How Dietary Guideline Committees Work

Only nine scientists were asked to advise on the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and Dr. Tom Brenna was one of them. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on how dietary guidelines are actually made, why the process has never been the same twice, and what it was like to watch a decades-old saturated fat recommendation get carried forward despite a lack of evidence supporting it at the level of total mortality. This is the dietary guidelines conversation the internet has been missing: straight from someone who was actually in the room.

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References:

https://nutrition.org/american-society-for-nutrition-calls-for-strong-science-in-national-nutrition-guidance/

https://ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S0002-9165(24)00527-6/fulltext

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⏰Timestamps:

00:00 ​Intro of Show

00:14 Dr. Tom Brenna’s Background

05:19 Working with IBM

08:46 Family Life

10:38 2015 vs. 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

28:06 American Society for Nutrition: Behind-the-Scenes of Dietary Guidelines

32:10 History of Saturated Fat

42:17 Different Types of Fat

45:23 How Are People Eating during World War II

51:09 The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025

53:58 What is Saturated Fat?

57:57 Link between Saturated Fat and Cardiovascular Diseases

1:05:53 Saturated Fat vs. Total Mortality

1:13:13 Best Studies on Saturated Fat

1:14:42 Reduction of Saturated Fat = Lowered LDL Cholesterol

1:22:35 Pregnancy and Fish Consumption Myths

1:37:55 Recommended Nutrition

1:39:59 Different Types of Oil and Effects on Health

1:42:04 Omega 3’s and 6’s Recommendation

1:50:02 Omega 3 Fatty Acids and ADHD

1:50:54 What’s Next: Precision Nutrition and Genetics

‼️Disclaimer: The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Podcast and YouTube are for general information purposes only and do not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast, YouTube, or materials linked from this podcast or YouTube is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professional for any such conditions.

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