US gov’t removes cholesterol limit in new dietary guidelines

The committee tasked by the US government to review dietary guidelines for Americans on Thursday removed a past recommendation to limit cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams a day, noting the lack of evidence of a relationship between cholesterol from food and cholesterol in the bloodstream.

"Previously, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended that cholesterol intake be limited to no more than 300 mg/day. The 2015 DGAC will not bring forward this recommendation because available evidence shows no appreciable relationship between consumption of dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol, consistent with the conclusions of the AHA/ACC [American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association] report," said the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) in its new report submitted to the US Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture.

"Cholesterol is not a nutrient of concern for overconsumption."

The report, called the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, is released every five years.

Despite this reversal regarding cholesterol, the current guidelines echo past rules.

For one, the DGAC confirmed the conclusion in the 2010 report that moderate alcohol intake (by adults) can be a component of a healthy dietary pattern. However, it stressed that this does not mean that people should either start drinking, or start drinking more, for potential health benefits, as "moderate alcohol intake is also associated with increased risk of violence, drowning, and injuries from falls and motor vehicle crashes."

Furthermore, the 2015 DGAC identified a healthy dietary pattern as one that is higher in vegetables, fruits and lower in red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened food and drinks and refined grains.

"[T]he US population should be encouraged and guided to consume dietary patterns that are rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, seafood, legumes, and nuts; moderate in low- and non-fat dairy products and alcohol (among adults); lower in red and processed meat; and low in sugar-sweetened foods and beverages and refined grains," it said. — BM, GMA News