Is the harm of saturated fats exaggerated?

British scientists: fatty foods are not harmful to the heart

BBCThe health risks posed by saturated fats contained in foods such as butter, cakes and fatty meat are overstated and demonized, says a British cardiologist.

Asim Malhotra, a cardiologist at Croydon University Hospital in London, believes that too much attention is paid to fats, while other factors – such as sugar – are often overlooked.

It's time to start fighting "the myth of the role of saturated fats in heart disease," he writes in an article published in the British Medical Journal (Aseem Malhotra, Saturated fat is not the major issue – VM).

However, the British Heart Foundation, a British organization specializing in the study and treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system, insists that the data are contradictory. She believes that lowering cholesterol levels in the blood with medication or other means reduces the risk of heart disease.

There is also a special diet developed on the basis of cardiological studies and designed to normalize the amount of saturated fats consumed, especially cholesterol.

Millions of people in the UK take statins – medications that lower cholesterol levels in the blood.

About the benefits of the Mediterranean dietDr. Malhotra says that "for almost four decades, the mantra that saturated fats should be removed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease has dominated the definition of diet."

But the existence of a link between fats and heart disease is not fully supported by scientific data.

Asim Malhotra believes that the food industry compensates for the decrease in the level of saturated fats in food by replacing them with sugar, which, according to him, also contributes to heart disease.

However, switching to a Mediterranean diet – olive oil, nuts, fatty fish, lots of fruits and vegetables, moderate amounts of red wine – after a heart attack reduces mortality almost three times better than statins, says a London cardiologist.

However, the medical director of the British Heart Foundation, Professor Peter Weisberg, says that the results of studies on the relationship between diet and heart disease are often contradictory: "The risk of a heart attack is higher in people with high cholesterol levels in the blood. It is also clear that lowering cholesterol levels by any means reduces this risk."

Cholesterol levels in the blood can depend on many factors, including diet, exercise and medications, in particular statins, he adds.

"There is clear evidence that statins help patients who have experienced a heart attack or are at risk," explains Weisberg, "but they need to be combined with other important measures – such as a balanced diet, smoking cessation and regular exercise."

Statins belong to a group of medications that reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.

A balanced diet, regular physical activity and a healthy weight also contribute to reducing cholesterol levels.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru28.10.2013