Food is where science, culture, our personal tastes, and our physical health converge. There is almost no other part of life that is so passionately debated.
Our ancestors likely first started as hunter gatherers, collecting herbs and edible plants as they roamed, with hunted animals as a source of protein and nutrition. Then, they started establishing communities, small plots of land with grains and other plants for a consistent supply of food, subsidised by meat from hunting. Eventually, small herds of animals were added, creating a sustainable and varied diet.
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Now, we have a plethora of dietary options, diets, plans, and everyone seems to have advice. As science knowledge increases, we learn more about what the body needs and will provide optimum nutrition. As a result, we’ve moved from the low-fat diet of the 1950’s, to the high-fat diet of the 2000’s, and now, somewhere in the middle. How did we get here and is bacon fat bad?
The Low Fat 1950’s
A biologist at the University of Minnesota, Ancel Keys, did research in the 1950’s. He proposed that people should lower their saturated fat intake in order to have a healthy heart. He theorized that higher saturated fat levels increased cholesterol, which clogged arteries, and led to heart disease.
This is how the world ended up with the food pyramid; plentiful grains, fruit, and vegetables at the bottom, limited amounts of meats and proteins in the middle, and 10% of calorie intake from oils and fats at the top of the pyramid.
But what if this is all wrong?
Is the Low Fat Diet Flawed?
70 years on, if everyone has studiously removed fat from their diets, why has the incidence of diabetes and obesity increased in North America? Yet interestingly, heart disease rates are dropping. It’s incredibly complex and no one factor can be deemed the cause. Think about:
- Increasing rates of cancer
- Decreasing rates of smoking
- Replacing fats with sugars in food to provide flavor
- A changing diet with more processed and fast foods
- Changing demographics, with an aging population skewing data
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Reduction of fats means limiting some foods, like cheese, which provide valuable protein and nutrients
We know that previous studies may have been flawed with statistics manipulated, and a strong industry bias may have changed the outcomes to be conclusive in their support of the low fat diet. More studies and scientists are supporting evidence that suggests low fat is not the ultimate answer to heart disease or the multiple ills that happen in modern society. Gary Taubes, Tim Noakes, Gary Fettke, Jason Fung, and Andreas Eenfeldt are all doctors or researchers who suggest high fat diets may be beneficial in some form.
This changing of recommendations certainly isn’t unusual; science should change as more evidence supports other theories. For example, for many years, a low cholesterol diet was the ideal answer to a high LDL cholesterol. This led to the egg being demonized; outed from diets across the world. However, research shows limited impacts on diet on cholesterol levels (exercise and genetics playing a larger role), and that LDL may increase with cholesterol intake, so does HDL, keeping the all-important LDL/HDL ratio healthy.
The PURE Study and Fat Implications
The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study followed 135,335 individuals for around seven years. It measured diet and cardiovascular health. Interestingly, it showed that higher carbohydrate intake was associated with mortality, but not cardiovascular mortality. Increased fat intake was associated with overall lower mortality, but not with cardiovascular disease mortality.
What does this mean? Correlation does not equal causation, and scientists and nutritionists should be hesitant to draw conclusions based only on this data. There are huge amounts of confounding factors, such as exercise, alcohol intake, and a range of other health and diet factors. However, the PURE study simply does not support that fats in a diet should be limited, and instead says that as a part of a healthy diet, fat is necessary.
What Does This Mean for You?
You need to make the best health decisions for yourself. Everyone’s genetics and body makeup are different, and advice can be followed broadly but it’s not tailored to your individual needs.
We know that exercise is vital for health (not weight; there’s evidence to suggest overweight individuals who maintain an exercise regime are just as healthy as slim individuals with the same routine).
We also know that vegetables, fruit, and various sources of protein supply high levels of nutrition. Beyond that, it’s up to you. Fat is not the bad guy that the media made it out to be, and a higher fat diet could offer more health benefits than a high carbohydrate diet. So, step away from the bread and rice, and pick up some organic bacon from the Meat Box or beef when you next go shopping. Your health might thank you for it.
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