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Sound Bites
March, 1996

New Dietary Guidelines
On January 2, the fourth edition of the Dietary Guide-lines for Americans was released as a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. These Guidelines are a revised version of the 1990 Guidelines for "healthy Americans age 2 years and over about food choices that promote health and prevent disease". This year's edition includes recognition of vegetarian diets as a healthful choice, and encouragement of physical activity along with wise food choices.

The Dietary Guidelines recommend that Americans, "choose a diet with most of the calories from grain products, vegetables, fruits, lowfat milk products, lean meats, fish, poultry, and dry beans. Choose fewer calories from fats and sweets." They encourage Americans to use the Food Guide Pyramid to set goals for the kinds and amounts of foods to eat each day. Nutrition Facts Labels on food packages are helpful when choosing individual foods that meet these goals.

The text is accompanied by useful charts, lists, and tables such as serving sizes for each food group in the pyramid, good sources of calcium and carotenoids, and the different ways sugar can be named on a food label. Each section concludes with concise "Advice for Today".

The following is a brief review of the seven basic guidelines:

1. Eat a variety of foods

Eating a variety of foods makes it easier to get all of the necessary nutrients to stay healthy. This is the major point of the Food Pyramid, which shows what proportion of your food should come from each food group. This section of the guidelines lists serving sizes, and touches on the special nutrition needs of children, teenagers, women, and the elderly.

A subsection titled "What about Vegetarian Diets?" states that, "Vegetarian diets are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and can meet the Recommended Dietary Allowances for nutrients." It also discusses the need for variety in a vegetarian diet with special attention to vitamin B12. An important point is that the diets of vegetarian children require particular care to ensure adequacy of vitamin D and calcium, if milk products are not part of the diet.

2. Balance the food you eat with physical activity; maintain or improve your weight

This guideline encourages Americans to balance their caloric intake with exercise. Most Americans should "be more active, because a sedentary lifestyle is unhealthful." They recommend 30 minutes or more of moderate activity on most, preferably all, days and suggest simple changes like using the stairs rather than the elevator, or walking to the store or around the block.

This section also discusses such topics as high caloric foods, the implications of the location of body fat, healthy ways to lose weight, the health risks of excessive thinness (particularly in women), and care with weight regulation in children.

3. Choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables, and fruits

This section points out that consumption of grains, vegetables and fruits is associated with a substantially lower risk for many chronic diseases. However, most Americans of all ages eat fewer than the recommended number of servings of these foods. The discussion includes the nutrients that plant foods provide with a recommendation to eat dry beans, lentils and peas "more often," along with the fiber-rich foods mentioned above.

4. Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol

The general recommendation is to use fats and oils sparingly, although "some fat is needed for good health." While the discussion centers around the benefits of a low fat diet, including the role of cholesterol and saturated fats, it provides information on the benefits of monounsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids. It recommends that no more than 30 percent of daily calories be from fat and that, "mono- and polyunsaturated fat sources should replace saturated fats within this limit."

The text specifically mentions that a particular type of monounsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids, are under study because of a possible association with a decreased risk of heart disease in some people. It also includes mention of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which contain a "form of unsaturated fat known as trans-fatty acids that may raise blood cholesterol levels...".

5. Choose a diet moderate in sugars

A general discussion about the nature of sugars, dietary carbohydrates, and starches introduces this section. Eating sugars in large amounts is not recommended, particularly frequent snacking on foods and beverages containing sugars that supply unnecessary calories and few nutrients. Sugars play a major role in tooth decay and should be used in moderation by most healthy people, sparingly by people with low calorie needs. This section also discusses sugar substitutes and their use in some low calorie diets. Not all sugar substitutes are lower in calories than similar products that contain sugars.

6. Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium

The role of salt (sodium) in the body, and specifically its role in high blood pressure is the focus of this section. It notes that the Daily Value for salt, 2,400 mg per day, is slightly over one teaspoon (2,300 mg) and that most people consume more than this amount. They recommend not adding salt, or salty sauces such as soy sauce, to foods and choosing foods from the Food Pyramid that are naturally low in sodium. The emphasis is on the use of fresh foods, herbs and spices.

7. If you drink alcholic beverages, do so in moderation

It is recommended that if you drink alcoholic beverages, "do so in moderation, with meals, and when consumption does not put you or others at risk."

This section discusses harmful affects of alcohol when consumed in excess, including dependency and malnutrition. It lists individuals who should not drink, such as children and adolescents, women who are trying to conceive or are pregnant, individuals who cannot restrict their drinking, individuals who plan to drive, and individuals using over the counter and prescription medications.

This section also mentions, however, that moderate drinking is associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease in some individuals. Moderate drinking is defined as no more than one drink per day for women and two for men (one drink is 12 oz. beer, 5 oz. wine, or 1.5 oz. 80-proof spirits).

For more information or a copy of the Guidelines, you can contact the Consumer Affairs Department at 202-429-8239. The Guidelines can also be downloaded from the USDA's homepage at http://www.usda.gov/fcs/cnpp.html.

Dawn Olcott is Publications Coordinator at Harvest.