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By
Joseph Mercola, DO
This is a comprehensive
review with nearly 150 references from the recent medical
literature. Dr. Willet, chairman of the Department of Nutrition
and Epidemiology at Harvard, wrote the review.
Interestingly,
his review finds that saturated fat consumption is associated
with an increase in cholesterol levels, while unsaturated
fats lower cholesterol levels.
However, the giant
assumption some people make is that the increase in cholesterol
level is actually associated with an increase in heart disease.
According to the review, this just wasn’t the case. Despite
a long-standing interest in this topic, Dr. Willet was only
able to find two significant published studies that showed
an association between saturated fat intake and risk of heart
disease. Earlier studies on this topic were limited by small
study size, inadequate dietary assessment or incomplete adjustment
for confounding variables.
In the studies
that did show an increased risk of heart disease with saturated
fat intake, the risk was found to be relatively minor when
compared to that of consuming trans-fats. This is consistent
with the article
I posted by Sally Fallon and Dr. Enig earlier this year.
This review includes
a discussion of 15 prospective studies done on fish oil and
omega-3 that confirm the importance of omega-3 fats in heart
disease prevention.
Omega-3 fats reduce
heart disease through four primary mechanisms:
- Prevention of
cardiac arrhythmias
- Lowering serum
triglyceride levels
- Decreasing blood
clotting tendencies
- Improving endothelial
dysfunction
The review also
documented an increase in heart disease in those who consumed
refined cereal grains. This association broke down when it
came to whole grains, and in many cases this may be related
to the benefits of phytic acid in whole grains, one of which
is reducing iron. Elevated iron levels act as one of the most
potent influences on heart disease by increasing free radical
production and oxidizing unsaturated fats in sensitive tissues.
JAMA
November 27, 2002 288:2569-2578
The
Truth About Saturated Fat
Trans
Fat Much Worse for You Than Saturated Fat
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