Why the fear of fat is unfounded
Ben Mccanna/Portland Press Herald/Getty
General dietary recommendations also influence fitness and sports enthusiasts. Questions about these recommendations arise again and again. A common question is: Does fat increase my risk of cardiovascular disease as an athlete?
NZZ.ch requires JavaScript for important functions. Your browser or ad blocker is currently preventing this.
Please adjust the settings.
The fear of fat is understandable. Since the late 1970s, official bodies have recommended reducing fat intake—especially from animal sources. The reason: These fats are high in saturated fatty acids and therefore promote cardiovascular disease. Although there was never any scientific evidence to support this, this led to the recommendation to choose low-fat milk instead of whole milk products. And people should also limit their intake of meat and meat products, otherwise their consumption of saturated fatty acids would be too high.
In Switzerland, for example, the recommended daily intake of red meat is just 7 grams – equivalent to one 210-gram steak per month. Following this guideline reduces saturated fat intake, but at the same time, reduces the intake of important nutrients. This can compromise zinc, iron, or protein intake, especially during exercise.
In the USA, where the anti-fat recommendations originated, a reversal is now underway: The new recommendations are intended to lift restrictions on saturated fatty acids. The previous dogma that they are partly responsible for cardiovascular disease is being rejected .
This would make the US a pioneer in scientifically based fat recommendations. Whether other countries will follow suit remains to be seen. However, it is high time to end the almost 50 years of misinformation about fats and establish evidence-based recommendations.
Anyone who wants to base their diet on sound scientific knowledge today can ignore the warnings about saturated or animal fats. Because the fear of fat or saturated fatty acids is scientifically unfounded – even in the fitness and sports world.
Nutritionist Dr. Paolo Colombani is president of the independent competence center Notabene Nutrition.
An article from the « NZZ am Sonntag »
nzz.ch
