Not all fat is BAD fat ! For years, heart disease patients have been advised to follow a “low-fat” diet despite there not being much evidence that it actually lowers cardiovascular risk. Not to mention, most people find it hard to stick with this type of diet because fats are widely available in our food supply. Several new reports suggest that the Mediterranean diet (which includes moderate to high amounts of good fats) lowers cardiovascular disease risk. The Mediterranean diet also consists of veggies, fruits, beans, whole grains, and fish, but limits red meat and sweets. Good fats are those containing mono-unsaturated or poly-unsaturated fats found in fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, avocados, etc. These fats seem to LOWER inflammatory factors that contribute to heart disease. New evidence suggests the Mediterranean diet reduces the relative risk of cardiovascular events (e.g. heart attack, stroke) by about 30% over 5 years. This works out to about 3 fewer major cardiovascular events for every 1000 patients per year on a Mediterranean diet, compared to patients trying to follow a low-fat diet. Knowing which fats are good and which ones are bad is key. A balanced diet includes plenty of good fats, while limiting saturated fats (found red meat and dairy) and avoiding trans fat such as potato chips, french fries, and donuts.
