First, a disclaimer. Although I have a science degree, I am not a nutritional specialist. However, I have read A LOT, examined the data, and consulted reputable sources so I am not uninformed. This article contains my personal views – use at your own risk.
You’ve probably seen media headlines proclaiming that public enemy number 1 for the past 50 years (saturated fat) isn’t bad for us after all. As with most media hype, these need to be taken with a big pinch of salt (which, incidentally, is bad for you) but the essential message is accurate:
There is no evidence that saturated fat is any worse for you than any other type of fat
In fact, for people losing weight, focusing on fat at all is a huge mistake. Why? Because it gets replaced in the diet by carbohydrates – most notoriously sugar. And sugar, in large quantities, is very bad for you. Ironically, the low fat diet recommended by governments and doctors for decades has resulted in a double whammy – people don’t lose weight on it and they unintentionally increase the sugar (and other carbs) in their diet which increases their risk of developing diabetes. And we all know how that has increased in recent years.
Here’s how ingrained the “saturated fat” dogma has become over the years. In 2014, a study funded by the British Heart Foundation which pooled data from 72 different research projects found that switching from saturated fats to polyunsaturated (eg sunflower) or monounsaturated (eg olive oil) “does not impact on our risk of developing heart disease.” In fact, the BHF’s Associate Medical Director said “This analysis of existing data suggests there isn’t enough evidence to say that a diet rich in polyunsaturated fats but low in saturated fats reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.”
Yet, despite this, the BHF still advocates reducing saturated fats and replacing them with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated until “more evidence” is unearthed. It claims new studies conducted under strict environmental conditions are needed even though no such studies have ever supported the idea that cutting saturated fat reduces heart disease. In other words, they’ll continue to recommend a diet change for which there is no supporting evidence. And, let’s face it, if the studies had supported the saturated fat theory, I suspect they’d take that as conclusive proof!
A recent review by the Cochrane Foundation of over 50,000 people looked at the specific effect of cutting down on saturated fats. Their headline was that reducing saturated fat results in a 17% reduction in the likelihood of having a “cardiac event”. However, they neglect to acknowledge that this conclusion was backed by evidence they themselves categorise as of “low” grade about which they say “Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate.” In other words, that figure is almost certainly not accurate.
The better quality evidence in the review showed that switching from saturated fat to any other fat or to carbs/protein has no effect on your chances of: 1) stroke, 2) dying of a heart attack or, 3) dying of anything. It makes no difference what you swap it with – sunflower oil, sugar and pasta are as dangerous/safe as butter.
Hold the phone! That suggests it doesn’t matter what you eat!
Yes, purely from the point of view of cardiovascular disease over a 5 year period, there’s no evidence from either study that replacing saturated fats with sunflower oil or sugar makes any difference to your chances of dying or having a heart attack or stroke. However, by swapping fat for sugar and other carbs, you increase your chances of getting Type 2 diabetes and that does increase your risk of all sorts of diseases including heart attacks and stroke.
A recent review commissioned by the government on the health effects of carbohydrates (including sugar) said that ” greater consumption of sugars-sweetened beverages is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes” – in other words sugary drinks are bad for you. The same review said ” studies indicate that diets with a higher glycaemic index or glycaemic load are associated with a greater risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus”.
Glycaemic Index (GI) is a value given to a food that represents how quickly it raises blood sugar. Glucose has a GI of 100 but what really matters is Glycaemic Load (GL) which is the actual effect of a typical unit of the food. Watermelon, for example, has a high GI but, because it’s mainly water, in fact you’re only eating 5g of carbs in a 100g portion so its GL is very low. So, concentrate on GL rather than GI. By eating a varied meal, you will reduce the GL overall.
It’s also believed by some experts that it’s this high GL that causes tummy fat because the body copes with high blood sugar level peaks by converting it to fat. By contrast, butter (for example) takes longer to metabolise, so it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels so drastically.
What does this all mean?
