Remember SnackWell’s cookies? When these first hit the market, dieters and those with risk factors for heart disease thought the treats were going to be the key to success because they were low in fat. But unfortunately, replacing fat with carbohydrate (the cookies add sugar for taste lost by lowering fat) is not going to be the best way to reduce one’s risk for heart disease. While it is well-known that a high fat diet can negatively affect cholesterol levels, researchers find that instead of lowering fat, people should modify their fat sources by substituting unsaturated fats such as liquid vegetable oil for the saturated fats found in animal products such as lard and butter.
Lee Hooper MD and researchers at Norwich Medical School at the University of East Anglia in England, reviewed 48 studies conducted between 195 and 2009. Well over 65,000 adult participants from around the world were included. The volunteers either had heart disease or were at risk. Their results were compared to a control group of healthy adults. In all studies, dietary fat was either reduced or modified for at least six months.
Reducing saturated fat did, in fact, reduce the risk of having a cardiovascular event such as heart attack or stroke by 14%. However, when it came to total fat intake, when saturated fat was replaced by monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, the results were greater than if the study participants replaced their fat with carbohydrate.
“The review shows clearly that modified fat diets appear to be more effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular events than low fat diets,” Dr. Hooper said. “This could be due to a low fat diet being harder to maintain, but this is not clear.”
Eating saturated fat contributes to heart disease risk by raising LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Because the majority of these types of fats come from animal foods, they also contain cholesterol. However, saturated fat isn’t exclusive to meat and dairy. Plants foods such as palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil also contain primarily saturated fats.
Instead of simply trying to cut out fat, try using the principles of the Mediterranean diet. This heart-healthy eating plan focuses on “good” fats such as olive oil, nuts/seeds, and fish (not fried) while also promoting the consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Foods that are limited include meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, and sweets (sugar). Following this type of eating plan has been associated with reducing overall cardiovascular risk. It may also be protective of some forms of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of saturated fat in the diet to less than 7% of total daily calories. In other words, if you eat 2000 calories, no more than 140 – or 16 grams – should come from saturated fat. Total fat intake in the diet should not exceed 30% of total daily calories.
Comments