Saturated fat does not clog up arteries nor increase the chance of a heart attack, according to a team of doctors whose views have triggered a wave of criticism.
In an editorial, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the researchers described current thinking on the effect dietary saturated fat has on health as “just plain wrong.”
The paper also pointed an accusatory finger at research emphasising the need to lower cholesterol levels.
This market driver of ‘proven to lower cholesterol’ and ‘lowfat’ foods,’ the team said, had been “misguided.”
“Coronary artery disease is a chronic inflammatory disease and it can be reduced effectively by walking 22 min a day and eating real food,” the review stated. “There is no business model or market to help spread this simple yet powerful intervention.”
Key to their opinions was research that showed no link between saturated fat intake and death, coronary heart disease (CHD), CHD mortality, stroke or type 2 diabetes (T2D) in healthy adults.
Similarly in the prevention of CHD the team said there was no benefit from reducing fat, including saturated fat, on myocardial infarction, cardiovascular or allcause mortality.
One solution put forward was the adoption of a Mediterraneanstyle diet coupled with 20 or so minutes of physical activity a day as sufficient enough reduce the risk of heart complications.
“In comparison with advice to follow a ‘low fat’ diet (37% fat), an energyunrestricted Mediterranean diet (41% fat) supplemented with at least four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or a handful of nuts achieved a significant 30% reduction in cardiovascular events in over 7500 highrisk patients,” the team pointed out.
‘Muddled’ editorial adding ‘confusion’
The paper’s authors, Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist at the Lister hospital in Stevenage, Pascal Meier, a cardiologist at University College London and editor of the journal BMJ Open Heart and Rita Redberg, the editor of the American journal JAMA Internal Medicine, received a barrage of criticism from fellow cardiologists and experts.
Prof. Alun Hughes, professor of Cardiovascular Physiology and Pharmacology, described the editorial as “muddled” adding to “confusion on a contentious topic.”
Others went further stating that the authors had reported evidence simplistically and selectively.
Dr Amitava Banerjee, senior clinical lecturer in Clinical Data Science and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist at University College London, was one such critic.
“The authors failed to cite a rigorous Cochrane systematic review which concluded that cutting down dietary saturated fat was associated with a 17% reduction in cardiovascular events including coronary heart disease on the basis of 15 randomised trials.
“A lot of the evidence the authors quote about saturated fats, including the systematic review , is based on observational data, making it harder to draw conclusions, due to confounding factors.”
Dr Christine Williams, professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Reading, questioned the reasons for publishing these findings.
Source: Food Navigator
