The scientific report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is now available. The report contains the committee’s independent, evidence-based findings and advice to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The scientific report, along with public comments and federal agency input, will inform the two departments as they develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, which is expected for publication in late 2025. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans is the primary source of information for federal nutrition programs and policies.

“The Dietary Guidelines serve as the foundation for national nutrition programs, standards, and education. They provide health professionals with guidance and resources to assist the public in choosing an overall healthy diet that works for them. And they help HHS, USDA, and others in the federal government to tailor our policies to best serve the American people,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “This report will help to ensure that the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines is based on current scientific evidence and medical knowledge, and that future guidelines factors in socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and culture.”

The latest report by the committee is unique in its intentional focus on health equity factors such as socioeconomic position, race, ethnicity, and culture. The committee also reviewed more evidence beyond recommended amounts and types of foods to include strategies ot effectively promote healthy dietary patterns across the lifespan.

HHS and USDA will open a 60-day public comment period, and encourage the public to provide written comments on the committee’s report. The departments will also hold an open meeting on Jan. 16, to listen to oral comments from the public, for which pre-registration is required.

Nutritional Shortfalls

The report, which is over 400 pages, highlights healthy dietary patterns across all life stages as capable of preventing or improving obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and certain cancers, through an increased intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, fish/seafood, and vegetable oils higher in unsaturated fat. The recommendations also include further reductions in red and processed meat, added sugar, refined grains, and saturated fat.

Americans of all walks of life are consistently falling short of Dietary Guidelines recommendations, leading to a risk of nutrient inadequacies, according to the report. According to the report, the mean Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score for the total population 2 years and older is 56 out of 100, and the mean HEI score for toddlers is 63.

Supplements Are Not in the Picture

While previous Dietary Guidelines recommendations included supplementation advice for certain groups, the latest report makes no mention of supplementing the diet with essential nutrients, to the dismay of supplement industry trade associations including the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).

The estimated HEI scores of Americans suggest that a sizeable portion of the population is at risk of inadequacies of vitamin D, calcium, potassium, and dietary fiber, posing concerns due to the risk of adverse health outcomes, CRN said, and special populations such as pregnant women face additional risks due to inadequacies in nutrients crucial for fetal development, like choline, iron, folate, and iodine.

Dietary supplements should be included in comprehensive nutrition recommendations, CRN said. “It’s concerning that despite decades of dietary guidance, Americans continue to fall short on essential nutrients critical for their health,” said Steve Mister, president and CEO of CRN. “With food sources alone proving insufficient for certain nutrients like vitamin D, the inclusion of dietary supplements in the guidelines is not only practical but necessary to promote public health.”

Likewise, supplements should be a part of the recommendations specific to different age groups and life stages highlighted in the report, CRN stated.

“A prenatal multivitamin/multimineral is a critical tool for addressing insufficiencies in pregnant individuals and is often recommended by health care providers. These federal agencies have an opportunity to deliver practical recommendations that leverage all available options, including dietary supplements, to support healthier outcomes for all Americans.”