Bad cholesterol, heart risk… Foods too rich in saturated fats, such as cakes or crisps, can deteriorate our health in just a few weeks, according to a study.
- Eating too many foods high in saturated fats (butter, fatty meats, crisps, cakes, etc.) can damage our health in less than four weeks, according to a study conducted on volunteers over 24 days.
- No participants gained weight, but those who ate the most saturated fat saw increases in their bad cholesterol levels, the amount of fat stored in their liver, and their heart risk.
- Conversely, the group that followed a diet high in polyunsaturated fats experienced much more positive changes after 24 days.
While we know that eating too much fat is harmful to our health in the long term, it could well be damaging our bodies even faster than we think. In fact, according to a new study published by the British Heart Foundation and presented at the congress of the European Society of Cardiology In London, eating too many foods high in saturated fat can damage our health in less than four weeks.
Rapid health decline with saturated fats
To reach this conclusion, researchers from the University of Oxford (United Kingdom) recruited 24 participants to follow two separate diets for 24 days. One group ate products rich in saturated fats (butter, fatty meats, crisps, cakes, etc.), which are bad for your health, while the other group ate foods rich in polyunsaturated fats (oily fish, sunflower oil, nuts, etc.), which provide the body with essential nutrients such as omega-3 and 6. Each volunteer underwent an MRI scan and a blood test at the beginning and end of the trial, in order to measure the impact of the type of fats consumed on known risk factors for heart disease.
As a result, none of the participants gained weight, but those who ate the most saturated fat saw their health indicators deteriorate significantly after just 24 days of eating. Not only did their LDL (the “bad”) cholesterol levels increase by 10%, but the amount of fat stored in their livers also jumped by about 20%, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Their analyses also revealed an increased risk of heart disease.
“A diet high in saturated fat can negatively alter cardiovascular disease risk factors, even when a person is not gaining weight.”summarizes Nikola Srnic, lead author of the study.
The protective role of unsaturated fats
Conversely, the group that followed a diet high in polyunsaturated fats experienced much more positive changes after 24 days. Namely, a decrease in total blood cholesterol and levels of “bad” cholesterol of about 10%, as well as an increase in energy reserves in their heart muscle compared to the period before the study. Results that confirm “the protective role” unsaturated fats.
“It’s the type of fat, not the amount of fat, that’s important. It’s interesting how quickly, and silently, such a change can happen in just three weeks.”concludes Nikola Srnic.
