Published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, the new recommendations replace guidelines issued in 2000.
"The previous recommendations stressed a healthy dietary pattern; the new ones broaden that concept to include the importance of a healthy lifestyle pattern. The two go together- they should be inseparable," said Alice Lichtenstein, chair of the AHA's Nutrition Committee and professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston.
Designed for Americans age 2 and older, the dietary guidelines recommend further reducing saturated and trans fatty acids in the diet- from less than 10 percent to less than 7 percent - and establishing a goal for trans fatty acids of less than 1 percent of total calories.
"The point is not to calculate the amount of saturated and trans-fatty acids in the diet, but to choose foods that minimize your intake. For example, you can choose leaner cuts of meat and lower-fat dairy products, smaller serving sizes, avoid foods made with hydrogenated fat and include more fruits, vegetables, vegetarian options and fish in the diet," said Lichtenstein.
Americans are also advised to minimize their intake of food and beverages with added sugars, and encouraged to stick to a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grain foods. Emphasis is also placed on physical activity and weight control.
"The key message of the recommendations is to focus on long-term, permanent changes in how we eat and live," said Lichtenstein.
In order to develop its new guidelines, the AHA put together a panel of nutrition and cardiovascular disease experts, who reviewed more than 90 scientific publications.
Key emphasis continues to be placed on weight control, but the AHA now also stresses the need to balance calories consumed with calories burned. More emphasis is also placed on food preparation methods that avoid adding saturated fat, sugar or salt, while portion size control is also an important message.
"A good first step to improve your diet and lifestyle- start paying attention to portion size and liquid calories, such as those in soft drinks, fruit drinks, fruit juices and alcoholic beverages," said Lichtenstein.
The association is also urging the food industry to reduce the salt and sugar content in processed foods, and to increase the proportion of whole grains compared to white flour in baked goods.
The new guidelines come just a week after the American Medical Association took a stand against salt, urging the government to revoke the substance's generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status.