What Is A Good Heart Diet?
For many years now heart diet experts in the medical profession have advised us that reducing saturated fats in our diet lowers the risk of heart disease. But new evidence revealed by an eminent cardiologist shows that this may be misleading if not completely wrong.
Natural foods rich in saturated fats that have not been
processed such as butter, cheese, full fat milk, yoghurt and eggs can be part
of a healthy diet. Avoiding them could actually lead to increased risks
of heart disease, said Dr Aseem Malhotra.
His findings, recently published in the British Medical Journal, are at odds with studies conducted in the
1970’s which link higher levels of heart disease with high cholesterol and high
saturated fat intake.
The current recommended daily amount of saturated fat for men is 30g and women should eat no more than 20g. However a groundbreaking obesity report produced jointly by Dr Malhotra, a specialist at Croydon University Hospital, and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges shows that the role of excess sugar in the diet plays a far greater role in public health than fats.
Saturated Fats
Dr Malhotra goes on to say that “analysis of independent
evidence shows that saturated fat from non-processed food is not harmful and
probably beneficial”.
The real villain of the piece is sugar which the food
industry uses in increasing amounts to tempt consumers to buy products that are
low in natural fats.
Sugar in the diet
Despite figures from the US
that suggest the amount of fat in the average diet has declined in the last 30
years, obesity rates have risen and this is attributed to higher levels of
sugar in the diet.
Dr Malhotra argues that cholesterol levels are not the real
problem. A recent survey of acute heart attack patients showed that 75% have
normal cholesterol levels.
The fact that it is difficult to obtain consistent results
for studies on the link between saturated fats and heart disease casts doubt on
previous trials conducted in 1970.
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