Saturated fat may not always be harmful


Saturated fat may not always be harmful - Eating butter, cheese and full fat milk might not be as bad for you as previously thought, scientists have found.

Whilst health advice tells us that saturated fat causes cardiovascular disease, it might not be as clear-cut as first thought.

Recent advances in the study of saturated fat have shown that the evidence between saturated fat intake and health had been oversimplified in dietary advice.


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Several different studies seemed to imply that genetics, lifestyle and age could all play a part in how badly your body is affected by its saturated fat intake.

And some scientists believe that non-harmful saturated fats are 'lumped in' with others distorting health advice.

A series of research articles published in the journal Lipids provides a snapshot of recent advances in saturated fat and health research, based on science presented at the 100th American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS) annual meeting.

Dr Bruce German, at the University of California, said: "Although diets inordinately high in fat and saturated fat are associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk in some individuals, assuming that saturated fat at any intake level is harmful is an oversimplification and not supported by scientific evidence.

"The relationship between dietary intake of fats and health is intricate, and variations in factors such as human genetics, life stage and lifestyles can lead to different responses to saturated fat intake."

Researchers found that replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated fat had an unclear effect on cardiovascular disease, while replacing saturated fat with carbohydrates was found to be ineffective and even harmful especially when refined carbohydrates such as starches or sugars were used in place of fat.

Replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat did give a slight reduction in risk, but the benefit was very small.

Researchers concluded that rather than replacing saturated fat, we should focus more on increasing our intake of seafood containing omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and decreasing our intake of salt and trans fats, found in cakes, biscuits and fast foods.

*Meanwhile a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes are no healthier than traditionally produced vegetables, say scientists.

They do not have higher levels of beneficial antioxidants and other substances that are good for us than those grown with traditional fertilisers and pesticides, a study shows ( telegraph.co.uk )


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