A group of doctors led by Dr. Aseem Malhotra has said that avoiding saturated fats in the diet will not reduce heart disease. This is in contradiction to the age old belief, wherein, it is said that consumption of saturated fat rich foods like butter and cheese will lead to clogging of arteries and thereby cause coronary heart disease.
What is coronary heart disease?
It is the most common heart disease and the leading cause of death in men and women. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood to the muscles of the heart. In the coronary heart disease, blood supply to the heart will be minimized due to building up of cholesterol in the inner walls of the arteries. As a result, heart muscles can't get enough amount of blood or oxygen it needed to function. This leads to pain in the chest or a heart attack
It comes as a surprise to many, as most of us tend to minimize the consumption of the saturated fat rich foods keeping in view of its ill effects. The doctors opined that, in order to avoid heart disease, people have to consume home cooked food and stay away from stress. In addition to these, a brisk walk for 22 minutes a day, eliminates the risk of heart disease.
Also Read: Beware! Consuming Diet Drinks Triple Your Risk Of Stroke And Dementia And Are More Dangerous Than Sugary Drinks
According to them, following 150 minutes of walk per that translates to 22 minutes per day increases the life expectancy by 3½ to 4½ years irrespective of their body weight. They said that moderate consumption of foods rich in saturated fats will do no harm.
The team of doctors expressed their opinions in an editorial in the British Journal of sports medicine. Dr. Malhotra of Lister Hospital in Stevenage, Pascal Meier of University College London and US cardiologist professor Rita Redberg said: " Despite popular belief among doctors and the public, the conceptual model of dietary saturated fat clogging a pipe is just plain wrong.". However, some fats like that present in the olive oil and butter have been proven to minimize heart attack. They advised avoiding the consumption of processed foods and ready to eat foods to minimize the risk of coronary heart disease.
However, not all of them are in agreement with the views expressed by the doctors. Professor Naveed Sattar, an expert in metabolic medicine at Glasgow University and Dr. Mike Knapton of the British Heart Foundation cited the trial data as well as decades of research that said a rise of cholesterol in the blood increases the risk of heart attacks or stroke.
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