is not considered a nutrient of concern for overconsumption.” Inside the advisory report Sure enough, there it is, buried on page 91 of the 572-page Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: “Previously, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended that cholesterol intake be limited to no more than 300 mg/day. They call for bold action and sound, innovative solutions.” Millen hopes the report will “establish a ‘culture of health’ at individual and population levels and, in so doing, make healthy lifestyle choices easy, accessible, affordable and normative – both at home and away from home.” “Dramatic paradigm shifts are needed to help individuals and families take more active roles in their personal health and to incentivize health care and public health services, programs, and research to focus more on prevention and personal diet and lifestyle management.” What’s wrong with the American diet The report identifies underconsumed “shortfall nutrients,” including vitamins A, D, E and C, as well as folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium and fiber. When looking into the common characteristics of healthy diets, the committee focused on research examining dietary patterns, because “the totality of the diet – the combinations and quantities in which foods and nutrients are consumed – may have synergistic and cumulative effects on health and disease.” A healthy dietary pattern is higher in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low- or nonfat dairy, seafood, legumes and nuts; moderate in alcohol; lower in red and processed meat; and low in sugar-sweetened foods and drinks and refined grains.