New Dietary Guidelines For Americans Limit Sugar Give Coffee A Thumbs Up

WASHINGTON -- The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released on Jan. 7, offer new recommendations for sugar, coffee and cholesterol consumption, and place even stronger emphasis on vegetables, fruits and whole grains. The guidelines are updated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services every five years.

Especially significant to office coffee service and vending operators is that the new guidelines mention coffee for the first time. They advise that "moderate coffee consumption" can be part of a healthy diet. Specifically, the report released with the guidelines cites "strong evidence" that moderate coffee consumption -- three to five cups daily -- is associated with a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, with a possible reduced risk of contracting Parkinson's disease risk.

"The NAMA team is undertaking a careful review of the Dietary Guidelines released this morning," said National Automatic Merchandising Association president and chief executive Carla Balakgie. "As an initial reaction, we share our whole-hearted support of the committee's endorsement of coffee's benefits, considering our industry's role in serving millions of Americans coffee at the workplace and beyond, every day."

Overall, the new dietary guidelines focus more on healthy eating patterns, rather than on amounts of specific nutrients. "By focusing on small shifts in what we eat and drink, eating healthy becomes more manageable," said HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell. "The Dietary Guidelines provide 'science-based' recommendations on food and nutrition so people can make decisions that may help keep their weight under control, and prevent chronic conditions, like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease."

For the first time, the government recommendations limit the amount of added sugar that people should consume on a daily basis to less than 10% of their daily calories. Previously, the government only recommended reducing the intake of added sugars.

One of the most significant changes is the removal of a daily recommended limit for cholesterol. The guidelines previously had advised people to consume less than 300mg. of cholesterol in their diet per day but to "eat as little dietary cholesterol as possible" while building a healthy diet.

The dietary guidelines for sodium remain the same, with the recommendation that people 14 and older eat no more than 2,300mg. per day.

Proposed recommendations to consume less red and processed meat did not appear in the final version. But the new guidelines acknowledge that there is strong evidence that eating patterns that include lower intake of meats are associated with reduced risk of heart disease.