Health experts react to Stanford neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman's support for the Trump administration's new food pyramid.
The Trump administration has introduced a novel approach to the food pyramid, sparking a range of reactions from health professionals. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled new guidelines on Wednesday, featuring an inverted pyramid structure. The top of the pyramid, now the broader section, is composed of meat, fats, fruits, and vegetables, while whole grains occupy the narrower base.
This initiative aligns with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s mission, "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA), which aims to tackle chronic diseases, childhood illnesses, and ultraprocessed foods.
During a press briefing in Washington, D.C., Kennedy emphasized, "The new guidelines acknowledge that whole, nutrient-dense foods are the most effective means to enhance health and reduce healthcare costs. Protein and healthy fats are essential, and their discouragement in previous dietary guidelines was misguided. We are putting an end to the war on saturated fats."
The Trump administration's 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans place "real food" at the heart of health. HHS Secretary criticized refined carbohydrates, food additives, and added sugar, particularly highlighting the health risks associated with sugar-sweetened beverages.
Kennedy's key message to Americans is straightforward: "Eat real food."
The announcement elicited diverse reactions from prominent health and wellness figures, including Dr. Andrew Huberman, host of the "Huberman Lab" podcast. On X, Huberman praised the White House's graphic of the new pyramid, commending the decisions made.
He noted, "Oatmeal (and I believe that’s rice and sourdough) made the cut!" He added, "Provided overall calories are managed and people exercise and get sunlight, this appears to be on the right track."
Huberman suggested, "Perhaps increase the amount of vegetables and incorporate low-sugar fermented foods like sauerkraut, and this would be excellent."
In a separate thread, Huberman clarified that Americans don’t need to consume all the foods depicted in the diagram. He mentioned, "You won’t see me drinking milk or eating shrimp. I have no issue with shrimp, but I simply don’t care for the taste. I have an aversion to crustaceans."
The new guidelines received positive feedback from other health experts, such as former FDA commissioner Dr. David Kessler, who stated, "There should be widespread agreement that consuming more whole foods and reducing highly processed carbohydrates is a significant advancement in our approach to diet and health."
Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, president of the American Medical Association, praised the guidelines for "affirming that food is medicine and providing clear direction for patients and physicians to enhance health."
However, not all reactions were positive. Some individuals expressed concerns about the emphasis on red meat and dairy, advocating for the limitation of saturated fat. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, criticized the guidelines, stating that while they "do have one or two good points, emphasizing fruits and vegetables and limiting alcohol," they are "for the most part a strong reflection of industry influence."
Christopher Gardner, a nutrition expert at Stanford University, also voiced his disappointment, as reported by NPR. He stated, "I'm very disappointed in the new pyramid that features red meat and saturated fat sources at the very top, as if that's something to prioritize. It does go against decades and decades of evidence and research."
Fox News Digital's Rachel Wolf and Alexandria Hoff contributed to the reporting, while Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle reporter for Fox News Digital.
