Sugar, not fat, is real heart disease killer: We got it wrong on diet advice, claims expert Low-fat diets do not curb heart disease or help you live longer – the real enemy is sugar and carbohydrates, according to a leading scientist. Current dietary advice is based on flawed evidence from the 1950s that has demonised saturated fat and put public health at risk, he said. James DiNicolantonio, a cardiovascular research scientist in New York, said: ‘We need a public health campaign as strong as the one we had in the 70s and 80s demonising saturated fats, to say that we got it wrong.’ Writing in the journal Open Heart, he added: ‘There is no conclusive proof that a low-fat diet has any positive effects on health. Indeed, the literature indicates a general lack of any effect (good or bad) from a reduction in fat intake. ‘The public fear that saturated fat raises cholesterol is completely unfounded.’ Experts believed the low-fat diet would lead to less obesity and diabetes – when the exact opposite was true, he added. Evidence shows a low-carbohydrate diet – as opposed to a low-fat diet – actually improves cholesterol. However, he believed that processed foods should still be avoided. British experts last year claimed that faulty interpretation of scientific studies had perpetuated a myth that a high-fat diet is bad for the heart. People were advised to reduce fat intake to 30 per cent of total energy and saturated fat intake to 10 per cent. However, research now fails to show a link between saturated fat intake and risk of cardiovascular disease, with saturated fat actually found to be protective. Sweden has become the first western nation to develop dietary guidelines rejecting the low-fat myth, in favour of low-carb, high-fat nutrition advice. Dr DiNicolantoni said: ‘The best diet to boost and maintain heart health is one low in refined carbohydrates, sugars and processed foods, he said.’ .
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 07:49:45 +0000
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