RFK’s New Food Pyramid Gets Many Things Right, but Two Important Ones Wrong

The blanket approval of eating more saturated fats is dangerous, and whole grains are now at the bottom.

Courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/HHS/posts/introducing-the-new-pyramidhttpsrealfoodgov/1319482203551033/

The appointment of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., was expected to roil the government's health department, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). Most of the predictions of what he would do have come true. Thanks to his anti-vaccine stance, we now have over 2000 measles cases in the US, whereas the disease had been eliminated 26 years ago. This is not progress and not good.

Other actions, such as installing his own like thinkers about vaccines on the federal vaccine board, continuing to maintain that vaccines cause autism, and that Tylenol during pregnancy does the same, defy most proven scientific studies. And this is to name only a few.

However, his wildest idea is to turn the food pyramid on its head—literally (see the diagrams above and below). The broader the section of the pyramid, the more of it you are supposed to eat daily. The food pyramid is controlled by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and its head is Betty Rollins. She reports to Donald Trump and not RFK, Jr. However, Trump agrees with most everything Kennedy believes about food and health. At least for now.

Here is the old food pyramid.

Courtesy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_pyramid_(nutrition)

I agree with some of RFK, Jr.’s ideas. Ultra-processed and sugar-laden foods are harmful for adults and children. We should eat more whole grains and fewer refined grains. We should eat more protein (to a point) and more healthy fats. And many of us would do best to consume less alcohol.

In this respect, the old standard food pyramid got many things wrong. We don‘t’t need 6–11 servings of carbs per day. And when consumed, they should be whole-grain and not refined—think whole-grain breads, not white, brown rice and sweet potatoes.

But he gets the fat guidelines wrong when he says he will “end the war on saturated fats.” Not all saturated fats are good for you, and everyone is different. I recently wrote a three-part series about “Fat Wars.” I will give you a quick summary.

Dairy fats are no longer felt to be bad for you due to their fatty acid chemical structures and observational studies. However, red meat’s fatty acid composition differs, and intake should still be limited for individuals with heart disease or at risk for it. Similarly, palm oil’s fatty acid structure is closer to meat, and coconut is closer to dairy, so the latter can be eaten more often, and the former should be less.

One tablespoon of whole milk contains only 0.3 grams of saturated fat, whereas the same amount of butter contains a whopping 7 grams. Some context here is needed. We usually drink 8 ounces(16 tablespoons) of milk, while one pat of butter (about 1–2 tablespoons) is often used on toast or in recipes. My review of the current literature is that, unless you are at risk for, or already have, heart disease, whole-fat milk and cheeses are safe for your heart. The jury is still out for butter.

The new “head down” or reverse-pyramid lump butter, tallow (rendered beef fat), and palm oil together as healthy fats, which is incorrect. These are not healthy saturated fats. Also, the pyramid suggests we eat more protein, and as I have pointed out before, most of us get more than enough protein in our diet.

Some fast-food restaurants have already switched to using pure beef tallow to fry their food, believing it to be less harmful, dare I say even healthy? Let me state emphatically that there are no deep-fried foods that are healthy for you, no matter what fat or oil is used.

RFK, Jr. admits he follows a high-fat, high-protein, low-carb diet. That’s fine for him, but it may not be good for everyone. Individuals like myself with inflammatory bowel disease should not adhere to this diet. People of normal weights or who are not diabetic may not benefit from it either. It may lead to constipation and be deficient in fiber, vitamins and other nutrients.

RFK, Jr. has complained that the old pyramid was tainted by financial support from the food industry, which benefited from more of us consuming ultraprocessed foods. Fair enough. However, the new pyramid is supported by companies that profit from our increased consumption of meat and dairy. Thus, he has no moral high ground or credibility when it comes to financial influences. His anti-vaccine stances are also marred and tainted by his cozy relationship with plaintiff attorneys.

In summary, the old food pyramid did need updating based on real science and new data. The new one gets some of these corrections right, but it includes some unfounded suggestions unsupported by solid scientific data. Finally, much of what he advocates for is based on his personal health and diet choices as well as financial influences.

I am a retired MD passionate about health, medicine, gardening, culture, and food.

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