They were able to adjust for smoking and other known risk factors, and look to see if higher scores were associated with lower disease risk. Eating according to the pyramid did bestow some protective benefits for cardiovascular disease, especially in men, said McCullough. As a whole, however, the benefits of following the 1995 dietary guidelines were not very evident. We know it's very important. This suggests that the diet guidelines have to be improved and made more specific.
Dietary guidelines are an evolving entity.
Dismantling the Pyramid Dietary evolution, at least the official version, is a strange mix of science, policy, and politics. The 1995 food pyramid depicted a recommended number of daily servings from each of the five major food groups of grains, vegetables, fruit, milk products, and meat. What has changed since 1995 is a new understanding of the role of different fats and different carbohydrates in human nutrition, according to Stampfer. Besides his work on both these papers, Stampfer has another perspective on the Food Pyramid. He also served on the joint USDA and Health and Human Services advisory panel of 11 experts to update the 1995 dietary guidelines for 2000.