The panel of experts charge with updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans “has decided to drop its caution against eating cholesterol-laden food, a move that could undo 40 years of government warnings,” says the Washington Post. The Guidelines, which distill government thinking about healthy eating, now rate cholesterol as a public health concern. The Post says there has been “an evolution of thinking among many nutritionists who now believe that, for healthy adults, eating foods high in cholesterol may not significantly affect the level of cholesterol in the blood or increase the risk of heart disease.”
The new perspective does not change warnings about high levels of “bad” cholesterol, which has been linked to heart disease, said the Post. It said “a person with direct knowledge of the proceedings said the cholesterol finding would make it to the group’s final report, which is due within weeks.” The new advice surfaced at a committee meeting in December.