In one of his comments on the relationship between healthy heart and nutrition in the BMJ, Dr. Asim Malhotra, of the Croydon University Hospital in London, argued that modern medicine's view of saturated fat as the main cause of cardiovascular disease is not entirely objective..

He stated: “Scientists believe that trans fats, found in many foods, including fast food, baked goods and margarine, increase the risk of CVD by initiating inflammation in the arteries..

But saturated fat is a different story.”.

A major problem in American nutrition, according to Malhotra, is the fear of saturated fat as a factor in cardiovascular disease, which has forced the food industry to replace saturated fat with sugar to compensate for the loss of taste.. The scientist writes: “There is growing clinical evidence that sugar is a possible independent risk factor for metabolic syndrome.. It's time to put aside the myth about the role of saturated fat in the development of heart disease..

Each of us who has ever thought about our health and our future has considered the problem of nutrition.. Who has not tried to find the answer to the question of how to eat in order to live longer and maintain a high quality of life? It would be interesting to hear what experts of leading American medical organizations, hospitals and academic centers think about cholesterol and other "

Walter Willett, Head of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health.

For many years, saturated fat has been recognized as a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We were only able to see part of the picture, but not the whole picture.. Compared to the typical American carbohydrate diet, saturated fat has little to no effect on the real risk of heart disease.. However, compared to polyunsaturated fats and possibly monounsaturated fats, they have a negative impact on cardiovascular health..

The advice of the 1960s and 70s to replace animal fats with vegetable oils was almost certainly beneficial, and led to a significant reduction in cardiovascular mortality.. Unfortunately, in the 1980s, unfounded advice to completely replace fat in the diet with carbohydrates appeared, and this not only did not help, but also hurt many people.. We have already begun to abandon such a policy, but it will take a long time.

Dr. Malhotra is right that the Mediterranean diet, which includes vegetable fats, lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and a small amount of red meat, may be the best option.. Going further, red meat and dairy are no problem.; in an optimal diet, there will not be many of them, because their place will be taken by nuts, legumes, poultry, fish.

Scott Grundy, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

The best evidence that saturated fat does increase cholesterol and is associated with coronary disease comes from Finland.. Thirty years ago, Finns ate a diet that was very high in saturated fat.. During the same period, they had very high cholesterol levels and a risk of cardiovascular disease.. As a result of health policy changes and the promotion of healthy eating, saturated fat consumption in Finland has fallen, and with it, the risk of cardiovascular disease has also decreased..

Many metabolic studies have shown that saturated fat increases cholesterol levels, and many epidemiological studies have found that every 1% increase in cholesterol levels corresponds to a 1-2% increase in cardiovascular risk.. Since saturated fats increase cholesterol, it is logical to assume that they also increase the risk of CVD.. Finally, we have the results of numerous small population-based studies that have shown an association between a diet high in animal fats and the risk of myocardial infarction..

David Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Center.

My opinion is that the current attempts to justify saturated fats are just as wrong as the attempts to denigrate them and attribute all sorts of harm to them.. Keep in mind that a diet high in saturated fat will contain less other substances such as vegetable oils, vegetables, fruits, etc.. People who eat a lot of meat eat less beans and lentils. Having a lot of meat may be just one of the many faults in a "

Over the past 30 years in the United States, the share of energy derived from fat has fallen from 40% to 30%, although the absolute (! ) their consumption remained the same. As a result, obesity began to spread.. Dr. Malhotra uses this fact to support his opinion that saturated fats are not bad - we started eating less of them, but still getting fatter.. But the doctor ignores the fact that real calorie intake has gone up.. And this is the problem: we have not cut the amount of fat, but only added a huge amount of carbohydrates to them.. I'm sure the problem is solved simply: less cream, more spinach.

Noel Merz, director of the Center for Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

The Western diet is very rich in animal proteins, saturated fats, cholesterol, and poor in polyunsaturated fatty acids (nuts, legumes, fish), fiber, B vitamins (fruits and vegetables). All of these contribute to a high risk of cardiovascular disease.. Once epidemiologist Ancel Case demonstrated that saturated fats and cholesterol from food raise people's blood cholesterol levels, but it could be an even more complex process.. We (Americans) identified this risk and moved on, but the British did not..

Modern American guidelines ditched saturated fat 10 years ago and recommend a Mediterranean style diet.. This is exactly what Ansel Case suggested. Changes in the American diet that occurred in the 1960s (reduced consumption of butter, whole milk, bacon, eggs, red meat) led to a drop in the level of cholesterol in the general population (NHANES) from 220 to 210 mg/dL. This was accompanied by the decline in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality predicted by Ansel Case.. These figures have fallen even lower due to the widespread use of statins..

Today, a different trend is observed in developing countries: China has dramatically increased the consumption of animal products, as the population of this country has become more affluent.. And this predictably led to a sharp increase in the incidence of cardiovascular disease..

Michael Blaga, Director of Clinical Research at Johns Hopkins Heart Disease Prevention Center.

Overall, saturated fat plays the most modest role in predicting cardiovascular risk.. However, it is wrong to consider them as one whole.. Some saturated fats (such as palm and coconut oil) may actually be healthy foods.. It is clear that dairy products in moderation are also good for health.. Other sources of saturated fat, such as red meat, may be moderately atherogenic.. But all of this needs to be separated from the other very unhealthy aspects of processed red meat, preservatives, and bio-products from high-temperature processing..

I think that the fear of fats and the reduction in their consumption led to an increased intake of carbohydrates.. Unfortunately, these are, for the most part, easily digestible carbohydrates that dramatically increase blood sugar levels and contribute to the development of insulin resistance.. There is little doubt that dietary changes in the US over the past 20-30 years are directly related to the current epidemic of obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes..

It is unfair to claim that one particular macronutrient is harmful. Advice for patients should be comprehensive, recommend eating more variety of fresh foods, less canned and processed foods.

I do not agree with the claims of some scientists that the " Statins have proven beneficial effects on blood lipid levels, and current guidelines quite rightly recommend them for all patients at high CV risk..

Carl Lavier, Medical Director, Department of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention, Oschner Heart and Vascular Institute.

It is true that replacing saturated fats with omega-3 acids and carbohydrates is associated with possible problems.. We are talking about the suspicions about the harm of linoleic acid, expressed by Dr. Scott Grundy almost 30 years ago..

In a society where energy costs, including housework and work activity, have declined substantially over the past five decades, a high-carbohydrate diet may lead to an increase in insulin resistance and its many complications.. However, with a high level of physical activity, the use of sugar and complex carbohydrates does not pose such a danger..

Ideally, with our low physical activity, many will benefit from eating fewer carbohydrates, more unsaturated fats - omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) and omega-6 fatty acids (olive oil). But even so, saturated fat would be better than ultra-high carb intake..

Saturated fats and cholesterol from food can also be considered safer than trans fats..

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