Why Low-Fat Diets Aren’t So Heart-Healthy After All

At one time, experts believed low-fat diets were best for lowering the risk of heart disease. “Heart-healthy” low-fat products lined the shelves of supermarkets and people eagerly bought them in hopes of lowering their cholesterol and risk of a future heart attack. Slowly the thinking changed as research came out showing not all fats are bad for your heart. Still, some people cling to low-fat diets in hopes of avoiding heart disease. Recently a new landmark study published in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at this issue and came to some surprising conclusions about what’s heart healthy and what’s not.

Heart Health and Low-Fat Diets: They’re Not All They’re Cracked Up to Be

This study involved almost 8,000 middle-aged and older men and women at high risk for heart disease. The participants were divided into three groups. The first group ate a diet consistent with the low-fat diet recommended by the American Heart Association. The other two groups ate a Mediterranean diet rich that emphasized fish, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and was low in meat and dairy. One of the two groups on the Mediterranean diet ate nuts daily, an excellent source of monounsaturated fat. The other added 3.5 tablespoons of olive oil daily to their diet, another good source of monounsaturated fat.

The researchers had planned on following the three groups over an extended time period to compare their rate of heart attack, stroke, and death, but the results were so striking they stopped the study early. Why?

The two groups eating a Mediterranean diet supplemented with either olive oil or nuts had a 30% lower risk of heart disease and almost a 50% lower risk of stroke. Plus, both groups that ate a Mediterranean diet had a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance and lower blood pressures compared to the low-fat group. This was true despite the fact that the two groups on the Mediterranean diet consumed a greater number of calories overall. Pretty striking results!

Evidence Supporting a Healthy-Fat Diet Continues to Grow

This isn’t the first study to show low-fat diets have little or no impact on lowering the risk of heart disease. Another large study called the Women’s Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trail came to a similar conclusion. It’s the type of fat you eat, not necessarily how much. Monounsaturated fats in sources like olive oil, nuts, and avocados seem to have a positive impact on heart health by lowering LDL-cholesterol, the “bad” kind, and raising HDL, the heart-healthy kind and by helping to control blood sugar. On the other hand, you don’t want to go overboard, especially if you’re watching your weight. Fats are a dense source of calories, but healthy fats in moderation are a dietary asset, not a liability.

 Other Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet

The benefits of a Mediterranean diet go beyond monounsaturated fats. Because it emphasizes fruits and vegetables and limits processed foods, it contains more plant-based antioxidants and natural chemicals that reduce inflammation, an underlying problem in many diseases. Plus, people who follow a Mediterranean diet eat more fish that are rich in omega-3s. It’s also a diet abundant in soluble and insoluble fiber. Some experts have called the Mediterranean diet the healthiest diet in the world. What you can surely say is it offers benefits that a low-fat diet doesn’t.

The Mediterranean diet isn’t a “fad diet” to help you lose weight, but an eating plan you can stick with for life. There’s even evidence that eating a Mediterranean diet can improve your mood. There’s even evidence that this diet lowers the risk for depression. Plus, it offers a rich and varied selection of foods.

The Bottom Line?

If you’re worried about your risk for heart disease, think about the TYPES of fat you’re eating. If you’re trying to avoid fat as much as possible, you’re not doing your heart a favor. Low-fat diets mean you’re probably eating more processed carbs that boost insulin levels and increase inflammation. That’s not good for your heart or blood vessels. Instead of getting most of your fat from meat and dairy, get it from olive oil, fatty fish and nuts instead. Do your heart a favor.

References:

The New England Journal of Medicine. February 25, 2013. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1200303.

Science Daily. “Mediterranean Diet Associated With Reduced Risk of Depression”

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