An HHS advisory committee is expected to upend years of nutritional advice to Americans in announcing that it no longer considers cholesterol a “nutrient of concern for over-consumption.” The announcement is expected to be issued in a report due in several weeks.
Five years ago, the committee warned Americans to limit their intake of dietary cholesterol (PDF). But at its latest meeting in December, a recommendation was presented to change that position.
Some nutritionists now believe that high-cholesterol foods do not necessarily cause health problems in healthy adults, the Washington Post reported, though there are mixed opinions on the subject.
Miriam Nelson, director of the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention, and professor of nutrition at Tufts University, expressed concern that the committee was neglecting to issue new recommendations on cholesterol, instead of explicitly recommending that HHS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture reverse cholesterol warnings.
Sodium and saturated fat will continue to be classified as nutrients of concern for overconsumption, according to a committee presentation.
An HHS spokeswoman declined to comment on the shift in recommendations, saying in a statement that the group is still finalizing its advisory report to HHS and the USDA.
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