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Monday 7 March 2011

The low-fat trend finally appears to be on its way out !

The low-fat trend finally appears to be on its way out. The notion that saturated fats are detrimental to our health is deeply embedded in our Zeitgeist—but shockingly, the opposite just might be true. For over 50 years the medical establishment, public health officials, nutritionists, and dieticians have been telling the American people to eat a low-fat diet, and in particular, to avoid saturated fats. Only recently, have nutrition experts begun to encourage people to eat “healthy fats.”

In 2001, Dr. Hu, writing in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, noted, “It is now increasingly recognized that the low-fat campaign has been based on little scientific evidence and may have caused unintended health problems.” Or, as Michael Pollan pithily puts it in his In Defense of Food, “The amount of saturated fat in the diet may have little if any bearing on the risk of heart disease, and the evidence that increasing polyunsaturated fats in the diet will reduce risk is slim to nil.”

And as for diabetes, there is no data to support the notion that a high-fat diet increases the risk for diabetes. Again, if anything, the opposite appears to be true. In a 2008 study reported in the Los Angeles Times article, obese men and women with metabolic syndrome (a precursor to diabetes) that went on a high saturated-fat, low-carb diet saw their triglycerides drop by 50 percent and their levels of good H.D.L. cholesterol increase by 15 percent.

Keep in mind, there is one type of fat that is implicated in high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and diabetes: Trans-fat. Trans-fats raise bad cholesterol, lower good cholesterol, and increase triglycerides, they also promotes inflammation and insulin resistance, according to a 2000 article in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. This points to the one basic axiom that always hold true: Eat real, whole foods and nothing else—now, if we could only just all agree on what those are.

http://healthimpactnews.com/2011/a-big-fat-debate-low-fat-trend-finally-appears-to-be-on-its-way-out/

 

3 comments:

Lowcarb team member said...

“Nearly every day new research and studies come out debunking popular fat myths; despite this, misinformation persists. On the Mayo Clinic’s web site saturated fats are lumped in with trans-fats under the banner “harmful dietary fat” and the site claims that saturated fat can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.”

It is very common for saturated fats to be lumped together with hydrogenated trans fats, anything to hide the truth eh. Some dietitions do not know the difference, and some low fat diet diabetics perpetuate the myth on forums regularly ! How anyone could blame modern diseases, on food man has consumed from the beginning of time, is ludicrous ! It’s the man made Frankenstein foods, made in a factory more suited to the petro-chem industry, than for food manufacture, that has brought about the epidemics of obesity, heart disease and type two diabetes.

Eddie

Anonymous said...

Saturated fat is not only "lumped" in with trans fats you can also add alcohol and sugar.
Triglycerides have been shown to plummet by those of us that follow a LC/HF diet.

From Heart UK

"My doctor tells me my triglycerides are raised, what does this mean?

Triglycerides are another type of fatty substance in the blood. They are found in foods such as dairy products, meat and cooking oils. They can also be produced in the body, either from the body’s fat stores or in the liver. People who are very overweight, diabetic, eat a lot of fatty and sugary foods, or drink too much alcohol are more likely to have a high triglyceride level."

http://www.heartuk.org.uk/index.php?/healthy_living/cholesterol_made_simple/

Lowcarb team member said...

“Anonymous said...
Saturated fat is not only "lumped" in with trans fats you can also add alcohol and sugar.
Triglycerides have been shown to plummet by those of us that follow a LC/HF diet.

From Heart UK

"My doctor tells me my triglycerides are raised, what does this mean?

Triglycerides are another type of fatty substance in the blood. They are found in foods such as dairy products, meat and cooking oils. They can also be produced in the body, either from the body’s fat stores or in the liver. People who are very overweight, diabetic, eat a lot of fatty and sugary foods, or drink too much alcohol are more likely to have a high triglyceride level."

http://www.heartuk.org.uk/index.php?/healthy_living/cholesterol_made_simple/ “

Thank you for comments.

Trans fats, sugar consumption and excess alcohol cannot be ever be recommended for good health. Increasingly the more informed Medical Professionals are looking at trig levels as a more accurate indictor to long term CV health. The British Heart foundation say a level of 1.8 or below is optimum.

As for your comments.

“Triglycerides are another type of fatty substance in the blood. They are found in foods such as dairy products, meat and cooking oils. They can also be produced in the body, either from the body’s fat stores or in the liver. People who are very overweight, diabetic, eat a lot of fatty and sugary foods, or drink too much alcohol are more likely to have a high triglyceride level.”

I do not believe diabetics or non diabetics eat to much fatty food, or have an abnormal sugar intake, or consume too much alcohol. I believe highly processed foods, concealed sugar, and excessive carbohydrates have brought about the epidemic of obesity, and type two diabetes. The so called healthy food pyramid, pushed over the last 30 years or more is a disaster. Low fat, high carb is a killer, and that fact becomes more apparent as each day passes.


Eddie