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Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.
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11.➔Don’t issue population-wide guidelines based on weak data
Experts developing the guidelines have, in many cases, issued recommendations based on weak, observational data, while ignoring relevant clinical trial data to the contrary. The guidelines should be based on a complete, comprehensive review of the most rigorous (randomized, controlled clinical trial) data available, and on subjects for which this data is lacking, the guidelines should either issue “weak recommendations” or else remain silent.
10.➔Recommend regular meat and milk rather than the low-fat/lean alternatives
There is no clinical trial data showing that “lean meat” or “low-fat” dairy are better for health than the more natural versions of these foods. Nor are there rigorous, clinical trial data showing any ill effects of red or processed meats.
9.➔Stop recommending vegetable oils for health
Large, government-funded controlled clinical trials on more than 50,000 people have demonstrated that
replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as soybean and corn (but not olive oil), did not reduce cardiovascular mortality and in quite a few trials, caused an increase in death rates from cancer and suicides.
I don't live in the US but England. I am not sure where the dietary guidelines fall short in US, and the PDF refused to download.
But I did sign, as it must be needed from what I can see from the response.
The link to the PDF at the top of the page didn't work for me either. There is another one at almost the bottom of the page that does work.
8.➔Stop telling the public that reaching and maintaining a healthy weight can be accomplished by choosing “an appropriate calorie level.”
The calorie-in-calorie-out (“energy balance”) model of obesity -- which asserts that people can achieve and maintain significant weight loss simply by reducing calories and increasing exercise–-oversimplifies the issue. Insulin and other hormones are among other factors also involved in determining weight.
7.➔Stop recommending “lower is better” on salt
Three peer-reviewed studies in major journals as well as a 2013 report by the Institute of Medicine cited by the DGAs all conclude that in addition to an upper limit on sodium consumption, there should also be a lower limit, below which an increased risk of cardiovascular death is seen.
6.➔Stop recommending aerobic exercise for weight loss
The most comprehensive expert review of data on exercise, published in 2008 by US Department of Health and Human Services and cited by the DGAs to inform its recommendation on exercise, concludes that aerobic exercise is ineffective for weight loss and only marginally effective for weight maintenance
(Although exercise is an important part of overall health and well-being)
5.➔Make the DGA diets nutritionally sufficient, with nutrients coming from whole foods
The current recommend DGA diets are deficient in potassium, vitamin D, vitamin E, and choline, according to the DGAs’ own expert report. Further, to the extent that the DGA diets are nutritionally sufficient, they rely heavily upon the 3-5 recommended daily servings of artificially fortified refined grains, which are high in refined carbohydrates and are not a natural source of these nutrients.
4.➔Offer a meaningful diversity of diets
Although the DGAs now feature three recommended “Dietary Patterns” – “US-style,” Mediterranean, and vegetarian -- the current guidelines remain a one-size-fits-all diet, which is not appropriate for a general population in which nutritional needs vary by age, genetics, gender, race, and degree of disease state.
3.➔Offer low-carbohydrate diets as a viable option for fighting chronic disease
Expert committees for the guidelines have never systematically reviewed the large body of research on
low-carbohydrate diets, which now amounts to more than 70 clinical trials on altogether thousands of people, including two-year trials, which is considered long enough to reveal any harmful side effects. These trials demonstrate the safety and efficacy of this diet for combating obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
2.➔Ease or lift caps on saturated fats
At least 14 meta-analyses and systematic reviews of the scientific literature now conclude that saturated fats are not associated with heart disease and/or have no effect on cardiovascular mortality. Saturated fats are part of many natural, unprocessed foods, such as meat and dairy, that contain needed nutrients, and should not be discouraged.