The research team found that foods high in saturated fat, such as potato chips and burgers, can damage the body within just 3 weeks, posing a risk to the heart even when people do not gain extra weight as a result of consuming them.
In the study, one group of people was asked to follow a diet high in saturated fats, and another group was asked to eat foods containing healthier unsaturated fats, such as oily fish and nuts, for 24 days.
People who ate more saturated fat showed a sharper decline in key health markers, with an increased risk of heart disease. They also had 20% more fat stored in their liver, increasing their risk of type 2 diabetes, and saw their total and “bad” cholesterol levels rise by about 10%.
But those who ate diets high in healthy unsaturated fats saw a significant improvement in their health, with a 10% reduction in total and “bad” cholesterol levels in the blood, and an increase in energy reserves in the heart muscle.
“It’s the type of fat, not the amount of fat, that matters,” said lead researcher Nikola Srnicek, from the University of Oxford. “It’s interesting how you can see such a change so quickly, in just three weeks.”
“The results suggest that a diet high in saturated fats may negatively alter cardiovascular risk factors even when a person does not gain weight,” he added. “On the other hand, we saw protective effects if a person ate a diet high in polyunsaturated fats.”
Source: Daily Mail
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2024-09-04 14:36:39
