Top U.S. Nutritional Panel Recommends Plant Based Diet

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will base their next dietary guidelines on this year’s findings of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Here’s what the Committee found. . . .

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee was established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA. It is the top nutritional panel in the nation, and its findings are used to inform the government’s dietary advice updates. 

The Committee found that Americans don’t get enough vitamins A, C, D, E, folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium and fiber, and that they get too much salt and saturated fat. It also found that the majority of the US population doesn’t eat enough vegetables, fruit, whole grains and dairy. The Committee recommends that people increase their consumption of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, seafood, nuts, legumes, low-/non-fat dairy or dairy alternatives and reduce their consumption of red and processed meat, refined grains, added sugar, sodium and saturated fat. It recommends replaceing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fats and replacing solid animal fats with vegetable oils and nuts.

Diet & Disease:
Diet & Cardiovascular Disease
The Committee examined over 100 articles and 6 systematic reviews/meta-analyses and found strong and consistent evidence that diets high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy and seafood and low in red and processed meat, refined grains and added sugar are associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Most studies also found a beneficial effect for regularly eating nuts and legumes. The Committee says that diets that are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt but rich in fiber, potassium and unsaturated fat are beneficial for lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease.

This dietary pattern also lowers blood pressure. Proven dietary patterns include the DASH diet, Mediterranean diet and vegetarian diet. A recent meta-analysis of 7 controlled studies found that a vegetarian diet is associated with lower blood pressure compared to diets that include animal products. This dietary pattern was also found to improve cholesterol, lower risk of, and mortality from, cardiovascular disease and stroke; reduce mortality from circulatory disease and to lower the risk of coronary heart disease and ischemic heart disease.

Diet & Diabetes
The Committee examined 37 studies and a meta-analysis and found moderate evidence that diets high in vegetables, fruit and whole grains and low in red and processed meat, high-fat dairy, refined grains and added sugar reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The high quality meta-analysis found a 21% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes from diets high in whole grains, vegetables and fruit; it found a 44% increase of risk from diets high in red and processed meat, high-fat dairy, refined grains and sweets.

Diet & Cancer
The Committee’s systematic review of 22 articles found that moderate evidence indicates that a diet high in vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, lean meats/seafood, low-fat dairy and low in red and processed meat, saturated fat, soft drinks and sweets reduces the risk of colorectal cancer.

A systematic review of 26 studies found moderate evidence that diets rich in vegetables, fruit and whole grain and low in animal products and refined carbohydrates are associated with reduced risk of post-menopausal breast cancer. The Committee found that the evidence for pre-menopausal breast cancer was the same but is limited because of fewer studies.

A systematic review of 4 studies found limited evidence (because of the small number of studies) that lower risk of lung cancer is associated with a diet that is rich in vegetables, fruit, seafood, grains and legumes, lean versus higher fat meats and low/non-fat dairy.

Diet & Psychological and Neurological Illnesses
The systematic review of 30 articles found limited evidence that diets high in vegetables, fruit, nuts, legumes and seafood is associated with a reduced risk of age-related cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. It found that diets high in red and processed meat are associated with greater age-related cognitive impairment. The evidence is limited because the studies are only recent but are rapidly developing. 

The systematic review of 19 articles concluded that diets high in seafood, vegetables, fruit, nuts and legumes are associated with a reduced risk of depression. Diets high in red and processed meat and refined sugar are associated with an increased risk of depression.

Diet & Osteoporosis
The systematic review of 13 studies found limited evidence (limited by the modest–but growing–number of high quality studies) that diets high in vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts, legumes, dairy and unsaturated fat and low in meat and saturated fat is associated with better bone health, including decreased risks of fracture and osteoporosis.

The Committee’s Conclusion
“The Committee’s examination of the asociation between dietary patterns and various health outcomes revealed remarkable consistency in the findings and implications that are noteworthy. When looking at the dietary pattern conclusion statements across the various health outcomes, certain characteristics of the diet were consistently identified. Common characteristics of dietary patterns associated with positive health outcomes include higher intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-/non-fat dairy, seafood, legumes and nuts; moderate intake of alcohol; lower consumption of red and processed meat and low intake of sugar-sweetened foods and drinks and refined grains. . . . For conclusions with moderate to strong evidence, higher intake of red and processed meats was identified as detrimental.”

(Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Advisory Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture. Feb 2015)

For more information on how diet benefits these condition and for 350 delicious recipes to help you enjoy that diet, see Linda’s newest book, The All-New Vegetarian Passport.