The year 2026 represents an important transition in nutritional science, characterized by efforts to modernize dietary recommendations in response to evolving lifestyles and emerging evidence. This paper provides a critical appraisal of the 2025–2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines and the updated Mediterranean Diet (MD) model proposed by the Italian Society of Endocrinology (SIE) and the Italian Society of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition (ADI), highlighting both convergences and divergences. While the U.S. framework emphasizes population-level applicability, nutrient thresholds, and public health impact, the revised MD model proposes a more integrative paradigm incorporating chrononutrition, chronotype, and lifestyle determinants such as sleep and physical activity. Both approaches converge on the promotion of nutrient-dense, minimally processed, predominantly plant-based dietary patterns and the reduction of added sugars, sodium, and ultra-processed foods. However, key differences emerge in the treatment of food processing, protein and fat quality, and especially the temporal dimension of eating, which is systematically addressed only in the MD model. The integration of circadian biology into dietary recommendations represents a significant conceptual advancement, supporting a shift toward personalized, physiology-driven nutrition. Rather than opposing frameworks, these models may be viewed as complementary, operating along a continuum from standardized public health guidance to individualized, systems-based approaches. Bridging these paradigms may facilitate the development of adaptive, multidimensional dietary strategies capable of addressing both global and individual determinants of health.
- Open Access
- Review
From Public Health to Precision Nutrition: Convergences and Divergences Between the U.S. Dietary Guidelines and the Chronobiology-Based Mediterranean Diet
- Giuseppe Annunziata 1,*,
- Ludovica Verde 2,3,
- Martina Galasso 1,2,
- Giovanna Muscogiuri 2,3,4,
- Luigi Barrea 5
Author Information
Received: 14 Apr 2026 | Revised: 10 May 2026 | Accepted: 21 May 2026 | Published: 10 Jul 2026
Abstract
Keywords
mediterranean diet | dietary guidelines for Americans | chrononutrition | chronotype | ultra-processed foods | precision nutrition | circadian rhythms
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