Thursday, February 25, 2021
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Vegos
  • Home
  • About
  • News
  • Health
  • Food
  • Recipes
No Result
View All Result
Vegos
  • Home
  • About
  • News
  • Health
  • Food
  • Recipes
No Result
View All Result
Vegos
No Result
View All Result
Home News

The Food Pyramid of the Future: Meat and Dairy Optional

September 8, 2020
in News
6 min read
0 0
The Food Pyramid of the Future: Meat and Dairy Optional

Many grew up following the guidelines of the food pyramid. The guide depicted the optimal number of servings of different food groups the average person should consume to be “healthy.” Now the food pyramid format has been retired, with new dietary guidelines in its place. In the newest version of these guidelines, the American Medical Association (AMA) recommends meat and dairy foods are presented as optional and not required.

But what exactly are these dietary guidelines? And why does the AMA want to transition them away from meat and dairy?

MyPlate Replaces The Food Pyramid

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) introduced the first food pyramid in 1992. The original guide featured six different food categories: a grain group; a fruit group; a vegetable group; a dairy group; a protein group (which included eggs, meat, poultry, and fish); and a fats, oils, and sweets group.

The pyramid also indicated the recommended number of servings a person should eat of each food group. The foods that people should consume the most of were featured on the bottom of the pyramid.

In 2005, the USDA revamped the original food pyramid, called “MyPyramid.” The guide featured the same categories. They just restructured them vertically within the pyramid instead of horizontally.

The USDA retired the food pyramid and replaced it with MyPlate in 2011. In lieu of a pyramid, the dietary guidelines displayed a plate divided into four food groups—fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein—and a glass labeled as dairy.

Michelle Obama helped conceive the new design as part of her campaign against obesity. “This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we’re eating,” Obama said during the unveiling of the new nutrition guidelines.

“We’re all bombarded with so many dietary messages that it’s hard to find time to sort through all this information, but we do have time to take a look at our kids’ plates,” she added.

The USDA launched MyPlate in 2011 to replace the food pyramid. | USDA

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “food and nutrition play a crucial role in health promotion and chronic disease prevention.” 

Every five years, the USDA and the HHS publish a new edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. MyPlate is based on these nutrition guidelines. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) outlines these based on nutrition science.

The goal of the food guide is to assist healthcare professionals in helping Americans to make healthy food and beverage choices. The HHS also indicates they serve as “the science-based foundation for vital nutrition policies and programs across the United States.”

The Food Pyramid of the Future: Meat and Dairy Optional
The AMA says meat and dairy should be an optional part of the average diet. | Nathan Dumlao via Unsplash

Dietary Guidelines and Increased Health Risks

On August 13, during the public comment period, the AMA sent a letter to the DGAC. In the letter, the group linked the consumption of red meat, processed meat, and dairy to various cancers, such as colorectal and prostate cancer.

It also indicated that these food groups increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The organization noted that African Americans carry a significantly higher risk for this disease compared to non-Hispanic white people.

“The AMA supports culturally responsive dietary and nutritional guidelines and recognizes that racial and ethnic disparities exist in the prevalence of obesity and diet-related diseases such as coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes,” the group’s letter notes.

The AMA added that federal nutrition policies routinely promote meat and dairy products. It indicated that this is despite the fact that humans do not require them nutritionally. For example, the USDA nutrition guidelines currently recommend three eight-ounce servings of low-fat dairy each day. However, a recent Harvard study found little evidence to support cow’s milk is necessary for optimal health.

“Accordingly, the AMA recommends that the DGAC clearly indicate in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans that meat and dairy products are optional, based on an individual’s dietary needs,” the AMA continued.

The Food Pyramid of the Future: Meat and Dairy Optional
PCRM members petitioned the FDA to place warning labels on dairy. | PCRM

Doctors Urge the USDA to Ditch Dairy

In June, plant-based advocacy nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), an organization that includes 12,000 physicians, urged the USDA to make MyPlate dairy-free.

The doctors cited a growing body of research that expounds upon the AMA’s warning that dairy carries a number of health risks.

“As the leading source of saturated fat in the diet, dairy products contribute to chronic diseases, including heart disease and prostate cancer, that disproportionately harm or kill people of color,” Susan Levin, MS, RD, CSSD, and PCRM’s director of nutrition education, said in a statement.

Levin told LIVEKINDLY that the USDA has “a seemingly insurmountable conflict of interest.”  She explained: “It created [the guidelines] to support the nation’s agricultural interests. It was later asked to create nutrition guidance. The two tasks do not coexist well.”

