Does the Average American Diet Provide Adequate Nutrition?

“Nearly the entire US population consumes a diet that is not on par with recommendations,” is the conclusion of a report published online on August 11, 2010 in the Journal of Nutrition.*

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute evaluated data from 16,338 individuals who participated in the 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. With the exception of total grains, and meat and beans, the majority of the sample surveyed failed to consume the minimum recommendations for each food group. Almost all participants failed to consume enough dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, legumes and whole grains. Total vegetable and milk recommendations were unmet by most people in over half of the age and gender groups analyzed.

“This analysis indicates that nearly the entire US population consumes a diet with fewer vegetables and whole grains than recommended and that a large majority underconsume fruits, milk, and oils relative to recommendations,” the authors write.

Editor’s note: A multinutrient supplement can help make up some of the insufficiencies incurred by an inadequate diet.

—D. Dye

Reference

* J Nutr. 2010 Aug 11.