THE GUIDELINES RECOMMEND DIETS THAT ARE NUTRITIONALLY INSUFFICIENT
The current Guidelines, if perfectly followed, will fail to meet nutrient adequacy goals; “The nutrients for which adequacy goals are not met in almost all [recommended dietary patterns] are potassium, vitamin D, vitamin E, and choline.” — Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, (Part D, Ch 1, p. 22, lines 827-828)(Appendix E-3.1, Text and Figure 4).
The 2015 report notes that “underconsumption of the essential nutrients vitamin D, calcium, potassium” are “public health concerns for the majority of the U.S. population” — yet the foods recommended by the DGAs don’t solve this problem.
The 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report states this problem will not be solved in the 2020-2025 Guidelines:
“Nutrients that do not meet Recommended Dietary Allowance or Adequate Intake goals include the following” Iron, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Choline, and Folate.
For details, see the 2020 Report, Part D, Chapter 14, page 10.
To meet sufficiency for iron and folate, the DGAs recommend three to five servings a day of fortified, refined grains (such as breakfast cereals).
Yet it’s not clear that nutrients from fortified foods are as “bioavailable.”
The bioavailability of iron from fortified whole grains may be minimal. (see studies here, and here).
Folic acid from fortified foods may not be well absorbed.