{"product_id":"show-1465-food-fight-should-we-flip-the-food-pyramid-upside-down","title":"Show 1465: Food Fight! Should We Flip the Food Pyramid Upside-Down?","description":"\u003cp\u003eEvery five years, the Departments of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services jointly issue guidelines on what we should eat. The most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025-2030) have been controversial. [Here is a link: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.dietaryguidelines.gov\" title=\"Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2026\"\u003ehttps:\/\/www.dietaryguidelines.gov\u003c\/a\u003e] Among other things, the administration decided to flip the food pyramid upside-down in illustrating its recommendations. Why did that cause such a stir, and what will it mean for you?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAt The People’s Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up to date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your medical care or treatment.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy Flip the Food Pyramid?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNobody has actually explained to us why they decided to flip the food pyramid on its head. The food pyramid itself debuted in 1991 as an illustration of what we should eat, but many people found it confusing. In 2011, it was replaced by a MyPlate graphic. So why return to the food pyramid now, especially upside-down?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur guest, noted nutrition researcher Christopher Gardner, suggest that it might be a way of denoting dramatic changes from previous guidance. Spoiler alert: only a few details are dramatically different. The main changes are a commendable emphasis on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.peoplespharmacy.com\/articles\/show-1359-is-the-food-on-your-plate-real-or-fake\"\u003eeating real food\u003c\/a\u003e and attention to red meat as a protein source and full-fat rather than low-fat dairy products.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDo Americans Need More Protein?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you pay attention at the supermarket, you’ll probably notice that a lot of product tout their protein content. Even things that don’t seem like they’d stand out as sources of protein (granola, pancake mix) are being offered in containers emblazoned with the promise of protein. Surprisingly, though, this is not a response to an urgent need. Most Americans get adequate protein and don’t need to concentrate on increasing their intake. Might it be a marketing tool?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eShould We Worry About Dairy?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenerally, public health experts recommend that we avoid foods high in saturated fat such as butter or cheese and opt instead for lower fat items, like skim milk. Consuming excessive amounts of saturated fat can raise blood levels of dangerous LDL cholesterol. On the other hand, Dr. Gardner points out that dairy fat differs in some ways from the saturated fats in meat, for instance. We don’t have enough studies to evaluate health consequences of consuming full-fat dairy. Will that raise cholesterol? Might it increase the chance of heart disease? We still need more research to be able to tell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat About Eggs?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpeaking of cholesterol, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.peoplespharmacy.com\/articles\/eggs-vs-cereal-for-breakfast-which-is-best\"\u003ewhat about eggs\u003c\/a\u003e? For decades, Americans were warned not to eat eggs. Experts thought these cholesterol-rich foods would raise the level of cholesterol in our blood. But although eggs are high in cholesterol, they are low in saturated fat. Joe describes a\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.peoplespharmacy.com\/articles\/egg-experiment-med-student-eats-720-eggs-in-30-days-and-lowers-ldl-cholesterol\"\u003en astonishing experiment\u003c\/a\u003e in which a person ate two dozen eggs a day. After a month, his LDL cholesterol was lower than when he started. Dr. Gardner remarks that we need to know not only what we are eating, but also instead of what and with what. Eggs with sausage and cheese are quite different from a veggie frittata.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat’s for Breakfast?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet’s consider what people might be eating for breakfast instead of eggs. Quick toaster pastries, sweetened cereal, orange juice and toast with jam are all popular options that are high in refined carbohydrates. At least for some people, such foods may make blood sugar and insulin spike. That could lead to a midmorning crash, which in turn could encourage someone to have a midmorning snack. Is that a bad idea? Maybe it is one reason to flip the food pyramid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eIf We Flip the Food Pyramid, Will It Help with Weight Loss?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDr. Gardner has run studies comparing the results of healthful low-carb diets to healthful low-fat diets. He and his colleagues found no significant difference in the weight loss people experienced on average. But none of us is an average person. The range of responses to these diets was huge, with some people losing a lot of weight and other losing none or even gaining.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow to Lose Weight\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on this research, it seems no single diet will work for everyone. What makes a big difference is satiety. If what you eat makes you feel full and keeps you feeling full, it will help keep you from eating too much. No need to flip the food pyramid in that case. And, says Dr. Gardner, no need to rely on continuous glucose monitors unless your blood sugar is out of range. Just paying attention to how food makes you feel and to the maxim Eat Real Food will be a pretty good guide for most of us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDietary Guidelines Shape Food for Kids\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne important way that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are implemented is school lunch. Institutions receiving funds from the federal government must follow these guidelines. Substituting minimally processed foods for the inexpensive ultraprocessed foods that are currently found on many school menus will probably be more expensive. The new guidelines also recommend that kids not get any foods with added sugar until they are at least ten years old. That would be a big difference in children’s diets, at as big as when we flip the food pyramid. Is it practical?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThis Week's Guest\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChristopher Gardner, PhD, is a nutrition researcher. He is the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine at Stanford University.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[caption id=\"attachment_139159\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"768\"]\u003cimg class=\"size-medium_large wp-image-139159\" src=\"https:\/\/nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/peoplespharmacy\/Gardner-Head-shot-with-Raspberry25.jpg-768x661.jpeg\" alt=\"Christopher Gardner, PhD, is a nutrition researcher eating a raspberry\" width=\"768\" height=\"661\"\u003e Christopher Gardner, PhD, director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine at Stanford University[\/caption]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The People's Pharmacy","offers":[{"title":"MP3","offer_id":44733823090767,"sku":"pc1465","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1208\/7442\/files\/Sexy-Senior-Couple-Cooking-Med-Diet-Food.jpg?v=1773352301","url":"https:\/\/cp7dom-b3jtc8.myshopify.com\/products\/show-1465-food-fight-should-we-flip-the-food-pyramid-upside-down","provider":"The People's Pharmacy","version":"1.0","type":"link"}