Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Recommends Less Sugar and Eases Cholesterol and Fat Restrictions.

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee which convenes every five years, has just put out its latest recommendations, and top of the list of things to cut back on is SUGAR!

The nutrition advisory panel has lifted some of its previous restrictions on fat and cholesterol, citing salt, sugar and saturated fat, as the biggest risk to todays population. They recommended moving towards a “healthy dietary pattern”, more fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and fish. 

Hidden sugar in our foods has been a top news story for some time now, and the panel singled it out as the top concern. It is recommended that no more than 10% of daily calories or approximately 12 teaspoons a day, should be consumed by most adults, however it is  estimated that currently most Americans consumed 22 – 30 teaspoons a day.  

The panel removed previous recommendations on restricting intake of dietary cholesterol, such as shrimp and eggs, since it was found that they had little effect on blood cholesterol for most people.