United States
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services recently issued updated dietary guidelines. Coffee was mentioned for the first time in the context of healthy eating patterns. (Patterns and shifts in patterns feature prominently in the guidelines, tools for understanding the guidelines, and much of the subsequent discussion by health and industry analysts.)
Some have criticized that the guidelines emphasize such themes with complaints that the “shift” phrasing is too vague or too open for interpretation. An example of this is: “…choosing nutrient-dense foods and beverages in place of less healthy choices.”
Others, like the National Coffee Association who issued a statement in response, suggest that the mention that moderate coffee consumption can be part of a healthy eating pattern does not go far enough. The NCA statement highlights the fact that the scientific recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines Committee found “…’consistent evidence’ that coffee is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and ‘moderate evidence’ of a protective association between caffeine and risk of Parkinson’s disease.”
Learn more: http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/