Part 4 in the series about the USDA and the food pyramid.
It is very difficult, if not impossible, to construct a diet based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines that meets the nutritional requirements of either adults or growing children.24 Meals based on the dietary guidelines will not only contain an excess of carbohydrates and not enough fat (or high levels of processed fat), they are also likely to be deficient in a number of nutrients:
• Vitamin A: Since USDA Guidelines severely restrict animal fats and do not specifically recommend liver and other organ meats, meals based on these guidelines will be virtually devoid of vitamin A. USDA has recognized this problem and tried to solve it by insisting that adequate vitamin A can be obtained from vitamin A precursors found in fruits and vegetables; in fact, contrary to statements in biochemical textbooks and the Merck Manual, USDA falsely labels these carotenes as vitamin A. Yet the precursors to the true animal form of vitamin A are very poorly converted, especially in babies and children who need vitamin A the most.25 Vitamin A is an extremely important nutrient, needed for growth, hormone production, healthy bones, skin and eyes and protection against infection.
• Vitamin D: A consensus is building that vitamin D deficiency is widespread in the U.S. population. According to advocates for supplements, adequate vitamin D cannot be obtained from food. This is certainly a true statement if one is following the USDA Guidelines. Yet there are many food sources of vitamin D including butter, whole milk, egg yolks, organ meats, lard and other animal fats from animals raised in sunlight, cod liver oil, shellfish and oily fish. The problem is that the Guidelines have demonized these high-fat, nutrient-dense foods and they have largely disappeared from the American diet.
• Vitamin K2: Recent research indicates that the animal form of vitamin K is needed for numerous processes, not just the clotting factor in the blood. Vitamin K2 is needed for healthy bones, normal growth, freedom from tooth decay, proper neurological function, reproduction and protection against heart disease. The USDA Dietary Guidelines result in a diet largely devoid of vitamin K2, which is found in meat fats, organ meats, whole cheeses and butterfat.26
• Zinc: A critical nutrient for reproduction and neurological function. The best sources are red meat and shellfish. Diets high in whole grains—recommended in the USDA Guidelines—tend to block absorption of zinc.
• Vitamin B12: A critical nutrient for healthy blood, neurological function, protection against depression and other psychological disorders, and protection against heart disease, cancer, anemia and multiple sclerosis. Best sources are organ meats like liver and shellfish.
CONCLUSION
As formulated, the USDA Dietary Guidelines and Food Pyramid have resulted in widespread nutrient deficiencies and have had the effect of conferring official approval on very unhealthy processed foods containing trans fats, processed vegetable oils, refined carbohydrates and neuro-toxic additives such as MSG. These Guidelines have undermined the traditional healthy diets of the various populations that have immigrated to the United States, Most seriously, they have influenced the makeup of baby formula, allowing manufacturers to use vegetable oils and sucrose rather than the animal fats and lactose that mother’s milk provides.
The consequences of the flawed guidelines are extremely serious; we are already seeing the tragic effects in the current epidemic of chronic disease in adults and low birth weight, growth problems and learning disabilities in our children.
The Weston A. Price Foundation urges the committee to start over, scrap the unworkable food pyramid, abandon the strictures against saturated fats and cholesterol, and provide useful, science-based guidelines that will steer Americans towards a diet of nutrient-dense whole foods.
Prepared by Sally Fallon Morell, President
The Weston A. Price Foundation
Washington, DC
(202) 363-4394
www.westonaprice.org
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