… but cupcakes? Definitely evil (sob!). At least that’s the verdict of a recent major review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers looked at several studies in which a total of more than 350,000 people recorded their daily food intake–and guess what they discovered? Contrary to both conventional wisdom and past science, the real health threat in the American diet isn’t fat; it’s processed carbs.
In fact, the study authors found no relationship between saturated fat intake and heart disease. This isn’t the first time experts have debunked the “fat makes you fat and hurts your heart” theory; a 2008 study from Harvard School of Public Health revealed that people who followed a Mediterranean-style diet rich in vegetables and meat–but low in processed carbs–had far better cholesterol levels and lost more weight than people who consumed the same amount of calories, but got those calories from less saturated and more carbs. And previous studies from the same research team proved that the more processed carbohydrates women eat, the more likely they were to be overweight or obese.
This helps explain why, although saturated fat consumption has plummeted in the U.S. over the past thirty years, Americans have gotten fatter … and fatter … and fatter. What’s crazy is that the government still recommends that people get the majority of their calories from carbohydrates. I won’t argue that you shouldn’t eat whole grains–but most people don’t eat whole grains, they eat the processed type. From where I stand, the above research really suggests that even people who do get their fill of complex carbs should consider shifting their calorie intake so that more of their calories come from vegetables and protein.
Anyway, this is great news for a red meat and butter lover like me (at the very least, I feel better about the skirt steak I had for lunch yesterday!). On the other hand … it’s not so great for a cupcake and cookie lover like me. But as the Harvard study shows, having a single cookie once in a while if you’re maintaining a Mediterranean diet the majority of the time isn’t really a problem; it’s filling your day with processed sweets, bread, crackers and cereal that really gets your waistline and your heart into trouble.
What do you think about this new research?
-Camille
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Camille
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Definitely something to think about!!
This makes intuitive sense to me. (Cupcakes… sob.) I know I feel better when I eat protein and vegetables. It’s getting real whole grains into my diet that is hardest for me; you pretty much have to commit to cooking or baking them yourself.
Maryn, I agree about whole grains–it really is a commitment to make sure you’re getting enough.