So, unless you’ve been living under a rock the past year or two, I’m sure you’ve heard the news that saturated fat is back! The great fat debate was coming to an end! Bacon lovers rejoiced, cheese connoisseurs delighted and people started slathering butter on their toast once again. Ah…the rich taste we have been depriving ourselves of for the past 30 years!
Why such the change in trends? Most of this news started circulating after two medical reports were published (here and here), which were meta-analyses (in other words, reviews) of prior studies used to draw conclusions. They concluded that lowering saturated fat intake had not reduced our heart disease risk, after all. People still had high rates of heart disease even while following the low-fat trend. Still, both of these reports have been widely criticized by cardiologists and other healthcare professionals due to their omission of data as well as manipulation to achieve results.
So what is it? Should we be going hog wild (pun intended) with the saturated fats or not?
Well, another study has recently come out this month saying not so fast. The conclusions of this prospective cohort study find that replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats does lower your risk for heart disease. The catch – what you replace those saturated fats with.
Back in the 70’s and 80’s when fat was shunned, many people did indeed lower their saturated fat intake. But the majority replaced them with refined carbohydrates. Refined carbs have been shown to be no healthier for you than saturated fats and may also increase your risk for heart disease. So basically, we didn’t change our risk for anything with all the low-fat chips, crackers, cookies and pretzels we were eating. Often, to maintain taste and flavor, when fat is taken out of a product it is replaced with some type of refined carb or sugar. This is no bueno!
The great fat debate: to pass the butter or not? Click To TweetFrom the conclusions I have drawn so far, it is still smart to keep your saturated fat intake down (the American Heart Association recommends keeping your saturated fat intake to less than 7% of your daily calories). This is not to say you can never have a hamburger or put butter on your roll again. But watching how much and how often you eat these foods is important. Then, after lowering your intake the key is to replace them with heart healthy foods.
So what are some heart healthy foods? Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and unsaturated fats, especially polyunsaturated fats such as vegetable based oils (such as olive, canola or avocado oil), nuts and seeds. Being wise about your substitutions can help reduce your risk for heart disease. Substituting animal fats with whole foods naturally low in added fats, sugars and salts, along with an active lifestyle, will likely keep your heart healthy for years to come!
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Irene
Awesome post dear! Have a nice day:)
dixya @ food, pleasure, and health
I’m with you on this one..im interested to see what new dietary guidelines will say.
DietitianBrittany
Yes, I am also very interested to see!
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious
Another great post sorting out nutrition myths. I am with you that in general we shouldn’t be encouraging saturated fat over unsaturated fats. A little bit here and there is certainly fine, but the research hasn’t shifted my view on this. Sharing this great post now!
DietitianBrittany
Thanks, Jessica. I’m glad to see there are other dietitians who share my view on this topic! Thanks for sharing!
Davina
Hi Brittany,
I haven’t paid much attention to this debate, though I’ve taken steps to reduce refined carbs and unhealthy fats from my diet. Thanks for sharing this, I’ve learnt a lot.
DietitianBrittany
Hi Davina! That’s great you’ve already started reducing the amount of refined carbs and unhealthy fats from your diet! That is a huge step in helping you live a healthy life!
Meagan
You are right, it is so hard to know what is a good choice and what is harmful for you and your body. I’ve been trying to study to see what foods will help more with weightless and muscle gain. It’s amazing how so many foods have hidden items that make you retain weight and aren’t good for you. This was a great article and I need to learn more!
DietitianBrittany
Thank you, Meagan. As with all things, there is always more learning to be done! There are a lot of hidden ingredients in some foods – so it’s good to be educated in what is going into your body!