The newly released 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) include recommendations for birth to 24 months old and specifically recommend eggs as an important first food for infants and toddlers, as well as for pregnant women and lactating moms.
However, those groups are not alone in those who could benefit from consuming more eggs. During the American Egg Board (AEB) nutrition committee meeting held on March 15, Mickey Rubin, PhD., executive director of the Egg Nutrition Center at the AEB, discussed other lifespan recommendations that are worth noting in the new DGA.
“Adolescent females when it comes to the topic of protein, are not consuming enough,” he said. Rubin further explained that while consumers and producers often hear a lot about American’s consuming too much protein, that is not necessarily the case and really has to do with the age group.
Teenage females consume less poultry, meat and eggs than their male counterparts. Rubin said this would be something for him and his colleagues to continue monitoring.
Elderly
“At the other end of the age spectrum, consuming enough protein is important to prevent the loss of lean muscle that occurs naturally with age. This is something that there is a lot of discussion about in the nutrition science world,” he said. In fact, he explained that there is a significant amount of researchers that are addressing protein and muscle loss as it relates to age.
“It hasn’t really made its way into the Dietary Guidelines in terms of a recommendation until now, so it is nice to see some progress in that area.
Going forward
Rubin explained that the process of looking at the DGA in 2025 and beyond starts right now. Research will continue to be a vital part of determining how egg consumption, along with other proteins, can benefit all ages.
