MAHA says red meat will make you healthier. The American Heart Association disagrees
In the past, the American Heart Assn. and the US federal government were very much in agreement about what the American public should eat and why.
Dietary guidelines from non-profit cardiovascular research especially in the mirror those published by the US Department of Health and Human Services. American Heart Assn. representatives advised the government on the science behind its dietary advice.
But as is the case with many public health issues these days, the distance between the policies recommended by established medical groups and those approved by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. it seems to be growing a lot.
On Tuesday, the American Heart Assn. released its update guidelines to get healthy food. Like the new federal dietary guidelines released back in Januarythis document warns against processed foods and refined sugar.
But the group reiterated some of the allegations that Kennedy and Make America Healthy Again campaigners made in public statements and wrote in federal policy.
Unlike the government-sanctioned youth Inverted food pyramidwhich gives top billing to a large cut of steak, a tray of ground meat, a hunk of cheese and a carton of whole milk, the American Heart Assn. promotes plant-based proteins over red meat, and low- or fat-free dairy products over full-fat options.
Contrary to Kennedy’s January announcement that the US is “ending the war on saturated fat,” the heart organization continues to recommend unsaturated fat sources over saturated ones for cardiovascular health.
The heart association also backpedaled Kennedy’s well-publicized love of beef instead of seed oil, which he blames (though. shocking evidence) of The “poison” of America.
“Animal fats (eg, beef and butter) and tropical oils (eg, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and palm oil) are relatively high in saturated fat, while non-tropical vegetable oils (eg, soybean, canola, and olive oil) are relatively high in unsaturated fat,” American Heart Assn. the paper is read. “In summary, as part of a healthy diet, non-tropical vegetable oil sources should be used as part of food preparation instead of animal fats and tropical oils.”
In response to questions, both the American Heart Assn. and the Department of Health and Human Services emphasized their shared goals over any differences.
“American Heart Association’s [paper] is consistent with the Dietary Guidelines on the big issues: eat real foods, avoid highly processed foods, and reduce refined grains and added sugars,” said health department spokesman Andrew Nixon. “We look forward to working with the organization [American Heart Assn.] to preach these basic principles and stop the epidemic of chronic food-related diseases.”
The heart association and the federal government have different goals when writing their recommendations, said Dr. Simin Liu, director of UC Irvine’s Center for Global Cardiometabolic Health & Nutrition and professor at the UC Irvine School of Medicine.
The heart association’s guidelines are intended to reflect the best available evidence on nutrition and cardiovascular health outcomes, while the federal food standards inform the content of nationally funded meals served in schools, hospitals and military canteens, as well as helping to obtain food covered under aid programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The two sets of guidelines do not completely conflict. Heart organization the shoulder government warnings about added sugar, refined grains and processed foods in January, noting that the advice is in line with the pre-existing recommendations.
“We in the industry have been looking for food-based food recommendations, such as encouraging people to eat real food instead of junk food. [processed] food products,” said Liu, but “focusing on animal product consumption is counterproductive.”
The administration’s endorsement of animal protein sources surprised many health groups, as a diet rich in red meat is strongly associated with poor cardiovascular health.
An additional published report and government directives noted that several members of the government’s advisory panel they had financial ties to meat and dairy industry groupsincluding the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assn., the National Pork Board and the California Dairy Research Foundation.
The heart association’s guidelines better reflect the current scientific consensus on the relationship between diet and cardiovascular health, said a spokesperson for the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, and “will be an important resource for anyone confused by the mixed messages” in previous government advice.
