The government has been working on the Dietary Guideline 2010 for Americans.  The following are the opinions of some experts regarding how carbohydrates should be used in an American diet.

All the opinions are documented and maintained on the website of the United States Department of Agriculture.  Foodconsumer.org cites all the released opinions here for those who might be interested in reading any.  Foodconsumer.org may or may not endorse any of these opinions.

Comment 1

So far the dietary guideline have made no meaningful impact on the health of Americans. Please spend time looking over the benefits of a diet based on the starchy foods that have caused billions of people to be trim, active, young and healthy. For example the Asians on rice, people from rural Mexico on beans and corn, the Peruvians on potatoes, the people from New Guinea on sweet potatoes. Americans are sick because the focus of their diet is not on starch, but instead on meat and dairy products and refined foods. Only a serious change in our diet will cause serious change in people's health. I would be happy to share more thoughts on this if you would like.

John McDougall, MD

(Editor's note: Dr. McDougall is a physician and nutrition expert who teaches better health through vegetarian cuisine.  His company has been running for decades a 10-day program in Santa Rosa, California based on a nourishing, low fat, starch based diet to help people with a variety of health conditions without resorting to any medication.  For more information, visit www.drmcdougall.com.)

Comment 2

As you are aware, 90% of the cells in the human body are microbial - with only 10% human. This reality means that humans are "superorganisms" - a human hybrid if you will.

Significant advances in molecular techniques in the last few years have opened an interesting door into the role of our intestinal flora and disease development. Importantly,dietary inputs can significantly impact the health of our microbiome and thus the host.

The symbiotic relationship humans share with our commensal flora is critical to maintaining optimal health - however, our so-called modern diet is literally starving our intestinal flora. From an evolutionary perspective, and aside from our significant increase in highly processed carbohydrates, our chronic low intake of dietary fiber has probably been the most significant change in our "superorganism" diet in recent history.

It would be interesting to see dietary guidelines that not only addressed "our" nutritional needs but also those of our microbial friends. As you may know, dietary fiber and some resistant starches have a significant impact on the health of our gut bugs as they serve as fermentable substrates for their growth and maintenance. Americans currently consume less than 15 grams a day of dietary fiber from a "very" limited number of sources. Looking over the committee members, its clear whole grains will get their attention -but this misses the point just a bit. The symbiotic relationship we evolved with our intestinal flora was selected on a nutritional landscape that delivered an "extraordinary diversity" of fiber sources. The diversity - as well as the qty - is what is missing from our national discussion.

Suggesting in the 2010 guidelines that we address the intestinal flora by recommending a few more probiotics and a few more whole grains to boost fiber intake will not result in any significant improvement in health. Fiber intake should be set at 35 to 50 grams a day - and not "just" from grains.

Thank you, Jeff Leach

Director of Paleobiotics Lab

(Editor's note: Jeff Leach, founder of Paleobiotics Lab, is an expert on diet and nutrition. Among other things, he has been studying the impact of human nutrition on human intestinal microflora. For more information, visit www.paleobioticslab.com.)

Comment 3

I am a physician/researcher specializing in Lifestyle Medicine. I specialize in the treatment of patients with chronic disease, and my research in the Marshall Islands focuses on treating type 2 diabetes with diet and physical activity.

The WHI and other recent studies have shown that %E from fat must be less than the current guideline of 30%. There was little difference in the WHI between the treatment group with just under 30% of caloric intake from fat and the control group with 37% fat. Study after study indicates that fat intake needs to be under 20% to reduce risk of chronic disease, and may need to be lower than 15%E to arrest or reverse chronic disease. My subjects, and clinical patients, do very well on a largely ?as grown? plant diet low in %E from fat. Every measure improves?weight/BMI, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, hs-CRP, HOMA-IR.

Please consider the evidence for the need to reduce %E from fat in the diet. Consider studies such as the WHI and others that have shown the present guidelines are ineffective.

Thank you.

John Kelly, Assistant Professor, affiliation unknown

Comment 4

The current standard of nutritional standards are not enough to maintain good health. Dramatic consumption increases must be made in high nutrient low calorie foods. The pyramid caloric intake is too high for most people, especially for those in need of weight reduction. Considering the a vegetable (plant) based diet would be extremely beneficial to the public. Please view attatchment for my personal experience and recommendations.

Susan Burrows, affiliation unknown

Comment 5 (unavailable)

Comments submitted in a file, but not readily available from USDA.gov website.

Audrae Erickson, president of Corn Refiners Association