Butter, red meat and cheese ARE bad for you – ‘increasing heart attack and stroke risk’
TOO much butter and red meat really is bad for you, officials warn.
Some research has suggested scoffing food rich in saturated fat actually slashes the chance of dying young.
But after reviewing 47 studies, updated guidance from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition says eating high levels is risky.
Switch it up
It warns too much saturated fat – commonly found in milk, cheese, butter and biscuits - raises cholesterol and heart disease risk.
Instead, people should switch to unsaturated oils, such as avocado, olive oil and fish, such as salmon and mackerel.
The committee, which advises Government on diet, said Brits should stick to current guidelines and aim to get no more than 10 per cent of energy from saturated fats.
Currently, the average person consumes around 13.5 per cent.
Heart risk
Professor Paul Haggarty, Chair of the Saturated Fats and Health Working Group of SACN, said: "Looking at the evidence, our report confirms that reducing saturated fat lowers total blood cholesterol and cuts the risk of heart disease.”
Some experts claim warning people off butter and steak is counterproductive, as they end up scoffing white bread and sugar instead which is more harmful.
Last year, a study involving more than 218,000 people found those eating the highest levels of dairy and red meat saw their chances of early death fall by 25 per cent and a fatal heart attack cut by 22 per cent.
But the majority of Brit scientists backed the latest advice to limit saturated fat intake.
Cut out cake
Professor Naveed Sattar, expert in metabolic medicine at Glasgow University, said: “The evidence continues to suggest saturated fats increase cholesterol and the risk of heart disease remains clear, and there is no evidence for the opposite view.”
And former government obesity tsar Susan Jebb, from Oxford University, said: “We need to cut down our consumption of cakes, biscuits, pastries and desserts which account for a very large proportion of total saturated fat intake.
"Doing so would also cut sugar and our total calorie intake bringing much wider health benefits.”
The NHS advises consuming too much saturated fat raises cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease.
Guidance state men should eat no more than 30g daily and women 20g.
Saturated fat is typically found in animal products such as butter, cheese and red meat.
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But as well as providing energy, fat is needed to carry vitamins and also provides the body with essential acids.
Tracy Parker, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: “It’s no secret that eating too much saturated fat can increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
“Swapping foods high in saturated fat – such as butter, cheese and fatty meat – for foods with more unsaturated fat - such as oily fish, nuts and seeds – can help to lower cholesterol levels, a risk factor for heart and circulatory diseases.”
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