Butter unlikely to harm health, but margarine could be deadly
Saturated fat does not increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes or early death, a study has shown
11 Aug 2015
By Sarah Knapton, Science Editor
Saturated fat found in butter, meat or cream is unlikely to kill you, but margarine just might, new research suggests.
Although traditionally dieticians have advised people to cut down on animal fats, the biggest ever study has shown that it does not increase the risk of stroke, heart disease or diabetes.
However trans-fats, found in processed foods like margarine raises the risk of death by 34 per cent.
“For years everyone has been advised to cut out fats,” said study lead author Doctor Russell de Souza, an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, at McMaster University in Canada.
“Trans fats have no health benefits and pose a significant risk for heart disease, but the case for saturated fat is less clear.
“That said, we aren’t advocating an increase of the allowance for saturated fats in dietary guidelines, as we don’t see evidence that higher limits would be specifically beneficial to health.”
Saturated fats come mainly from animal products, such as butter, cows’ milk, meat, salmon and egg yolks, and some plant products such as chocolate and palm oils.
In contrast Trans unsaturated fats or trans fats – are mainly produced industrially from plant oils for use in margarine, snack foods and packaged baked goods.
Guidelines currently recommend that saturated fats are limited to less than 10 per cent, and trans fats to less than one per cent of energy, to reduce risk of heart disease and stroke.
However the new research which looked at 50 studies involving more than one million people found there was no evidence that saturated fat was bad for health.
It backs up recent research from the University of Cambridge that found saturated fat in dairy foods might protect against diabetes.
Last year leading heart scientist Dr James DiNicolantonio of Ithica College, New York, called for health guidelines on saturated fats to be changed in an article in the British Medical Journal.
The “vilification” of saturated fats dates back to the 1950s when research suggested a link between high dietary saturated fat intake and deaths from heart disease.
But the study author drew his conclusions on data from six countries, choosing to ignore the data from a further 16, which did not fit with his hypothesis, and which subsequent analysis of all 22 countries’ data.
Nevertheless the research stuck and since the 1970s most public health organisations have advised people to cut down on fat.
However the new research found no clear association between higher intake of saturated fats and death for any reason, coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, ischemic stroke or type 2 diabetes.
In contrast, consumption of industrial trans fats was associated with a 34 per cent increase in death, a 28 per cent increased risk of death from coronary heart disease, and a 21 per cent increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Despite the research British health experts cautioned against changing to a diet which was high in saturated fat.
Prof Tom Sanders, Emeritus Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics, King?s College London, said: “It would be foolish to interpret these findings to suggest that it is OK to eat lots of fatty meat, lashings of cream and oodles of butter.
“Death rates from CVD have fallen in the UK by about 55 per cent since 1997 despite the rise in obesity for reasons that remain uncertain but this may in part be due to changes in the food supply particularly fewer trans and more omega-3 fatty acids.”
Victoria Taylor, Senior Dietitian, British Heart Foundation, added: “While saturated fats were not robustly associated with total or deaths from CHD, this does not mean we should all go back to eating butter ? the studies that this review is based on can?t show cause and effect.
“Rather, it highlights how difficult it is to understand the true relationship between diet and our health.
“Diets high in saturated fat are linked to raised cholesterol levels, a risk factor for CHD. But when one nutrient is reduced it will be replaced by another and, depending on what this is, it can have positive or negative health consequences.”
The research was published in the British Medical Journal.
CHEESE AND BUTTER ‘TO CARRY HEALTH WARNING’
Monday March 3,2008
By Ian Fletcher
DAIRY foods like cheese and butter could soon have to carry cigarette-style warnings in a bid to slash Britain?s soaring levels of obesity and heart disease.
The Government?s Food Standards Agency is said to be considering using shock tactics to persuade Britons to cut down on their consumption of saturated fats.
Any crackdown could target a wide range of regular snack staples, such as cheese sandwiches and buttered toast, which the watchdogs warn are high in the fats.
A consumer study conducted for the agency by CMI Research found that graphic images of fat ? the kind shown on popular TV shows about food and health ? had a big impact on viewers.
Researchers said: “Dram¬atising the amount of saturated fat in foods in an unexpected and unappetising way proved effective, as almost all were repulsed by the idea of eating lard. Furthermore, it created a strong emotional res¬ponse via the shocking visual images and so acted as a wake-up call to many.”
The FSA, which presented the findings to food firm bosses last week, insisted any plans for a campaign were at “an early stage”.
An agency spokesman told the industry trade magazine The Grocer: “Any activity in this area is not due until 2009.
“The FSA is likely to undertake further research and discussions with a wide pool of food industry chiefs to explore how best to proceed.
“It is too early to speculate about the form such activity may take.”
However, The Grocer says it is thought the agency is set to test messages de¬signed to reveal that everyday foods ? primarily meat, dairy, snacks and confectionery ? are much higher in saturated fats than people may realise.
These include the claim that two slices of buttered toast contain more saturated fat than four doughnuts and that one cheese sandwich contains more than half an individual?s guideline daily amounts of the fat.
The Food Standards Agency is also to consider messages that illustrate the damaging effect saturated fat can have on the body.
But reports that the FSA is contemplating such a high-profile approach has caused consternation among suppliers of dairy products, with fears that their sales would be hit.
Ed Komorowski, the tech¬nical director of Dairy UK, told The Grocer: “Tactics designed to shock people could actually mislead them.
“Comparing the saturated fat content of buttered toast with doughnuts is not giving the full picture of the nutritional qualities of these products.”
Clare Cheney, the director general of the Provision Trade Federation, told The Grocer: “Diet is a complex thing. It?s not like cigarettes, where you either smoke or you don?t and if you do it?s bad for you.
“With diet, it?s about eating a combination of different things in different quantities.”
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WHERE YOU GONING TO GET OFF OUR CASE???
03.03.08, 12:47pm
What ever next, a Ban on Cheese and butter, under Nu Labour are we all going to have to go outside for a cheese samdwich, as eating them inside has been banned. Just get off our case we all know the harmful effects of too much of anything, dont treat us as though we are stupid, because we arnt, we know the real effect of this stupid government, ripping us off with countless costly beurocratic nonesense, just go.
? Posted by: Russell42 ?
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/36806/Cheese-and-butter-to-carry-health-warning–
