CSPI Comment to 2020 DGAC re: Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease

CSPI submits the following comments to aid the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) in answering the following question: “What is the relationship between types of dietary fat consumed and risk of cardiovascular disease?”

The 2015 DGA encouraged the public to consume a healthy dietary pattern such as the DASH diet, which is not only low in saturated fat but “high in vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, poultry, fish, beans, and nuts and is low in sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages, and red meats.” We urge the 2020 DGAC to retain that sound advice, which is based on a body of evidence that has strengthened in recent years. Here we describe key elements of that evidence and note the flaws in some arguments against that advice.