‘MyPlate Should Help Americans Stay Healthy’

In a release, PCRM’s president Dr. Neal Barnard, MD. said the USDA’s nutrition guideline is making Americans sick. He said: “MyPlate should help Americans stay healthy; instead, it overemphasizes one nutrient—protein—and encourages consumption of dairy products that fuel the nation’s diet-related disease epidemics.”

In a statement, Dr. Barnard voiced his support for the AMA’s recommendations. “In recent years, the AMA has been a strong advocate for healthful diets, reflecting the opinion of an increasing number of AMA members that food matters and that plant-based diets are especially important,” he said.

The AMA has made similar meat- and dairy-free guideline recommendations in the past. In 2018, the organization urged the USDA to include “culturally effective guidelines that include listing an array of ethnic staples.” It also recommended the “use of multicultural symbols to depict serving size” in the dietary guide.

The previous edition of the dietary guidelines ran from 2015 to 2020. The HHS and USDA just concluded the public comment period for the next edition. They plan to release the new guide by the end of this year.

Credit: Source link

ShareTweetSendShareShare
Previous Post

U.K Government Faces Growing Pressure To ‘Tell The Truth’ About Animal Agriculture Dangers

Next Post

Say Goodbye to Palm Oil With Milk and Butter Made From Plants

Related Posts

4 Vegan Soul Food Recipes and Their Powerful History
News

4 Vegan Soul Food Recipes and Their Powerful History

February 25, 2021
So Delicious Partners with Ayesha Curry to Make Her Recipes Dairy-Free
News

So Delicious Partners with Ayesha Curry to Make Her Recipes Dairy-Free

February 25, 2021
Jada Pinkett-Smith and Family Drop $6 Vegan Beauty Brand at Target
News

Jada Pinkett-Smith and Family Drop $6 Vegan Beauty Brand at Target

February 25, 2021
‘Seaspiracy’: New Netflix Documentary Exposes the Environmental Impact of Seafood
News

‘Seaspiracy’: New Netflix Documentary Exposes the Environmental Impact of Seafood

February 25, 2021
Load More
Next Post
Say Goodbye to Palm Oil With Milk and Butter Made From Plants

Say Goodbye to Palm Oil With Milk and Butter Made From Plants

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
New Crispy Vegan Chicken Patties Launch at Costco

New Crispy Vegan Chicken Patties Launch at Costco

May 15, 2020
Stephen Fry Cooks Up a Vegan Storm to Beat Climate Change

Stephen Fry Cooks Up a Vegan Storm to Beat Climate Change

May 14, 2020
Update on Mankai Duckweed as a Source of B12 – Vegan Health

Update on Mankai Duckweed as a Source of B12 – Vegan Health

November 8, 2020
Omnipork (Finally?) Launches Vegan SPAM

Omnipork (Finally?) Launches Vegan SPAM

May 20, 2020
4 Vegan Soul Food Recipes and Their Powerful History

4 Vegan Soul Food Recipes and Their Powerful History

The Health Risks Of Dairy

The Health Risks Of Dairy

Thinking of Quitting Your Vegan Diet? Doctors Address 5 Common Health Questions

Thinking of Quitting Your Vegan Diet? Doctors Address 5 Common Health Questions

Plant-Based Health Expert Reviews The Impossible Burger

Plant-Based Health Expert Reviews The Impossible Burger

4 Vegan Soul Food Recipes and Their Powerful History

4 Vegan Soul Food Recipes and Their Powerful History

February 25, 2021
So Delicious Partners with Ayesha Curry to Make Her Recipes Dairy-Free

So Delicious Partners with Ayesha Curry to Make Her Recipes Dairy-Free

February 25, 2021
Jada Pinkett-Smith and Family Drop $6 Vegan Beauty Brand at Target

Jada Pinkett-Smith and Family Drop $6 Vegan Beauty Brand at Target

February 25, 2021
Vegan Breakfast Casserole ( Vegan Baked Egg Casserole)

Vegan Breakfast Casserole ( Vegan Baked Egg Casserole)

February 25, 2021
Vegos

This is an online news portal that aims to share latest trendy News, Health, Food, Recipes and stuff like that. Feel free to get in touch with us!

Latest Updates

  • 4 Vegan Soul Food Recipes and Their Powerful History February 25, 2021
  • So Delicious Partners with Ayesha Curry to Make Her Recipes Dairy-Free February 25, 2021
  • Jada Pinkett-Smith and Family Drop $6 Vegan Beauty Brand at Target February 25, 2021

Subscribe Now

© 2020 vegos.co.uk - All rights reserved!

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
  • News
  • Health
  • Food
  • Recipes

© 2020 vegos.co.uk - All rights reserved!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In