Saturated fat sugar and heart disease risk
Another question, with regards to Ancel Keys multi nation study that led to the demonization of saturated fat (not stating whether it is right or wrong, but just saying) and elevated serum cholesterol levels; was it a valid study and are saturated fat and cholesterol really the only culprits? Or are sugar and insulin also equally critical and associated with heart disease? If so what is the role of elevated sugar and insulin levels in the progression of heart disease.
Great Q. It is a complex answer but I will try to summarize: 1. The OVERALL evidence continues to favor limiting saturated fat intake (American Heart Association recommends to have no more than 6% of calories come from saturated fat) 2. More and more evidence is linking SIMPLE sugars and related rapid blood sugar spikes to inflammation and related heart disease 3. So BOTH are important Now to the nuances: 1. Conflicting evidence is present in the literature with SOME studies NOT demonstrating any relationship between heart disease and saturated fat , but several of those are LESS high quality (In other words, they are observational studies and meta-analyses as opposed to randomized controlled trials) 2. A lot of data suggests REPLACING calories from saturated fat with those from polyunsaturated fat gets the real benefit NOW to the most exciting NEW information: More recent research is beginning to emerge that “Not all sources of Saturated Fat are created equal”—In one excellent study from the UK for example, food sources of saturated fat such as RED MEAT AND BUTTER were linked to heart disease, but YOGURT, CHEESE AND FISH were not. I am quoting the authors of the above study (very well done from Cambridge): "We found that people who ate more saturated fats from red meat and butter were more likely to develop heart disease. The opposite was true for those who ate more saturated fats from cheese, yoghurt and fish – which were actually linked to a lower risk of heart disease. These findings are in line with what earlier research has shown about the link between these foods and heart disease. These findings show us that the link between heart disease and saturated fats depends on what food sources it comes from.” I know one of the authors of this study and may try to get her for one of our upcoming Podcasts.