After decades of dietary advice about the harms of saturated fat, such as butter, scientists have found no evidence of a link with heart problems
Current guidelines urging people to avoid ‘unhealthy’ fat to stave off heart disease are wrong, according to latest research.
After decades of dietary advice about the harms of saturated fat such as butter, scientists have found no evidence of a link with heart problems.
A new ‘mega’ study which analysed a huge amount of existing data also found so-called healthy polyunsaturated fats like sunflower oil had no general effect on heart disease risk.
In fact, a dairy fat called margaric acid ‘significantly reduced’ risk while two kinds of saturated fat found in palm oil and animal products had a ‘weak link’ with heart disease
Two types of omega-3 fatty acid found in oily fish - EPA and DHA - and the omega-6 fat arachidonic acid were linked to a lower risk of heart disease, although omega-3 and omega-6 supplements appeared to have no benefit.
Lead researcher Dr Rajiv Chowdhury, from Cambridge University, said: ‘These are interesting results that potentially stimulate new lines of scientific inquiry and encourage careful reappraisal of our current nutritional guidelines.
‘Cardiovascular disease, in which the principal manifestation is coronary heart disease, remains the single leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In 2008, more than 17 million people died from a cardiovascular cause globally.
‘With so many affected by this illness, it is critical to have appropriate prevention guidelines which are informed by the best available scientific evidence.’
The team, whose results appear in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, conducted a ‘meta-analysis’ of data from 72 studies involving more than 600,000 participants from 18 countries.
It is a statistically powerful technique to reveal trends that may be masked in individual small studies, but which become obvious when they are amalgamated.
A key finding was that total saturated fat, whether measured in the diet or the bloodstream, showed no association with heart disease.
The study fails to ‘yield clearly supportive evidence for current cardiovascular guidelines that encourage high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low consumption of saturated fats’.
Two types of omega-3 fatty acid found in oily fish were linked to a lower risk of heart disease
However, almost four decades ago advice began to emerge from scientific and medical bodies to cut back on saturated fats found in cream, butter and less lean meat.
People were advised to reduce fat intake to 30 per cent of total energy and saturated fat intake to 10 per cent.
London cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra started a debate in the British Medical Journal last year saying it was time to bust the myth of the role of saturated fat in heart disease, which was based on faulty interpretation of scientific studies.
He said: ‘This huge and important study provides even more evidence that our focus purely on saturated fat as the number one dietary villain in causing heart disease has been misplaced when we should be focussing on food groups.
'Healthy' oils, such as sunflower oil, do not improve heart health
‘Our over consumption of processed food is what is driving much of the increasing burden of chronic disease currently plaguing the western world.
‘Poor diet (even in normal weight people) is responsible for more disease than physical inactivity, alcohol and smoking combined.
‘Furthermore nutritional supplements have no proven benefit for the vast majority of people when it's better for the body to gain essential nutrients from just eating real food.’
Last month a U.S. research scientist called for a campaign telling people they had been taken down the ‘wrong dietary road for decades’ in avoiding saturated fat while not being warned about eating too much carbohydrate and sugar.
Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation which co-funded the study, said: ‘This analysis of existing data suggests there isn't enough evidence to say that a diet rich in polyunsaturated fats but low in saturated fats reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
‘But large scale clinical studies are needed, as these researchers recommend, before making a conclusive judgement.
‘Alongside taking any necessary medication, the best way to stay heart healthy is to stop smoking, stay active, and ensure our whole diet is healthy - and this means considering not only the fats in our diet but also our intake of salt, sugar and fruit and vegetables.’
Dr Carrie Ruxton, from the industry-backed Health Supplements Information Service, said the study showed a modest protective effect of omega 3 fats.
However, the trials involving omega 3 supplements used for comparison purposes nearly all involved non-healthy participants which was likely to give misleading results, she said.
‘The EU commission has approved claims for omega 3 supplements for supporting normal heart function, blood fats and blood pressure, all of which contribute to a healthy heart,’ she added.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2582867/Saturated-fat-DOESNT-cause-heart-disease-all.html#ixzz2wGWukKrT
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