U.S. health authorities are reconsidering their long-standing position on saturated fats, which have been blamed for health deterioration for decades. This raises the possibility of significant changes in the federal government's dietary guidelines in the future.
On the 14th (local time), according to Bloomberg News, Robert Kennedy Jr., the Minister of Health and Welfare, stated at an event hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that "scientific evidence supporting the importance of protein and fat intake is rapidly increasing" and that "it's time to stop attacking the consumption of milk, cheese, and yogurt." He added, "This direction will be reflected in the new federal dietary guidelines to be announced in the coming months."
According to Bloomberg, saturated fats, which are found in high quantities in animal products such as meat and whole milk, have long been identified as risk factors for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Major health organizations like the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have recommended reducing saturated fat intake, and the current federal dietary guidelines limit saturated fat consumption for Americans over the age of 2 to less than 10% of daily caloric intake.
However, Minister Kennedy is challenging the simplistic causal relationship that suggests saturated fats lead to heart disease, directly refuting the existing approach. Marty Makary, the Director General of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who attended the event, also criticized that "the medical community has excessively demonized saturated fats while failing to be vigilant about other risk factors such as refined carbohydrates," noting that "these stereotypes remain ingrained in current dietary guidelines."
These statements suggest that the upcoming dietary guidelines being established by the U.S. government may shift from the current focus on 'low-fat, high-carbohydrate' to 'high-protein, high-fat.' Since federal dietary guidelines serve as standards for various policies, including school meals, hospital diets, and food assistance programs for low-income individuals, the potential impact is expected to be significant. If the new guidelines become favorable towards high-fat dairy products, the serving of whole milk and cheese in school lunches could be allowed again. Minister Kennedy and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins agreed on the need for change, stating, "We need to provide children with more nutritious options."
However, some have raised criticisms about the government's changing direction. Expert organizations such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) previously demanded the maintenance of existing standards in an open letter released last June, stating that "the scientific consensus still indicates that saturated fats increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases."
The debate surrounding saturated fats has been actively ongoing in academia for recent years. Some recent studies indicate that factors such as the composition of the overall diet, refined carbohydrates, types of fats, and processing methods may have a more significant impact on disease incidence than saturated fats alone. However, this is the first time that the possibility of these scientific discussions being reflected in official policy has been seriously raised.
The final dietary guidelines will be determined based on recommendations from a panel of experts jointly led by the Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA. The U.S. government has been releasing dietary guidelines every five years since 1980, with the next guidelines expected to be officially announced in the second half of the year.
Meanwhile, Minister Kennedy has maintained a firm stance on the need to eliminate artificial colors and refined carbohydrates, escalating tensions in the global food industry. He particularly argues that artificial colors in food increase the incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cancer, having previously announced plans to eliminate artificial colors with 40 dairy companies.