Saturated fat 'ISN'T bad for your heart': Major study questions decades of dietary advice

Guidelines urging people to avoid ‘unhealthy’ fat to stave off heart disease are wrong, according to a major study.
After decades of advice on the harm done by saturated fat such as butter, scientists have found no evidence of a link with heart problems.
A ‘mega’ study which analysed a huge amount of existing data also said so-called healthy polyunsaturated fats, such as sunflower oil, had no general effect on the risk of heart disease.
In contrast, a dairy fat called margaric acid ‘significantly reduced’ risk, while two kinds of saturated fat found in palm oil and animal products had only a ‘weak link’ with heart disease.

"Our over-consumption of processed food is what is driving much of the increasing burden of chronic disease currently plaguing the Western world.‘Poor diet is responsible  for more disease than physical inactivity, alcohol and  smoking combined."


Lead researcher Dr Rajiv Chowdhury, from Cambridge University

Here’s a summary of the results:

Epidemiological studies of dietary fat and heart disease risk:

Saturated fats – No association

Monounsaturated fats – No association

Omega-3 fats – No association

Omega-6 fats – No association

Trans fatty acids  – Increased risk

Epidemiological studies of body levels of specific fats and heart disease risk:

Saturated fat – No association other than one specific type of saturated fat (margaric acid) that was associated with reduced risk

Monounsaturated fat – No association

Omega-3 fats – Reduced risk

Omega-6 fats – No association other than arachidonic acid (found in meat, eggs and dairy products) which was associated with reduced risk

Trans fatty acids  – No association

Randomized controlled trials of supplementation with:

Alpha-linolenic acid (a type of omega-3 fat found in plants including flaxseed/linseed) – No reduction in risk

Omgea-3 fats such as those found in oily fish – No reduction in risk

Omega-6 fats such as those found in vegetable oils – No reduction in risk

Read the entire Article: Mail On Line

If you read the article you will see the quote by Dr Chowdhury that previous research was misinterpreted.  I hate conspiracy theorists but isn't it interesting who has gained from this "misinterpretation". Big Pharma with their cholesterol lowering drugs and Processed food producers who have created a plethora of low fat selections.

Another point to make is the study's assertion that supplements had no effect on the cardiovascular health of participants.  I don't completely disagree.  First, if you don't eat a balanced and clean diet no supplement will bail you out.  Secondly, these studies utilize synthetic or pharmaceutical grade supplements that are no better for you than medication and less beneficial that consuming food.  I promote Whole food supplementation that augment a good diet.  These high potent herbs, vitamins and mineral formulas that I have tested personally cannot be purchased in the grocery store or health food shoppes but have to be part of a nutritional plan of action designed by professionals that the company deems knowledgeable.
Save yourself time, money and effort when it comes to your Nutrition, call me and we together can determine the source of your ill health and design a plan of action to get you better.

David Marcon, DC
drdave@marconchiropractic.com
513-474-1111

What is Ghee and should it be in our Diet?

A few months ago, a patient was talking about Ghee.  I hadn’t heard of it let alone what benefit it may have on health.  That got me to do a little research on the topic.

Ghee is very similar to butter in that they are both made from the fat of whole milk.  When whole milk is allowed to settle the cream naturally rises to the top –now you know where the phase came from.  The cream that is skimmed off the top is churned to a point that it solidifies creating the product we know as butter.  Butter is predominately fat (about 80%) with the majority being of the saturated variety. 

Traditionally, Ghee production involves taking the cream and heating it under low heat for a long period to extract as much of the moisture leaving only the fat.  In India, where Ghee is still used to cook with, the steps in the process are much more rigid than those of its American counterpart, Clarified or Drawn Butter. 

The benefits of Ghee are not well researched in part because its use is ethnocentric and because saturated fat has been isolated as a prime suspect in cardiovascular disease.  Some studies suggest that Ghee is a good source of Vitamin K and D.   Mohammadifard N, et al found that consumption of Ghee increased Apo lipoprotein A which is a major protein component of High Density Lipoprotein HDL, the good cholesterol that helps protect us against cardiovascular disease.  

Ghee does contain a greater percentage of medium and short chain Fatty acids than butter.  The importance of this fact is that our bodies are more adept at metabolizing medium and short chain fatty acids than long chain fatty acids which are linked to cardiovascular disease.

 

When it comes to cooking, Ghee has a higher flashpoint than butter.  Sometimes coined “Smoke Point” the higher flashpoint the better the oil is for cooking at high heats.  Ghee can be used safely at temps between 400-500 degrees F while butter is typically safest at 375 degrees F. The health significance is that at smoke or flash point the components of the oil are being de-natured or broken down.  This creates unhealthy side effects and no oil or fat should be consumed under these conditions.  

In closing, I personally do not see a need for Ghee in our diets.  That doesn't mean Ghee is harmful but in my opinion not essential. Coconut oil contains approximately 12 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon and is in most grocery stores.  We can get saturated fat from consuming other animal products that are readily available and already in our diet.  As far as cooking at High Heat, Grape Seed Oil is very good and contains little if any CV risk factors.  As always, the benefits of any one category of food or product will never over shadow a diet that is balanced.  

David Marcon, DC
463 Ohio Pike, Suite 104
Cincinnati,Ohio 454255
513-474-1111

Unilever adds Butter to their Margarine?

Paul Polman, the head of margarine maker Unilever (UNA), has criticized butter in the past, saying the dairy fat “kills.”    But with sales of the company’s spreads sagging, he is now embracing it.  
It would seem the battle between butter and margarine is over as Unilever in September added butter to Rama in Germany, the biggest spread brand in that market.

Really only one force driving the change in thinking for Unilever and other producers of butter substitutes...Sales!

The primary issue is the that margarine isn't selling.
Six straight quarters of declining sales with no indication that the trend will change in the near future, if ever.

Take note that this is not just a European trend, USDA data indicates that Margarine sales are at a 70 year low here in the States while butter is enjoying a 12 year high.

The reason I choose to highlight Unilever's decision is that people are trending toward consuming more fat and from natural sources.  For decades organizations such as the American Heart Association have made saturated fat their target. Saturated fat was blamed for heart disease, strokes and weight gains.  Their evidence, studies primarily funded by the Pharmaceutical industry, was flimsy at best and statistically flawed by new independent studies.

Recent research not only exonerates saturated fat but actually reveals that the low fat trend actually increased our consumption of refined grains and sugar leading to a gambit of metabolic disorders. To throw fuel to the fire, hydrogenated oils or trans fats that were substituted for good old animal fat have been linked to cancer and heart disease themselves and have been banned in some US cities.  
 
In the end we are again put on notice that businesses have one agenda and that is profits. They are not in business to improve your health, that is your responsibility.  They take advantage of trends and fill the needs and desires of consumers. This decision by Unilever is simply a business model going bad and a company attempting to recapture lost market shares.  Its has nothing to do with heath, just business.  So when Mr Polman or any other food processor cries "Wolf" please remember to follow the money before you follow their advice.  

David Marcon, DC
463 Ohio Pike, Suite 104
Cincinnati, Ohio 45255
513-474-1111
www.marconchiropractic.com