Eating Fat Is Good For You

The Daily Express along with a number of other media outlets this week led with the story that Sweden had become the first country in the west to officially change their dietary advice away from low-fat to high-fat, low carbohydrate intake.

This is something of course that Udo Erasmus first encouraged back in the 1980's and formed the basis of the creation of his easy to use oil high in the 'good' fats Omega 3, 6 and 9. The Atkins diet also encouraged the reduction of carbohydrates in preference to fats so it is perhaps a little surprising that governments have taken so long to recognise the problems that have been caused by their existing low-fat dietary advice.
 
The switch in dietary advice in Sweden followed the publication of a two-year study by the independent Swedish Council on Health Technology Assessment which reviewed a total of 16,000 studies and concluded that "Health markers will improve on a low-carbohydrate diet" and that a low carbohydrate diet leads to "a greater increase in HDL cholesterol (“the good cholesterol”) without having any adverse affects on LDL cholesterol (“the bad cholesterol”). This applies to both the moderate low-carbohydrate intake of less than 40 percent of the total energy intake, as well as to the stricter low-carbohydrate diet, where carbohydrate intake is less than 20 percent of the total energy intake. In addition, the stricter low-carbohydrate diet will lead to improved glucose levels for individuals with obesity and diabetes, and to marginally decreased levels of triglycerides.”
 
One of the 10 committee members who undertook the review commented "When all recent scientific studies are lined up the result is indisputable: our deep-seated fear of fat is completely unfounded" and with a nod to the obesity crisis hitting much of the west......"For many people a greater intake of fat means that they’ll feel satiated, stay so longer, and have less of a need to eat as often".