What you Need to Know about the New Dietary Guidelines

Every five years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture compile the newest developments in physical activities and nutrition, and they put it in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Here is what you need to know about the new dietary guidelines.

A month ago, the new guidelines were revised and published and they come in a book of over 500 pages. This guidance affects the food served in schools and prisons, as well as the food production companies and the restaurants.

More fruits and vegetables are recommended this year. You are recommended to eat at least 2 cups of vegetables per day. The vegetables should be as varied as possible. Half of cup of fruits is also recommended daily. These will help with your digestion and they will make you feel full, without eating many calories. You should also know that a diet that consists of many vegetables and fruits lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

The guidelines also recommend more whole grains, as the Americans’ diet don’t include them that much. Some of them like quinoa, brown rice and oats can be very beneficial for your digestion and they also are rich in fiber, vitamin D and calcium. Previous studies have shown that cereals can improve your lifespan.

Studies done recently showed that Americans eat too much salt, and that comes with a lot of risks. Reduce the processed foods and fast-food, as they contain very high levels of sodium. The new maximum quantity of salt you should eat per day is 2,300 milligrams, which is approximately a teaspoon. Even though it might sound too restrictive to you, think that the American Heart Association recommends maximum 1,500 milligrams of sodium. If you eat too much salt, you can develop high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease.

A major change occurred in the dietary guidelines, as the cholesterol is no longer limited to 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day. The limit on cholesterol has been removed entirely, and that caused a lot of criticism. The Americans are now advised to eat as little dietary cholesterol as possible. That means that you can now eat more eggs than in the past, without feeling that much guilt. One of the researchers said that the connection between the blood cholesterol and the dietary cholesterol is weak. The cholesterol is caused more by saturated fats, and since eggs are high in dietary cholesterol but low in saturated fats, go ahead and buy more eggs.

The amounts of sugar one should eat have been cut back, and the moderate drinking has been encouraged for health benefits. This is what you need to know about the new dietary guidelines in short words, but if you want more details, feel free to check the 500 pages guidelines.

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