Good Fats and Bad Fats
If you’re an adult over the age of 35, and/or you care at all about your health, you already know that there are bad fats (saturated fats like those found in red meats and dairy) and good fats (unsaturated fats like those found in nuts, non-tropical vegetable oils, many seeds, and fish). The basic rule for avoiding heart disease and stroke has been to limit all fats but especially avoid the bad fats.
A new study has been released (I believe from Japan, but don’t quote me on that) that doesn’t radically change this rule but does change it. Here’s how: the study found that (1) people who ate a lot of bad fats had more incidence of heart disease and stroke (duh), (2) people who ate very little of any kind of fat had a lesser incidence of heart disease and stroke (again, duh), and (3) people who ate a LOT of good fats and avoided bad fats had the least incidence by a wide margin of heart disease and stroke (there’s the surprising part). Folks might also find surprising that the amount of dairy fats (milk, cheese, ice cream, butter) that were consumed did not have a statistically observable effect on the risk of heart disease and stroke.
It’s important to remember this is one study out of hundreds or maybe thousands on a similar topic, and that the more studies there are the more the results may be pooled and compared. But still…if true, this new study challenges one of the core “truths” I was brought up to believe, namely that fat is fat, and as such is bad, period.
Another thing to remember is consumption of fat (and apparently which kind of fat) is important if your criteria are reducing the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke before the age of about 75. If you don’t mind dying before 75, or if the preferred cause of your ultimate demise is heart attack or stroke (or a car wreck or other violent end) over something like cancer, dementia, organ failure, or failure to fight off an infection, then consumption of fat may be lower on your list of things to worry about.
Finally, if the latter of the two types of people above describes you more than the former, and you need something to worry about, here is a partial list of things you may find worthwhile: global climate change, politically-driven violence, any violence really, disease from lack of exercise, injuries from too much exercise, pandemics, buildup of toxics in your body, stress caused by worrying, lack of sleep, too much sleep, road rage (either coming from you or directed at you), chronic and debilitating debt, the graying of America, and the decline of the nation’s/world’s infrastructure. And, there is also diet, albeit lower on the list. Enjoy!
Here endeth the lesson on good fats and bad fats.
Bike Newbie 