These are my personal recommendations for both a healthy diet and for those attempting to lose weight:
1: Bin the “Low-Fat”
Low fat products almost always contain extra sugars and other carbs. You will often find, when you compare the labels, that the low fat and its “high” fat equivalent contain similar calories in any case and, as we’ve seen, the fat does you no harm. Indeed, some specialists believe that having a larger percentage of calories from fat prevents them being absorbed so quickly or at all.
Eat whole milk, not skimmed (whole milk is only 4% fat anyway). Eat butter rather than any form of margarine. Eat cheese. Avoid all products with “low fat”, “lite” or similar in the title. Choose full fat yoghurt, not low fat – but watch the sugar content. The best way to have yoghurt is to buy a full fat natural yoghurt and add a teaspoon of,say, golden syrup, jam or honey to each serving – that will have around half the sugar of a standard yoghurt.
2: Don’t worry about what fat you eat – red meat is fine
Red meat has been seen as the evil villain because it contains animal fat which is mainly saturated. This is now back on the menu since it contains high levels of protein (which suppresses the appetite) and other nutrients such as iron.
3: Choose your carbs
Wherever possible, cut down or swap out “white” carbs for “brown”. So, cut back sugar in all its forms (sugar, honey, syrup, chocolate spread). Have wholemeal bread, not white. Prefer carbs like pasta, rice (brown) and potato (not mashed) over sugars. Cut down the overall quantity of carbs if possible.
I’m afraid this means that cake is still bad for you (but see point 10 below) because it’s packed full of sugary calories.
4: Cut down on salt
Don’t add salt to food. Be aware of how much there is in what you eat because salt raises blood pressure and that’s bad. There is no way to get too little salt so don’t worry about that!
5: Cut down on processed foods
Processed foods often include added sugars and salt. Frozen peas, for example, are much better than tinned peas. Most importantly, however, watch out for nitrates. These chemicals are responsible for the pink colour of bacon, gammon and sausages and are associated with nasty diseases of the bowel. Cut back on these by having real, unprocessed, meat such as pork chops, mince, chicken and fish. This is also true of sugars which you’d be better off having as part of an apple than in your coffee. Have real veg where at all possible.
6: Omega 3
There’s good evidence that a diet high in Omega 3 oils is good for the heart and brain. 1 portion of salmon a week is enough but there are smaller amounts in white fish too. Choose a fish oil supplement if you can’t stomach these!
7: Fry in olive oil or butter
Polyunsaturated oils such as sunflower and rapeseed (most oils labelled “vegetable oil” are rapeseed) break up when used in cooking and give off poisonous chemicals called aldehydes which are then breathed in. Monounsaturates such as olive oil and saturates such as those found in butter are more stable so they don’t break down to the same degree.
8: Plenty of veg
Humans are omnivores, designed for a diet of both meat and vegetables. Most veg is nutrient-rich and, crucially, full of fibre. Increased fibre in the diet has been shown to keep your digestion healthy and regular.
9: Read the label but ignore the fat traffic lights
Don’t be fooled by the supermarkets – make the effort to read labels to see what they contain. The traffic light system used on the front of food packaging no longer reflects scientific understanding so you can safely ignore the Fat warning but should still watch sugar and salt content carefully.
10: A little of what you fancy
A healthy diet contains a mix of all the major food groups including saturated fats but, compared with the diet still recommended by most organisations, you should swap out sugars and other refined carbs for fats and more complex carbs such as pasta. So, a healthy person will cut back a bit on sugars and increase their fat to make up the calories. Have cake occasionally but acknowledge that it’s a treat, not a daily indulgence.
If you’re losing weight, concentrate all your efforts on cutting back on the quantity of sugars and other similar carbs but don’t worry about lowering your fat intake (unless it’s already very high). Increase your intake of vegetables to bulk up your dinner without costing calories. Have red meat, cheese, white meat, the occasional sausage, pasta, spuds (with the skin on, where possible), butter, olive oil, a range of vegetables. In fact, have a range of foods, just change the emphasis away from sugars.