Bold surprise. The whole truth about fats

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We are so afraid of unhealthy fats that we began to forget about the real enemy of a healthy body - carbohydrates. In this article, we'll tell you the truth about fat.

We believe that fat is the only obstacle to a beautiful figure. Low-fat diets have been considered a way to live a healthy and long life for decades. However, where did this theory come from, and does it make sense? The answers to these questions are in, but we offer you a short excerpt from it.

History

The theory that saturated fat is harmful to our health and leads to heart disease began its march around the world in 1950 thanks to nutritionist Ansel Keys. During World War II, he invented a special diet for soldiers that was high in nutrients.

Keys was also fond of physiology and decided to channel his knowledge into the study of heart disease. Research led him to this conclusion:

Excessive consumption of fat by a person plays a key role in the development of heart disease.

Fat increases cholesterol levels → high cholesterol levels increase the chance of heart disease. Everything is logical.

In 1958, Keys began an experiment with humans, dividing them into two groups. The first group ate large amounts of food with saturated fats, the second - with unsaturated fats. The experiment showed that the cholesterol level of people from the first group increased, and from the second - it decreased. A logical conclusion followed from this:

Saturated fat is bad, unsaturated fat is good.

Effects

Case's hypothesis quickly spread throughout the world. The first organization to support it was the AHA (American Heart Association), which was engaged in research on cardiovascular diseases. Later, big publications such as The Times joined in, and almost everyone in the United States already knew that saturated fat is the main enemy of humanity.

The US government began pushing this idea into the food industry. Vegetable oils have become the main analogue of animal fats. However, in order to use them in food, it was necessary to carry out a hydrogenation process. As a result, another product was obtained - trans fats.

Trans fats began to be used everywhere, and this could not but affect people's health. A 1994 study by Joseph Judd showed the effect trans fats have on us. Two groups of people were taken. The first ate a diet high in olive oil, and the second ate foods high in trans fats. Based on this, a diet high in trans fat significantly increased cholesterol levels.

The study also went public, and now food manufacturers had to come up with a substitute for trans fats. And this replacement is still bad for our health.

Solution

As mentioned, the healthiest oils are unprocessed vegetable oils. However, when choosing a diet, you should pay attention not to the amount of fat, but to the amount of carbohydrates. You shouldn't blindly hate saturated fats, they are also important for our health. But the two basic rules to follow in your diet are:

1. Small amount of carbohydrates.
2. Sufficient consumption correctfat.

And remember that the touted "low fat" foods are often full of sugar, which is far more harmful.

What do you pay attention to when buying groceries? For fats, carbohydrates, or do not sweat it at all?