Move will undermine 40 years of warnings.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: The nation’s top advisory panel has dropped its official stance against eating cholesterol-laden food, the Washington Post reports. The move undermines nearly 40 years of warnings from the U.S. government bemoaning the pitfalls of consuming cholesterol.
The new view on cholesterol does not exonerate those who inundate themselves with “bad” cholesterol, which has been linked to heart diseases, but rather provides vindication to those who appreciate the healthier form of cholesterol found in eggs, seafood, fish oils, and certain cheeses.
In fact, the Post states many nutritionists believe a healthy adult cholesterol intake may not significantly increase the risk of heart disease. Instead, the greater danger, according to their school of thought, rests with foods heavy in saturated and trans-fats.
The panel’s decision, made in December during its most recent meeting, will serve as the foundation for the next version of Dietary Guidelines, a federal publication that has overarching effects on the greater American diet. The latest edition of the government tome is due to be published by the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Agriculture in the next few weeks.
The guidelines help determine the content of school lunches, affects how manufacturers advertise their goods, and often serve as the underlying foundation of how many Americans are taught to perceive a healthy diet.
In 2013, a task force assembled by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association dissected an array of cholesterol studies. The team ultimately found that there was “insufficient evidence” to make a recommendation. According to the Post, the task force stated that many of the studies that had been completed were too broad to single out cholesterol.