The Dietary Guidelines for Americans outlines four healthy eating patterns: the Healthy Eating Index 2015, the Healthful Plant-Based Diet Index, and the Alternate Healthy Eating Index. These guidelines promote a balanced diet including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and moderate sodium intake.
Healthy eating habits lower the risk of premature death, according to a Harvard research. Participants who followed at least one of four healthy eating habits had a lower mortality from any cause, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory illness, compared to those who followed less healthy eating habits.
According to corresponding author Frank Hu, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and chair of the Department of Nutrition, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are intended to provide science-based dietary recommendations that promote good health and reduce major chronic illnesses.
The article was just published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
Only a handful of studies have examined whether increased adherence to DGAs-recommended eating habits is associated with a long-term decline in total and cause-specific mortality.
A higher score on at least one of the indexes was associated with a lower risk of premature death from all causes, as well as from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory illness. Higher scores on the AMED and the AHEI were associated with a lower risk of death from neurogenerative disease.
The current USDA Guidelines (2015–2020) recommend multiple healthy eating habits that can be adapted to individual food habits and preferences. The USDA's Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) publish an updated version every five years.
"Our findings will be valuable for the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which is forming to evaluate current evidence on different eating patterns and health outcomes."
Zhilei Shan, MD, Ph.D., Fenglei Wang, Ph.D., Megu Y. Baden, MD, Ph.D., Qi Sun, MD, ScD, Kathryn M. Rexrode, MD, MPH, Eric B. Rimm, ScD, Lu Qi, MD, Ph.D., Edward L. Giovannucci, DrPH, JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, Qibin Qi,
The NHLBI Division of Intramural Research provided funding for the research.
