By Joseph Mercola, DO
This is a comprehensive review with nearly 150 references from the recent medical literature. Dr. Willet, chairman of the Department of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard, wrote the review.
Interestingly, his review finds that saturated fat consumption is associated with an increase in cholesterol levels, while unsaturated fats lower cholesterol levels.
However, the giant assumption some people make is that the increase in cholesterol level is actually associated with an increase in heart disease. According to the review, this just wasn’t the case. Despite a long-standing interest in this topic, Dr. Willet was only able to find two significant published studies that showed an association between saturated fat intake and risk of heart disease. Earlier studies on this topic were limited by small study size, inadequate dietary assessment or incomplete adjustment for confounding variables.
In the studies that did show an increased risk of heart disease with saturated fat intake, the risk was found to be relatively minor when compared to that of consuming trans-fats. This is consistent with the article I posted by Sally Fallon and Dr. Enig earlier this year.
This review includes a discussion of 15 prospective studies done on fish oil and omega-3 that confirm the importance of omega-3 fats in heart disease prevention.
Omega-3 fats reduce heart disease through four primary mechanisms:
The review also documented an increase in heart disease in those who consumed refined cereal grains. This association broke down when it came to whole grains, and in many cases this may be related to the benefits of phytic acid in whole grains, one of which is reducing iron. Elevated iron levels act as one of the most potent influences on heart disease by increasing free radical production and oxidizing unsaturated fats in sensitive tissues.
JAMA November 27, 2002 288:2569-2578
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