HHS, USDA update dietary guidelines

The departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture today released updated dietary guidelines for Americans. The departments must update the guidelines every five years by law. The latest edition includes updated guidance on topics such as sodium and cholesterol and is the first edition to recommend consuming less than 10% of calories from added sugars, the agencies said. It also reaffirms past guidance about the core building blocks of a healthy lifestyle. “The Dietary Guidelines provide science-based recommendations on food and nutrition so people can make decisions that may help keep their weight under control, and prevent chronic conditions, like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell.