in recent weeks a study published in the american journal of clinical nutrition tried to solve the controversy once and for all. pooled data from twenty-plus studies and nearly 350 000 participants and found no difference in the risk of heart disease between people with the lowest and highest intake of saturated fat. this is huge. it’s like telling people that bicycle helmets don’t protect them from head injuries or seatbelts don’t save lives. sure it’s not a perfect study. some of the research relies on people’s recollections of what they ate and it’s hard to draw any conclusions about whether there may be some benefit to a low-saturated fat diet in older or higher risk populations. but we can’t ignore such a clear challenge to our way of thinking and hope that it just goes away. we need more research more data and more open minds. many are calling for a new approach to official dietary recommendations that takes the focus off of pyramids and nutrients like protein and fat and more towards general dietary patterns. most people are now in agreement that highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates and sweets are not as good for us as a more plant-based diet enriched with whole grains unsaturated fats and animal protein from fish. this seems like fact but the cynic might just call it the next wave of conventional wisdom. time will tell.
is a low-fat diet better for your heart?