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Avoiding saturated fats entirely instead of considering the more general health impact of foods may mean important nutrients are missed. Eggs, dark chocolate, meat and cheese, for example, are high in fat but also contain a lot of vital nutrients and vitamins.
Researchers criticised the World Health Organization for recommending that people cut down on saturated fats instead of being more specific. They said ‘scientific and policy missteps’, such as encouraging the consumption of even less healthy trans fats which they said may have killed hundreds of thousands of people in recent years.
More than a dozen scientists from Europe and the US have published a paper calling for saturated fats not to be demonised.Saturated fats are those found in milk, cheese, meat, butter and pastries, chocolate and cream. And although linked to increasing the risk of heart disease, many foods which contain them have health benefits as well.’ A recommendation to reduce intake of total saturated fat… might cause a reduction in the intake of nutrient dense foods,’ the scientists, led by Arne Astrup, head of the department of nutrition at the University of Copenhagen, saidThese nutrient-dense foods, they said, could reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, non-communicable diseases such as cancer, and malnutrition.
The NHS recommends adult men eat no more than 30g of saturated fat per day and women 20g – equal to about nine or six eggs, or seven or five Mars bars. Draft guidelines from the World Health Organization recommend people get fewer than 10 per cent of their daily calories (150kcal-250kcal) from saturated fat and instead try to replace them with unsaturated. Scientists have debated the dangers and benefits of the fats for years because eating a lot of them can raise cholesterol and lead to heart disease, the NHS says.
The NHS recommends adult men eat no more than 30g of saturated fat per day and women 20g – equal to about nine or six eggs, or seven or five Mars bars.Draft guidelines from the World Health Organization recommend people get fewer than 10 per cent of their daily calories (150kcal-250kcal) from saturated fat and instead try to replace them with unsaturated.
Scientists have debated the dangers and benefits of the fats for years because eating a lot of them can raise cholesterol and lead to heart disease. Saturated fat is a natural form of fat found in meats, butter and cheese. It differs from unsaturated fat in the way chains of fatty acids are joined together. Eating a lot of saturated fat can increase cholesterol levels in an unhealthy way and increase someone’s risk of developing heart disease.
This is because the cholesterol builds up on the walls of the arteries, narrowing them and increasing pressure on the heart while restricting blood and oxygen flow. Foods high in saturated fat include: Fatty red meats such as pork and beefButter and products made of butter, including pastries and piesCakes and biscuits Cheese, cream and ice cream. The British Heart Foundation recommends that, where possible, people swap saturated fats for unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are those found in: Nuts and seeds, Fish such as salmon and mackerel Vegetable oils, including olive oil, Peanut butter, Avocados. But foods which happen to be high in saturated fat also provide vital compounds such as vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre, iron and zinc.
Meat is a major source of high quality protein, easy-to-absorb iron, minerals, and vitamins. Eggs contain 13 essential vitamins and minerals (including vitamin D, riboflavin and iodine), high quality protein, linolenic acid, choline and carotenoids named lutein and zeaxanthin. Dark chocolate is rich in fibre, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium. It also contains micronutrients called polyphenols, flavanols, and catechins.
Cheese contains protein, calcium and magnesium. Professor Naveed Sattar, from the University of Glasgow, added: ‘The overall message is somewhat confusing and contains some areas of inaccuracy.’If people interpret this as meaning “no need to reduce saturated fat” I would worry that could have adverse consequences for public health.’He said that regardless of what the study said, saturated fat does increase cholesterol levels and raise the risk of heart disease.