The DGA are agreed upon by a group of scientists after much deliberation (some of which were open access). DGAs are based on science but also have the influence of industry which is clearly seen this year.
In listening to one of the open committee meetings, dairy (cheese specifically) and sodium were to controversial recommendations. Research on sodium reduction in healthy adults is controversial, while in overweight and obese individuals there can be some health benefits to low sodium diets. With the majority of American's being overweight or obese, there is some merit to the sodium recommendation. Future research is likely to look at the balance of sodium and potassium, both of which are important electrolytes in the body and play a major role in fluid balance.
The bottom line is the DGA aim to be a standardized set of recommendations that apply for most Americans, however, if you would like more personalized nutrition recommendations please find a Registered Dietitian or RD/N.
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