American Heart Association Dietary Guidelines

The latest AHA Dietary Guidelines were published in the year 2000. The guidelines are designed to assist Americans in achieving and maintaining healthy eating patterns as opposed to the established practice of providing percentages of dietary fat and other nutrient intakes. The guide specifically addresses the risk of heart disease and stroke, and for the first time, the prevention of obesity.

Diet Details

The AHA Dietary Guidelines propose four (4) basic principles:

Principle I: Achieve an overall healthy eating pattern.

The association recommends an overall balanced diet with foods from all major food groups that will supply the calories, protein, essential fatty acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber needed for good health. The association stresses that nutrients should be acquired from food intake as opposed to food supplements and that alcohol consumption should be limited.

Principle II: Achieve a healthy body weight.

The association recommends that total caloric intake be adjusted to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Physical exercise should balance energy expended with caloric intake while weight loss methods should allow for energy expenditures that exceed caloric intake. Foods that are high in calories and/or low in nutritional quality should be avoided.

Principle III: Achieve a desirable cholesterol level.

The association recommends limiting foods with high contents of fat, trans fatty acids and cholesterol. (Trans fatty acids are present in foods containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils such as margarines, shortening, commercial baked goods, fast foods, coffee whiteners, artificial whipped toppings and snack foods.)

In particular, the AHA recommends:

• Saturated fats should be limited to 7 to 10 percent of calories (or less).
• Polyunsaturated fats should be limited to no more than 10 percent of calories.
• Monounsaturated fats should be limited to no more than 15 percent of total calories.
• Less than 300 milligrams a day of Cholesterol. Less than 200 milligrams a day if you have heart disease.

Principle IV: Achieve a desirable blood pressure level.

The association recommends limiting salt intake to less than 6 grams per day, which is slightly more than one teaspoon a day.

Who created this Diet?

In 1996, the AHA made its first recommendations for dietary and lifestyle goals available to the public. Although the guidelines were developed specifically for the prevention of chronic heart and blood vessel disease, they have been found to contribute to the prevention of other diseases as well.

The AHA Dietary Guidelines Committee is responsible for publication of the guidelines. Ronald M. Krauss, MD, served as chair for the year 2000 publication.

Medical Studies

Numerous scientific studies were evaluated by the AHA Dietary Guidelines Committee.

Cautionary Notes

The AHA emphasizes that the guidelines should apply to your overall eating patterns and are not necessarily applicable to every meal.

Additional Resources

Krauss RM, Deckelbaum RJ, Emst N, et al. Dietary guidelines for healthy American adults: a statement for health professionals from the Nutrition Committee, American Heart Association. Circulation 1996;94:1795-1800.