Eat more beans, peas and lentils as protein sources and reduce consumption of red and processed meats: These changes are among the recommendations detailed in a new report that suggests possible updates to the United States dietary guidelines.
The guidelines are amended on a five-year schedule, with the new set expected to go into effect next year. The report, released Tuesday, comes from an advisory committee to the Department of Agriculture, made up of 20 professors from the public health and medical sectors.
The committee proposed that the updated guidelines, which would remain in effect until 2030, should emphasize plant-based proteins and encourage people to eat more whole grains and reduce their consumption of sugary drinks, sodium and processed foods.
“There is strong evidence to suggest that a diet rich in beans, peas and lentils is associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases,” said advisory committee vice chair Angela Odoms-Young, a professor of maternal and child nutrition at Cornell University. .
Under current dietary guidelines, beans, peas and lentils are classified as vegetables and protein foods. But the new report proposes removing them from the vegetable group and placing them at the top of the list of protein foods to encourage people to eat more plant-based protein.
The suggestions are based on a review of published studies on long-term links between diet and the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Previous research has established a link between diets rich in processed red meat (products such as bacon and hot dogs) and an increased risk of negative health outcomes, including cancer and dementia. Although questions remain about the health effects of unprocessed red meat, such as homemade steaks or lamb chops, years of research and diet rankings consistently find that a regimen commonly known as the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest.
That eating pattern is primarily plant-based, with multiple servings of fruits and vegetables per day, along with whole grains, legumes, nuts, olive oil, and seafood. Red meat is consumed only occasionally. The diet has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and related conditions such as obesity, high cholesterol and hypertension.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Replacing some red and processed meats with plant-based protein sources could help address that, Odoms-Young said.
He suggested people try “meatless Mondays,” reducing meat portion sizes at meals or incorporating more beans, peas or lentils into meals they are already planning.
“That does not mean that you cannot eat animal protein, but how do you have a diet in which you can increase the amount of protein of plant origin in the diet?” he commented.
The report also recommends that people reduce their consumption of sugary drinks and sodium and increase their consumption of whole grains until they represent 50% of all grains consumed. Consuming high amounts of sugar and salt, along with low amounts of whole grains, negatively affects health outcomes, according to the report.
“When we look at the evidence about how these things affect people’s health, we see that the major diseases, chronic diseases, that are responsible for preventable deaths are linked to these excessive consumptions,” said another member of the advisory committee, Cheryl Anderson, dean from the Herbert Wertman School of Public Health and Human Longevity Sciences at the University of California, San Diego.
A 2019 study linked high consumption of sugary drinks with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while other research published the same year found that excessive salt consumption increased the likelihood of hypertension. Meanwhile, whole grains are known to help reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease and other conditions, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Odoms-Young and Anderson said that in crafting the proposed changes, committee members considered how to make them equitable, practical and accessible to various groups, taking into account differences in socioeconomic status and access to grocery stores, for example.
“We are making these recommendations in the hope that no matter where people live, study, work, play or worship, they can follow the recommendations,” Anderson said.
Odoms-Young said the proposal is just a preliminary step, since “most of the guidelines are not being followed by people right now.”
More broadly, he said, American leaders should consider how to implement policies and programs that help people meet the country’s dietary guidelines.
The report has been submitted to the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services for review, and a 60-day public comment period is underway. In the end, the Government can decide whether or not to adopt some or all of the recommendations.
