Lifestyle

How eating fat foods can increase risk of heart diseases

A recent study by the University of Oxford, UK suggest that a potential link exists between eating saturated fat from meat and developing heart disease. The findings of a new study performed on more than 100 000 individuals were recently presented at ESC Congress 2021.

Study author Dr Rebecca Kelly of the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, UK said, “The association seen between saturated fat and cardiovascular disease risk in observational studies has previously been unclear; our findings are important because they provide a possible explanation – that the relationship may vary depending on the food source.

She added, “We found that saturated fat from meat may be associated with a higher risk than other food sources – in part because those consuming large amounts of meat also had a higher body mass index (BMI) than low consumers.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Eating higher amounts of saturated fat is linked to elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

There is some evidence that different types of foods rich in saturated fat, particularly meat and dairy, may have different associations with cardiovascular disease. Therefore, this study examined how saturated fat from various foods relates to ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and total cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke combined).

The study included 114 285 UK Biobank participants who were free of cardiovascular disease at the start of the study. Participants completed dietary assessments asking what they ate the day before to estimate their usual intake of total saturated fat and saturated fat from different foods (e.g. dairy and meat). They also completed a detailed lifestyle questionnaire and had blood samples and body measurements taken.

Source: IOL

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