The American Heart Association has issued a formal response to the newly released 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, acknowledging several science-based recommendations while identifying specific areas that could negatively impact cardiovascular health outcomes. The organization praised the guidelines' focus on increasing consumption of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains while limiting intake of added sugars, refined grains, highly processed foods, saturated fats, and sugary beverages, noting these recommendations align with its established dietary guidance for heart health.
However, the Association expressed significant concern that recommendations regarding salt seasoning and red meat consumption might unintentionally lead consumers to exceed established limits for sodium and saturated fats, both recognized as primary contributors to cardiovascular disease. While the guidelines highlight whole-fat dairy products, the Association continues to advocate for low-fat and fat-free dairy options to maximize heart health benefits. The organization also called for additional scientific research regarding both optimal protein consumption amounts and the most beneficial protein sources, encouraging consumers to prioritize plant-based proteins, seafood, and lean meats while limiting high-fat animal products including red meat, butter, lard, and tallow.
The Association emphasized its commitment to collaborating with federal administration officials to reduce the burden of chronic disease, particularly for future generations, and to assist consumers in making healthier dietary choices. This includes promoting dietary patterns that substantially reduce consumption of added sugars and sodium. The organization noted its longstanding advocacy for policies aimed at reducing sugary drink consumption, a priority maintained despite opposition from the beverage industry. The Association is also prepared to work with the administration to help develop an operational definition of ultraprocessed food, building upon its recent science advisory on ultraprocessed foods.
Furthermore, the Heart Association is ready to collaborate on initiatives to enhance understanding of healthy food's role in preventing and managing chronic diseases, including through its Health Care by Food and Periodic Table of Food programs. The organization plans to issue updated dietary guidance later this year as part of its standard review process, supporting the shared objective of providing a comprehensive, science-driven roadmap for improving national health. For decades, the American Heart Association has delivered science-based nutritional recommendations and remains dedicated to educating the public about evidence-based healthy eating practices to combat cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions.
