As you are probably aware, we have been long advised to reduce our intake of saturated fat to lessen our risk of heart disease. Government guidelines suggest no more than ten per cent of our daily kilojoules should come from saturated fat.
But in recent years, scientific reviews suggest there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, such as that published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
More recently, UK cardiologist Aseem Malhotra published his opinion in the British Medical Journal that saturated fat has been unfairly demonised. There does appear to be conflicting evidence on the dietary risk factors for heart disease, as it’s difficult to undertake properly controlled and randomised studies on the link between diet and disease. The current advice on saturated fats is based on a 1970 study, which showed a correlation between rates of heart disease, cholesterol levels and the amount of saturated fat in the diet. This “association” type of study is not the same as showing that high saturated fat intake in itself causes heart disease. There is also debate about the link between consuming saturated fat and its impact on cholesterol levels.
Your body needs some saturated fat. In my opinion, consuming moderate quantities of nutrient-rich natural sources of saturated fat, such as meat, eggs and butter, contributes to a balanced diet. It’s the processed foods containing saturated fat and high amounts of sugar, such as biscuits, that should be limited.
FEEL THE BEET(ROOT)
Drinking beetroot juice could help you run faster. In a study, published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, trained female runners improved their 5K time by an average of 31 seconds after drinking beetroot juice for four days before racing.
BUFFET BEHAVIOUR
An experiment published in the journal PLOS One describes how subjects could choose from a buffet breakfast where either fruit or cheesy eggs were served before other foods. The people helping themselves to fruit first took 31 per cent less food overall than those who ate eggs first.
NUTTY NUTRIENTS
Almonds help to fill you up and provide a rich source of nutrients, such as vitamin E and monounsaturated fat, without contributing to weight gain, according to new researchpublished in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A good snack choice if you want to avoid gaining weight.
BERRY GOOD
Try eating more red grapes and blueberries to reduce your risk of infections this winter. Researchers tested 446 compounds and found that resveratrol and pterostilbene, part of these fruits, boosted the immune system more than any others.