Emanuele Di Angelantonio, a university lecturer in the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, who was the senior author on the Annals study, was surprised at how the message got distorted.
In the letter, he did not change any conclusion, but added additional context. On the other hand, things like this are very attractive to the press, because everybody is interested in it. Saturated fat is found in a range of foods—including not only butter and meats but also milk, yogurt, cheese, nuts, and vegetable oils.
Each of these foods has different effects on heart disease. Instead of emphasizing one nutrient, we need to move to food-based recommendations. What we eat should be whole, minimally processed, nutritious food—food that is in many cases as close to its natural form as possible.
We fixate on the nutrient of the day, even those that confer benefits Lycopene to prevent cancer! Phytoflavonoids to fight inflammation! Researchers say we should focus on healthy dietary patterns, rather than glorify or demonize specific nutrients. A healthy pattern includes heaps of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, poultry, and fish. An unhealthy but all-too-frequent pattern: piles of processed meat, mounds of french fries, lots of white bread and potatoes and processed breakfast cereals, giant sugary drinks, and packaged cupcakes for dessert.
Complicated questions about diet and health require evidence from many different types of studies over many years before the weight of evidence shifts toward consensus. In the case of dietary fat, most scientists do agree on a number of points. First, eating foods rich in polyunsaturated fat will reduce the risk of heart disease and prevent insulin resistance.
Second, replacing saturated fat with refined carbohydrates will not reduce heart disease risk. Third, olive oil, canola oil, and soybean oil are good for you—as are nuts especially walnuts , which, while they include some saturated fat, are also high in unsaturated fat, tipping the balance in their favor. Finally, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential for many biological processes—from building healthy cells to maintaining brain and nerve function—and we should eat a variety of healthy foods, such as fish, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils, to obtain adequate amounts of both fatty acids.
Other, finer points are still unclear. For instance, monounsaturated fat is believed to lower risk for heart disease. Still, people can choose from a variety of monounsaturated-fat-rich foods, such as peanuts and most tree nuts, avocados, and, of course, olive oil.
And though scientists agree that omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential, they debate how much of each we actually need. While the public may find such uncertainty disconcerting, there are always unknowns at the forward edge of science.
And scientists will sometimes disagree—even when they work at the same institution, as Willett and Mozaffarian demonstrate. Compounding the problem is the fact that dietary advice, even from august bodies like the National Institutes of Health NIH , can lag the scientific evidence.
Barbara Moran is a science writer based in Brookline, Massachusetts. Wellbeing What is my BMI? Print this page. Nutrition facts Is butter good for you?
Is coconut good for you? The truth about sugar Eggs and cholesterol Salt and blood pressure Alcohol and the heart Dairy and the heart Are whole grains good for you? Oils that are high in unsaturated fat but low in saturated and trans fats are heart-healthy substitutes for butter. These include avocado, olive, and sunflower oils.
Some people use margarine in place of butter, but there is conflicting evidence regarding this replacement. Margarine uses vegetable oil, so it often contains less saturated fat than butter, which contains animal-based fat. However, hard margarine can also contain saturated and trans fats, so it is best to check the nutrition labels. If a person has high cholesterol, they can ask their doctor about using stanol-based spreads or sterols, which may help reduce cholesterol levels.
Looking at the nutritional information on food packaging can also help people make healthful choices. The aim should be to limit the intake of saturated and trans fats as much as possible. Some people with high cholesterol may need medications, but doctors will usually always recommend these additional dietary changes initially:.
Recent research counters the original belief that cholesterol in the diet strongly influences blood cholesterol. Being mindful of saturated and trans fat is essential though, as these may contribute to the rise in blood cholesterol. People with high cholesterol may have a higher risk of certain conditions and diseases such as atherosclerosis, stroke, and heart attack.
Butter is high in calories and fat, so people should eat it in moderation or replace it with healthy unsaturated fats. Eating a lot of butter may contribute to weight gain and could play a part in raising levels of LDL cholesterol. A person can continue to enjoy butter in moderation as part of a healthy diet unless their doctor tells them otherwise. It can be hard to understand the relationships between lipoproteins, cholesterol, the diet, and a person's lifestyle. Learn more here.
Ghee is a form of clarified butter created by skimming the milk solids out of melted butter. It has a lower lactose content than butter, so may be a…. Many people wonder whether butter or margarine is better for their health.
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