New York, Feb 20 (IANS) Much to the delight of egg and meat lovers, a US advisory health panel has determined that dietary restrictions may not affect the level of bad cholesterol in the blood.
The recommendations may mark a major shift in dietary habits of some people as they have long been warned against eating high-cholesterol food such as egg yolk or meat to reduce their risk of obesity and heart diseases.
The report by experts in 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee noted that “cholesterol is not a nutrient of concern for overconsumption”.
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,” the report added.
In its report, the experts have, however, recommend people to include more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains in the diets.
“Vegetables and fruits were the only dietary elements that proved beneficial in preventing or treating every disease that the committee included in its review of scientific evidence,” The Atlantic reported.
“They were followed by whole grains, which had moderate-to-strong evidence for their consumption in every case,” it added.
The committee submitted its recommendations in order to inform the 2015 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The US Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) will consider this report, along with input from other federal agencies and comments from the public as they develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015, to be released later this year.
