The relationship between fat consumption and cardiovascular risk questioned The idea however now commonly accepted that excessive consumption of fat, especially saturated increase cardiovascular
risk is challenged by a Swedish study presented at the conference of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) held in Munich (Germany)
Poor diet ….. always guilty
Indeed, Leosdottir Nilsson and colleagues Malmö University found no increased cardiovascular risk with increasing consumption of fat. According to them, this theory of harm of Fat Loss Cure in the diet is mainly based on older studies, dating from 50 to 70.
As for recommendations on the need for total caloric intake, they are “based primarily on data from physiological studies on the energy metabolism.” Thus, they “correspond approximately to the needs for energy expenditure and are not based on epidemiological research on the association between energy intake and disease.”
However, more recent epidemiological studies “rely in part in question” these theories.
Swedish researchers have therefore wanted to investigate this issue, based on data collected as part of the “Malmö Diet & Cancer Study.” This epidemiological study, launched in 1991, aimed to initial analyze the relationship between diet and cancer, but they have “hijacked” to study the link between diet and cardiovascular disease.
During 6.6 years mean follow-up 2219 atherothrombotic cardiovascular events of origin (that is to say, having their
origin in the disruption of the arterial circulation resulting from the thickening of the artery walls due to a lipid deposition) were recorded in some 28,000 participants.
Certitudes jittery
For analysis, they were divided into four groups according to their fat consumption. Compared to the first group, the total fat intake corresponded roughly to the recommendations, other groups whose contributions could be considered excessive, all had lower cardiovascular risk or similar, instead of having more risk high.
Similar results were observed when only the consumption of saturated fats (found in oils, cheeses, prepared foods) is taken into account. Again, even when more than 20% of the energy is provided by saturated fats (ie double the proportion recommended by the official recommendations), there is no increased risk.
Researchers have also failed to demonstrate the beneficial effect of a high intake of unsaturated fats, those contained in olive oil (monounsaturated fatty acids) and in the flesh and oils fatty fish (polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6).
On the total daily energy intake, surprisingly, for a significant portion of the participants, it was less than the recommendations. The analysis of the data from this survey has shown, women, a slight increase in risk when energy intake exceeds recommendations, but also when it is less than the recommendations. This effect was not observed in men.
The researchers conclude that, “regarding the risk of cardiovascular events associated with atherosclerosis in middle-aged, our results do not suggest that follow nutritional recommendations on fat intake, and men on the contribution total calories, has a health benefit. ”
However, they provide no explanation, other than the original findings of their study, to try to understand why their results are contrary to what everyone thinks now.
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