In early January, the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released jointly by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Some may remember previous versions of these guidelines as the food pyramid or the newer Choose My Plate version featuring an image of plate divided up with serving sizes for vegetables, fruits, grains, protein, and dairy.
ACS CAN is disappointed that these newly released guidelines did not include specific language informing the public to eat less red and processed meat to decrease the risk of getting colon cancer.
This recommendation had been included in an advisory committee report that the new guidelines were to be based on.
ACS CAN believes that consumers deserve the best guidance available to help them make healthy food and beverage choices to reduce their cancer risk.
While these guidelines do say that there is moderate evidence that diets lower in red and processed meat are associated with reduced risk of obesity, diabetes, and some cancers, they stop short of actually directing the public to eat less red and processed meat.
A separate section of the report does urge men and teenage boys who eat too much protein to cut back on meat, eggs, and poultry. However, there is no mention of how cutting back on these items improves health or specifically how cutting back on red and processed meat would decrease their colon cancer risk.
The American Cancer Society recommends that people limit the amount of red and processed meat that they eat and instead eat more fish, poultry, or beans. If you eat red meat, it is recommended that you choose lean cuts and eat smaller portions.
It is disappointing that these guidelines, which only come out every 5 years, would miss an opportunity to better inform the public on how they can reduce their cancer risk by altering the food they eat.