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BUTTER OR MARGARINE?
Which fats are good, and which ones are bad? December 25, 1997 |
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Questions asked
in this forum:How do I navigate the contradictory information about carbohydrates and olive oil ? How do you judge whether a dietary product is real or fake ? How much fat should we eat everyday ? Which is worse, trans-fat, or saturated fat ? Michele Collins of North Beach NJ asks: Please comment on the importance of whole foods versus many of the processed low fat foods that are available. Is it better to eat low-fat foods that have been highly processed, or foods that are higher in fat, but whole in composition?
Dr. Walter Willett responds:
There is not a simple answer to whether some of the new processed low-fat foods arc the same, better, or worse than the original higher-fat versions. It mainly depends on what type of fat was in the original version. For example, salad dressings almost always contain non-hydrogenatcd liquid vegetable oils, which reduce bad cholesterol levels in the blood and decrease the risk of heart disease.
Thus, the newer nofat versions of salad dressings are probably a step in the wrong direction. Most of the low-fat yogurts contain high amounts of added sugar, ending up with the same number of calories as the original version and probably little advantage in terms of heart disease risk.
Similarly, many of the no-fat commercially baked cookies and baked goods are very high in sugar and calories and are not likely to be an improvement in terms of health. Some of the new foods that will be reaching the market made with olestra may potentially be dangerous because they can substantially lower levels of carotenoids in the blood, and there are dozens of studies indicating that people who have higher carotenoid levels have reduced risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
One can have excellent health consuming whole foods, as long as we make the healthy choices, and most of the new processed low-fat foods are either not helpful or can be less healthy than the original version.
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