The Pyramid I’ll Die On – Nutrition is Nuanced

There have been times during my career that I’ve thought: “Does diet even matter at all?”

It’s difficult to sort through research and analyze which methodologies are better than others, who is biased, and what is actually meaningful.

I’m still here, practicing the art of communicating nutrition science, with a passion for food. So I guess I still believe that, yes, diet does matter.

Diet doesn’t just matter in terms of preventing or treating disease. It also matters because a well-fueled body will get you through your daily activities, and sometimes food can simply bring joy to your life.

Will Food Dye Removal Make Anyone “Healthier”?

A recent USDA press conference was held to support the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) announcement about the dairy industry’s commitment to eliminate artificial food dyes from ice cream. Specifically this is a  voluntary pledge to eliminate the use of Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 from ice cream and other frozen dairy desserts by 2028.

The press conference comments included some facts, and some myths about food and diet.

Robert Kennedy Jr stated: “The American people have made it clear—they want real food, not chemicals.”

Well sir, “real food” is made up of chemicals.

Michael Dykes, CEO of the International Dairy Farmers Association, said they’ve “reduced sugar by 60% in America’s schools and flavored milk” as part of The Healthy School Milk Commitment.

Milk is Nutritious, Ice Cream is a Treat

I’ve always been a fan of “milk with meals” for children as it delivers key nutrients that are missing in many children’s diets. I also advocate for flavored milk as a choice – regardless of whether it has 3 grams less of added sugar or not. Any individual can choose to avoid milk, but from a public health standpoint, milk economically delivers good nutrition (even chocolate milk).

During the press conference a dairy farmer (Sam Schwoeppe of Indiana) was invited to speak, and offered some key facts:

• Milk is nutrient dense.
• Milk provides key nutrients that are often missing from American diets: Vitamin D, calcium, potassium

On the other hand, ice cream is a treat. It’s higher in fat and sugar than a glass of milk or a bowl of cottage cheese. It’s a delicious treat to enjoy on a hot summer day. However a pint or a 5-scoop bowl every day would be “too much”. Portions matter.However the MAHA movement is calling the removal of artificial colors from ice creams a big win.

FDA commissioner Marty Makary claimed that he has data – “from families that say their kids have been acting with bad behavior … and they eliminate the petroleum-based food dyes and the behavior improves.” He justifies his example that this may not be the traditional randomized control trial, but it’s “data”.

Malarkey. It’s called: Anecdotal data.

The 1992 Food Pyramid

We just can’t get people to stop talking about it. Share on XIn 2011, the USDA replaced the “food pyramid” with MyPlate. Yet Makary repeatedly refers to ‘rewriting the food pyramid’ in his comments and again brought it up at the ice cream press conference.MyPlate is the current graphic used to educate the public. Like the previous pyramid graphic, it includes vegetables, fruit, grains, protein, and dairy. The graphic is now represented as a sectioned plate which focuses on fruits and vegetables, with smaller portions of meat and starchy grains, and includes a glass of milk.

Saturated Fat and the March Against Seed Oils

Makary also mentioned saturated fat during the press conference, and predictably, brought up Ancel Keys.

The DGA 2020–2025 recommend that most Americans should consume a low-fat diet of 20 to 35% of total calories. This includes a limit on foods containing saturated fat (less than 10% of calories). It seems he wants to flip the narrative, and instead suggests saturated fat has no adverse link to heart disease or health. Consuming foods like meat and full fat dairy is fine, as long as portions are appropriate and these foods are balanced in the overall diet.

To note, Nina Teicholz is an American journalist who advocates for the consumption of saturated fat, full-fat dairy products and fatty meats. She attended the MAHA gala earlier this year, and is clearly “in the ear” of MAHA staffers. Teicholz has authored books and papers that present her theory that saturated fat is not harmful to health in any way. According to Teicholz, replacing fats like butter, lard or beef tallow with vegetable oils, does not have any health benefit. She disagrees with DGA 2020–2025 promotion of the consumption of unsaturated high-linoleic oils. Instead she believes that doing so is at the expense of natural nutrient-dense sources of fat, like whole-fat dairy, eggs, and meat. She also believes that the actual saturated fat content of these foods “has been exaggerated”.

Again, nutrition is nuanced. Also important – the Dietary Guidelines are based on the totality of the evidence, not a few studies.

This Sugar or that Sugar?

Nope, replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar is not going to make your cola healthier (or “better”).

I have done a lot of work in the “sweetener space” over the past two decades. HFCS and sucrose (table sugar – made from either sugarcane or sugar beets), have similar effects in the body. They are both simple sugars composed of glucose and fructose, and are metabolized in similar ways. Sugar-sweetened beverages top the list for added sugar intake.

I’m not sure where the current administration will fall in terms of the dietary guideline for sugar. These are the current guidelines:

• Children younger than 2 years should not be given any foods or beverages with added sugars
• People aged 2 years or older limit added sugars intake to less than 10% of their total daily calories
• No more than 200 calories (~12 teaspoons) should come from added sugars, based on a 2,000-calorie diet plan.

There are many types of this simple carbohydrate in the food supply. Different types of sugars are used for different reasons. For instance, sugar has functional properties in foods beyond only sweetening (browning, moisture retention, enhancing flavor and color profiles).

The Dietary Guidelines

All of this posture about removing dyes or switching out one sugar for another, seems to be lining things up to justify the coming US Dietary Guidelines document.

There is often a mix-up in how the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are interpreted.

“The Dietary Guidelines focuses on the combination of foods and beverages that make up an individual’s whole diet over time, and not single foods or eating occasions in isolation.”

• Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices to reflect personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary considerations.
• Focus on meeting food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and stay within calorie limits.
• Limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages. More specifically, limiting added sugars to less than 10% of calories per day for ages 2 and older and to avoid added sugars for infants and toddlers.
• Limiting saturated fat to less than 10% of calories per day starting at age two.
• Limiting sodium intake to less than 2,300mg per day.

I’m hoping that the decision-makers consider the scientific report. In any regard, I’ll continue sharing the evidence.