Another take on saturated fat

 In the 22 October 2013 edition of the British Medical Journal , Dr. Aseem Malhotra ,  interventionist cardiology  specialist from Croydon University Hospital in London, wrote an  article entitled “Saturated fat is not the main issue – let’s bust the myth of  it’s role in heart disease.” He starts the article stating that scientists accept the fact that trans fats  found in  processed foods (such as sweets, cakes, cookies, chips, etc ) and margarine increase the  risk of heart disease by  inflammatory processes. He continues with denouncing the wrong  information about the saturated fat that have  misinformed the public for many decades.

 Dr. Malhotra states that saturated fats do not raise the portion of LDL cholesterol which contributes to heart disease. The fatty acids from animal fats lower triglycerides and CRP , an inflammatory marker , and the level of insulin resistance, therefore, the risk of type II diabetes. He cites new study that shows that the low- fat diet reduces the most energy resources, causing an unhealthy lipid profile, and insulin resistance (primary cause of type II diabetes), compared with a diet with a lower glycemic index ( the level of glucose in the blood 2-3 hours after eating, especially related to simple carbohydrates for example sugar, sweets, sugary drinks ). In recent decades in the U.S. the proportion of fat consupmtion in the diet decreased, but obesity has skyrocketed.

Dr. Malhotra also provides information that 75 % percent of patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction have normal cholesterol levels. The Framingham Study immortalized cholesterol as a risk factor for heart attack , helping to spread the use of statins, drugs that lower cholesterol, for hundreds of millions of patients. However, new research shows that lower cholesterol contributes to deaths from cardiac and non-cardiac reasons. Cholesterol levels do not contribute to the risk of death.

The newer credible study from 2013 shows that 20% of patients treated with statins reported unacceptable side effects – muscle pain, digestive problems, problems with sleep and memory, and sexual dysfunction – a much higher level than what the companies that manufacture these drugs showed.  Another cited study shows that the Mediterranean diet – a diet rich in fish, moderate amounts of dairy, and high fiber carbohydrates like cereals, whole grains and vegetables – a diet that permits the use of butter and lard – has a 30 % better outcome than a low-fat diet for cardiovascular disease.